Learning From Others and Reviewing The Literature Lesson 1: Selecting Relevant Literature
Learning From Others and Reviewing The Literature Lesson 1: Selecting Relevant Literature
1. Choose the topic - As a researcher, you must be able to identify your research question or
research topic that your literature aims to address.
2. Identify the databases and resources - here is a vast array of resources available online
and printed materials that you can choose from
3. Search and refine - You must be able to select which materials are relevant to your
research topic/question. Narrow down and focus on the materials that are related to your
topic.
4. Read and analyse - You will have to ask yourself if you have critically analyzed the
literature you have gathered. You will then have to analyze the strengths and weaknesses
of the items that are indicated as you relate them to your research topic.
5. Write the review - Organize the literature review according to themes, trends, and
important concepts. It is not just merely listing down all the literature that you have
gathered. This is the stage where you synthesize and evaluate them according to the
direction of your research topic.
Two types of reviewing literature
1. Traditional – usually used in qualitative research
2. Systematic – quantitative research
Lesson 2: Citing Related Literature
Take note that the in-text citation is necessary under the ff condition:
When the researcher
1. Paraphrases statements of another source
2. Summarizes the ideas of another source
3. Quotes the exact statements of another source
4. Makes reference to ideas of another source
Synthesize
Definition – to combine two or more elements to form a new whole. In the
literature review, the “elements” are the findings of the literature you gather and
read; the new “new whole” is the conclusion you draw from those findings
Purpose - to draw conclusions about the findings in the literature so that you can
identify how the literature addresses your research question.
Process
1. Gather literature that addresses your research question
2. Review literature and take notes: describe, summarize, analyse, and identify
key concepts
3. Synthesize literature: compare & contrast, critically evaluate, interpret so that
you can draw a conclusion
The literature review is an iterative process!
Lesson 4: Making a Coherent Review of Literature
It is important that your literature review has a logical and coherent structure. So
the following structural approaches (Serrano, 2016) are important to consider in
organizing your review of the available literature:
1. Chronological Organization – the discussion of the researches can be
organized orderly according to historical or developmental context.
2. The “Classic” studies organization – a discussion or outline of the major
writings regarded as significant in your area of study. Remember that in
nearly all research there are “benchmark” studies or articles that should be
acknowledged.
3. Topical or Thematic Organization - - the discussion can be organized in
categories or conceptual subjects for your topics.
4. Inverted Pyramid Organization – the literature review may begin with
discussion of more specific localized studies that focus increasingly on the
specific questions at hand.
Conjunctions are used to organize discourse with the logical relations.
Conjunctions can help fragment the texts, give logical connection, and coherence.