research methods in politics: chapter 8 1 research methods in politics 8 completing a literature...

Research Methods in Politics: ChaptResearch Methods in Politics: Chapter 8er 8

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Research Methods in Research Methods in PoliticsPolitics

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Completing a Literature Completing a Literature ReviewReview


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Teaching and Learning ObjectivesTeaching and Learning Objectives

1.1. to understand why researchers to understand why researchers undertake literature reviewsundertake literature reviews

2.2. to consider the various search processes to consider the various search processes to access published (to access published () information) information

3.3. to learn how to structure and present a to learn how to structure and present a literature reviewliterature review


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Why carry out a Literature Why carry out a Literature Review?Review?

to establish the state of current ‘knowledge’ – or to establish the state of current ‘knowledge’ – or argument – about your research topicargument – about your research topic

‘‘knowledge’ includes views, concepts, theories, knowledge’ includes views, concepts, theories, understanding, evidence, schools of thought, understanding, evidence, schools of thought, schisms, claims, criticisms, main authors and schisms, claims, criticisms, main authors and authorities authorities

identify ‘knowns’, ‘known unknowns’ and identify ‘knowns’, ‘known unknowns’ and ‘unknown unknowns’ (Rumsfeld, 2003), gaps in ‘unknown unknowns’ (Rumsfeld, 2003), gaps in the literature, overlapsthe literature, overlaps

ensure that your research is originalensure that your research is original


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Common ProblemsCommon Problems

potential unending displacement activitypotential unending displacement activity weak analysis of materialweak analysis of material poor synthesispoor synthesis merely descriptive chronologymerely descriptive chronology over-long, boring, timidover-long, boring, timid lacking original criticismlacking original criticism failing to identify gaps and overlapsfailing to identify gaps and overlaps losing interest of examiners and readerslosing interest of examiners and readers plagiarismplagiarism


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ObjectiveObjective

to identify, criticise and synthesise the to identify, criticise and synthesise the most recent, relevant, authoritative textsmost recent, relevant, authoritative texts

note: the review may take up to a third of note: the review may take up to a third of your time and a third of your research your time and a third of your research report.report.

growth of texts available makes selective growth of texts available makes selective approach essentialapproach essential


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Searching the Literature: Where to Searching the Literature: Where to BeginBegin

1.1. key texts cited in course moduleskey texts cited in course modules

2.2. core textscore texts

3.3. texts cited by their authorstexts cited by their authors

4.4. bibliographic databases of journals, e.g.: ASSIA, bibliographic databases of journals, e.g.: ASSIA, BIDS, British Humanities Index, IBSS, PAIS, BIDS, British Humanities Index, IBSS, PAIS, Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI)Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI)

5.5. Internet using RDN, Intute and SOSIG. Masters Internet using RDN, Intute and SOSIG. Masters and doctoral dissertations should be listed in and doctoral dissertations should be listed in RDNRDN

6.6. official records via National Archives and official records via National Archives and Freedom of Information ActFreedom of Information Act


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Reading the LiteratureReading the Literature

‘‘You don’t read books; you gut themYou don’t read books; you gut them; it’s the ; it’s the gist you’re after. If you feel that an author has gist you’re after. If you feel that an author has nothing important to say, drop him’.nothing important to say, drop him’.

read selectively: read selectively: begin with begin with abstractabstract: if relevant : if relevant then: introduction, conclusion, selected chaptersthen: introduction, conclusion, selected chapters

give priority to most recent, refereed journal give priority to most recent, refereed journal articlesarticles

maintain rolling bibliographymaintain rolling bibliography keep brief records of texts including citation, keep brief records of texts including citation,

subjects, scope, arguments, findings, key passages subjects, scope, arguments, findings, key passages card or electronic formatcard or electronic format


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writing the literature reviewwriting the literature review

continuing process of refining distillation, analysis and continuing process of refining distillation, analysis and synthesissynthesis

many re-writesmany re-writes avoid chronological, descriptive reviewsavoid chronological, descriptive reviews concentrate on ideas and contributions rather than authorsconcentrate on ideas and contributions rather than authors provide original criticism of argumentsprovide original criticism of arguments integrate and differentiate the literature into distinct groups integrate and differentiate the literature into distinct groups

and schoolsand schools try try tabulatingtabulating arguments into schools and sub-topics to arguments into schools and sub-topics to

identify main differences, conflicts, overlaps and gaps identify main differences, conflicts, overlaps and gaps try charting the development of ideas, (e.g. western try charting the development of ideas, (e.g. western

philosophy on property ownership shown overleaf)philosophy on property ownership shown overleaf) provide full referencing using Harvard or other system provide full referencing using Harvard or other system

consistentlyconsistently, adding footnotes and end-notes, adding footnotes and end-notes


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Period Common Ownership

State God and Church God and King Personal Ownership

500BCE - 0 Plato (Republic) 375

Aristotle (384-322)Cicero (106-43)

Plato (Laws)

0 – 999CE Seneca (48)Early Christian Church

Early Christian Church

Early Christian Church

St Augustine (354-430)

1000 – 1499Inclosure begins

Albertus Magnus (1206-80)

Rufinus (1158) William of Ockham (1285-1347) St Thomas Aquinas (1224-74) Fortesque (1470)

1500 - 1999 Moore (1516)Levellers (1646)Paine (1796)Jacobins (1797)Proudhon (1840)Owen (1840)Spencer (1884)Communism

Erasmus (1511)

Marx/ Engels (1848)

Fascism,Democratic Socialism

Luther (1535) Calvin (1559) Grotius (1625)Filmer (1680)

Ponet (1556)Melanchthon (1521)Hobbes (1651)Locke (1690)Hume (1739)Smith (1776)Burke (1790)Hegel (1821)George Mill (1848)Maine (1873)Libertarianism‘Property-Owning Democracy’


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At the end of the first draft, ask yourself:

• Has the literature search revealed all the main sources? How do you know?• Has the search identified those texts that are the most relevant, authoritative and recent?• How?• Have you ‘gutted’ the most important texts and uncovered their ‘gists’?• In writing the literature review, have you been able to organise the texts into distinct schools or approaches?• Have you clearly identified the agreements between different schools, their disagreements, overlaps and, crucially, gaps in the literature?• Have you identified and evaluated the key criticisms already made by commentators?• Have you provided original, penetrating and pungent criticism?• In your criticism, have you clearly identified what is ‘known’, contested and ‘unknown’?• Finally, have you clearly identified the theoretical perspective to be adopted, the contested area or gap in the literature to be addressed in the fieldwork, and a refined hypothesis to test?


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Questions for Discussion or Questions for Discussion or AssignmentsAssignments

1.1. You have been asked to undertake a literature review on You have been asked to undertake a literature review on ‘social exclusion in the UK’ (or another topic set by your ‘social exclusion in the UK’ (or another topic set by your teacher). Describe how you would undertake the teacher). Describe how you would undertake the literature search and the priority to be given to particular literature search and the priority to be given to particular sources. How would you ‘read’ the relevant texts? What sources. How would you ‘read’ the relevant texts? What records would you make of the key texts and how? records would you make of the key texts and how? Describe the structure of your literature reviewDescribe the structure of your literature review

2.2. Select a literature review from a journal article. Review it Select a literature review from a journal article. Review it critically. How would you improve how it was written and critically. How would you improve how it was written and presented?presented?

research methods in politics: chapter 8 1 research methods in politics 8 completing a literature...

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