Review of Related Literature

Competency

 Presents written review of related literature and conceptual framework CS_RS12-If-j-9

Short Discussion

Lesson 1 Review of Related Literature

After you have selected your research topic, you have to spend more time for your
review of related literature. As a researcher, you are promoting knowledge. The knowledge
created by other previous studies is essential because it can be a baseline or reference for your
research study as the related literature.

Review of related literature is a compilation of studies related to a specific area of

research (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2020). It evaluates, classifies, and summarizes all the relevant
previous studies conducted on a specified topic. It is also designed to justify your research by
exposing the gaps of the previous studies. It is vital that your literature review is centralized.
Thus, you should choose studies that are focused to your topic rather than collecting a broader
scope of studies which are already not relevant to your research.
Literature review plays a significant impact in the discussion of the results and findings.
The discussion of results and findings should focus on your research rather than those of the
other previous research. Hence, the literature review should be used only in the discussion as
support, evidence, and further explanation for your study. These are the three (3) ways of using
literature review in the discussion of your study: a) providing context as a foundation to develop
your ideas, b) comparing your findings from other previous related studies, and c) stating what
contribution your study has made in the field.

However, there are also three (3) common errors that are usually made when including
literature reviews in the discussion of the study:
 there are wide range of studies being included in which most of them are not anymore
relevant to your specific topic under investigation
 article mentioning the original article is cited rather than citing the original article itself
 previous work has been cited by the researcher based only on the abstracts and without
even reading the entire research.

Purpose of a Literature Review

1. To discover the connection of your research to the existing body of knowledge and to the
real-life situations.
2. To identify more theories or concepts as the foundation of your research study and to
learn from them.
3. To determine the relationship of your research with previous research studies to prevent
duplication and to acknowledge other researchers.
4. To acquire knowledge on the accuracy and significance of your research questions.
5. To acquaint yourself with the technical terminologies relevant to your study.
6. To determine possible gaps, conflicts, and open questions left from other research which
might help you in formulating and justifying your research ideas.
7. To clarify misconceptions on previous research and help refocus, polish, and contribute
to the development of the body of knowledge.

Structure of Literature Review

This is how you are going to structure your review of related literature. The main goal for
doing this is to make the reader understand easily the different studies and how they are
relevant to your study.
1. Introduction
The introduction somehow presents the fundamental idea of the particular study of the
literature review.
2. Main Body
The main body consists of the organized discussion of sources. This is where you
summarize and synthesize your literature review and reflect how they related to your
study.
 3. Conclusions/Recommendations
Conclusion and recommendation emphasize what you have learned from reviewing the
literature and where your study leads to.

Types of Literature Review

These are the different types of literature review according to Nueman (2011). Following
the type of literature review depends on how you organize and present your review of related
studies.
1. Context review
From the name itself, context review is primarily focused on the content or contextual
aspect of research. Usually, it is a type of review in which the researcher relates his or
her study to a larger body of knowledge. It presents the current research by merging it
into a wider framework and determine its contribution and impact to the specific field of
study.
2. Historical review
Historical review is a specialized type of literature review in which the researcher
organizes the related research according to the period of time it was conducted.
Historical literature review focuses on probing research in a specified field throughout a
chronological order, which usually starts from the oldest period of time going to the most
recent studies. The goal of this type of research is to gain knowledge on the
advancement of technology and to identify developments on certain areas, which
progress through time. It can be integrated with a theoretical or methodological review to
illustrate how a concept, theory, or research method developed through time.
3. Integrative review
Integrative review is a common type of literature review in which the researcher
introduces and summarizes the recent knowledge of the study. It emphasizes the
agreements and disagreements of knowledge among various previous research. It also
considers reviews, critiques, and synthesizes representative literature in an integrated
way in order to generate new structure and viewpoint on the topic. This is the most
common form of literature review in the social sciences. This review is usually merged
with a context review.
4. Methodological review
Methodological review is a specialized type of literature review in which the researcher
gathers, compares and contrasts other studies to the current research. It basically
summarizes and evaluates the strengths and gaps in methodological aspects of various
studies and illustrates the effects of different methodologies (research designs, samples,
process) to different outcomes. This approach also emphasizes ethical issues when
necessary, which you should consider and be conscious of as you go through your
current research.
5. Self-study review
Self-study review is a literature review in which the researcher demonstrates his or her
understanding of a specific body of knowledge. It contains existing proof associated to a
clearly stated research questions and uses standardized methods to determine and
evaluate relevant research. However, it can also produce problems of prejudice
especially when it is used to summarize claims or statements linking his or her findings
to a system of knowledge. Typically, it is a practice in the educational program or course
requirement.
6. Theoretical review
Theoretical review is a literature review in which the researcher introduces several
theories or concepts that are focused on a specific topic. It is particular on the theories
and concepts being highlighted on other researches and compares them to the current
study basing on its framework, hypothesis, consistency, and justification. The theoretical
literature review aids in establishing the theories already existed, the relationships of
theories among various studies, the degree of its investigation, and the development of
new hypotheses.

Type of Sources for a Literature Review

 General references are sources in which a researcher refers to tract down other
sources.
 Primary sources are publications in which a researcher accounts the findings of his or
her investigations. Most primary sources are found in journal articles.
  Secondary sources are publications in which a researcher considers the work of others
(Fraenkel & Wallen, 2020).

Where can you find the review of related literature?

1. Books
Books convey many forms of information. The needed information here is from the
books containing a collection of research materials and articles. You can find citation
information on them such as the title, author, date, and publisher in the catalog system.
2. Scholarly Journals
Scholarly journals may also be referred to as academic journals or peer-reviewed
journals. They are filled with peer-reviewed information of research. Articles are written
by a scholar in the field and the researcher is always identified. List of the sources of the
information like footnotes, endnotes, and bibliography is always included. Typically, they
contain an advanced terminologies since the researcher uses technical language in their
field of study. The researcher assumes that the reader has a background and basic
understanding in the field of research.
3. Dissertations
Dissertation is a final requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in
which the student or researcher has to complete a work of original research. Some
dissertations are eventually published as books or articles which consider their findings
and contribution to the academic discipline. Since dissertations are original research,
they can be a source of valuable information.
4. Government Documents
Most of the government agencies around the world support research undertakings and
publish the findings of the study. Government documents are usually kept at the
government and some school libraries. These documents are rarely found in the catalog
system. Assistance from the librarian is needed for you to be able to locate these
documents since it is considered as specialized publications.
5. Policy Reports and Presented Papers
Policy reports are also a source of information in literature review. Policy papers are not
like the typical research papers. Usually, they are discussed to non-academic readers.
They may initiate by identifying an issue or phenomenon that usually claim an answer
and they are focused on being persuasive. Moreover, policy papers are written
proficiently and most of the readers do not want to read a book due to limited time.
Generally, they are supplemented by policy briefs which summarize the papers.
6. Periodicals
Periodicals are findings of the study which can be seen in newspapers, in popular
magazines, on television or radio broadcasts, and in Internet news summaries. They are
the chosen edited summaries done by journalists for the general readers. They are
deficient in numerous vital details that are required to critically evaluate the study.
Therefore, it is essential to supplement these information with other sources.

Steps in Writing Literature Review

1. Find/Search for the Relevant Literature
There are many ways on how to find relevant research studies. You may use the
following:
a. Search engines to facilitate your information inquiry. Make sure that they are
reliable.
b. University online library
c. Snowballing
d. Related dissertations
2. Log, Catalogue and Synthesize
After searching and gathering the different relevant studies, you need to arrange them in
order for you to organize them easily.
a. Log the reference information. You may use reference management software.
b. Catalogue all relevant articles. You may use excel so that it will be organize and
systematic. You can make your own template so that you will be efficient.
c. Digest and synthesize. Organize the different ideas from different sources.
Arrange them according to the criteria that you made in your excel template. This
would make the connections of the different studies easier to identify.
3. Outlining and Writing Up
 In-depth planning and enough time should be given importance during this period since
you will need to concentrate and have focus in writing up your paper.
a. Draw up your outline. You need to make an outline first for the structuring of your
literature review. Thorough reading and understanding should be done for you to
be able to plan and structure the ideas from your different sources. You can use
the different approaches like chronological, thematic, theoretical, etc.
b. Write it up. After formulating the outline, you can now begin writing your first draft.
It is expected that your first draft is still rough. Your second draft involves
tightening up and improving the flow. There would be several drafts needed for
your paper to be polished.
c. Recap. When you are finish with your paper, have it read by others who are
qualified (expert in the field) for further improvements. Comprehend and
incorporate their corrections and suggestions for the betterment of your study. It
is so much better if there will be more qualified people that can proof-read your
paper.

In-text Citation and Referencing Styles

Citation is a reference to a literature being used in your study. It is a way of giving
acknowledgement to the authors whom you have referred their intellectual works and creativity
as a support or foundation of your research. Typically, citations include author’s name, date,
publisher information, journal information and/or DOI (Digital Objective Identifier) if present
(Literature Review: Citation Styles, nd).
From the name itself, an in-text citation is a reference made within the body of text in
the paper. It leads the reader to a source where a particular information has been taken of. An
in-text citation should be reflected when you refer, paraphrase, summarize, or quote from
another author. A corresponding reference list must be provided at the end of the study as
references or bibliography.
A reference typically includes only the sources that you have mentioned or cited in-text
in your paper, while a bibliography is generally a list of all the sources you use to generate
your ideas about your research even if you have not mentioned or cited them in your paper.
There are different citing and referencing styles that are being used depending on the specific
requirements of different filed of disciplines.

Generalization
 Review of related literature is a compilation of studies related to a specific area of
research. It evaluates, classifies, and summarizes all the relevant previous studies
conducted on a specified topic.
 Context review is primarily focused on the content or contextual aspect of research.
Usually it is a type of review in which the researcher relates his or her study to a larger
body of knowledge.
 Historical reviews a specialized type of literature review in which the researcher
organizes the related research according to the period of time it was conducted. It
focuses on probing research in a specified field throughout a chronological order, which
usually starts from the farthest period of time going to the most recent studies.
 Integrative review is a common type of literature review in which the researcher
introduces and summarizes the recent knowledge of the study. It emphasizes the
agreements and disagreements of knowledge among various previous research.
 Methodological review is a specialized type of literature review in which the researcher
gathers and compares and contrast other studies to the current research. It basically
summarizes and evaluates the strengths and gaps in methodological aspects of various
studies.
 Self-study review is a literature review in which the researcher demonstrates his or her
understanding of a specific body of knowledge. It contains existing proof associated to a
clearly stated research questions and uses standardized methods to determine and
evaluate relevant research.
 Theoretical review is a literature review in which the researcher introduces several
theories or concepts that are focused on a specific topic. It is particular on the theories
and concepts being highlighted on other research and compare them to the current
study.
 General references are sources in which a researcher refers to tract down other
sources.
 Primary sources are publications in which a researcher accounts the findings of his or
her investigations. Most primary sources are found in journal articles.
 Secondary sources are publications in which a researcher considers the work of others.
 Books convey many forms of information containing a collection of research materials
and articles. Citation information can be found in them such as the title, author, date, and
publisher in the catalog system.
 Scholarly journals are also be referred to as academic journals or peer-reviewed
journals. Articles are written by a scholar in the field and the researcher is always
identified.
 Dissertation is a final requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in
which the student or researcher has to complete a work of original research.
 Government documents are usually kept at the government and some school libraries.
These documents are rarely found in the catalog system.
 Policy reports are also a source of information in literature review. Policy papers are not
like the typical research papers. Usually, they are discussed to non-academic readers.
 Periodicals are findings of the study which can be seen in newspapers, in popular
magazines, on television or radio broadcasts, and in Internet news summaries. They are
the chosen edited summaries done by journalists for the general readers.
 In-text citation is a reference made within the body of text in the paper. It leads the
reader to a source where particular information has been taken of.
 References typically include only the sources that you have mentioned or cited in-text in
your paper.
 Bibliography is generally a list of all the sources you used to generate your ideas about
your research even if you have not mentioned or cited them in your paper.