Research MethodsLecture 3

March 27, 2013

RS and GISc

Institute of Space Technology

STEP 1

1. Reviewing Literature

2. Formulating Research Problem

3. Identify Variables

4. Constructing Hypothesis

FORMULATING A RESEARCH PROBLEM

1. Literature Review

• Functions of literature review in research• How to carry out literature search?• How to review selected literature?• How to develop theoretical and conceptual

frameworks?• How to write literature review?

What is meant by reviewing literature?

• Going through existing literature– To get a know how of your area of interest– Comparing your findings with others

Functions of Literature Review

• Provides theoretical background to your study

• Helps to establish links between what you are proposing

to examine and what has already been studied

• Enables to show how your findings have contributed to

the existing body of knowledge in your profession.

• Helps to integrate research findings into existing body of

knowledge

Literature Review can help in four (04) ways..

1. Bring clarity and focus to your research problem

2. Improve your research methodology

3. Broaden your knowledge base in your research area

4. Contextualize your findings

Makes valuable contribution in almost all operational steps

How to review literature?

• If you have a specific problem, focus around your research problem

• Otherwise, review literature in your broad area of interest

Steps in conducting literature review1. Search existing literature in your area of

study

2. Review the selected literature

3. Develop a theoretical framework

4. Develop a conceptual framework

1. Existing literature

• Compile a bibliography– Books– Journals– Internet

Books

• Search by key words or use subject indexing– Title, TOC

• Select 10-15 books and review their bibliography

• After final selection make an annotated bibliography

• Endnotes

Journals

• Provide most up to date information• Do the same as you have done in book

searching • Searching can be done through

– Hard copies in libraries– Citation or abstract indices to read abstracts– Search electronic databases (with different

search options)

Internet

• Published material in books, journal and other sources

• Search engines make it easy and fast• Google and Yahoo• Google Scholar

2. Reviewing the selected literature

• Read the selected literature critically• Pull themes and issues relevant to your study• Theories, criticisms, biases, methodology adopted• Potential for generalization of the findings?• Notice significant difference of opinion among

researchers• Give your opinion about validity of these

differences• Find out areas in which little or nothing is known-

the gaps that exist in the body of knowledge

3. Develop theoretical framework

• Information obtained from literature to be sorted under main themes/theories

• Highlight agreements and disagreements among authors

• Identify unanswered questions/gaps• Theoretical framework will help you effectively

review further literature (focused)• See book example 3.1a and 3.1b

4. Develop conceptual framework

• Basis of your research problem• Stems from theoretical framework and

relates to the specific research problem • Focuses on sections that are basis of the

study• Describes aspects selected from

theoretical framework

How to writing literature reviewed

• The content of literature review should reflect:1. Theoretical background of your study

2. Contextualization of your findings in relation to the existing body of knowledge and refining your methodology

• Could be written in one section or under subheadings based on main themes

1. Literature Review: Theoretical background of your study

• Identify and describe various relevant theories • Specify

– gaps in existing knowledge– Recent advances in the area– Current trend

1. Literature Review: Contextualizing your findings

• Integrate the results from your study with existing literature

• Compare two for confirmation or contradiction

Questions you need to ask yourself before writing literature review

1. What has been done in your field of research?

2. How are you going to order your discussion? Chronological, thematic, conceptual, methodological, or a combination?

3. What section headings will you use?

4. How do the various studies relate to each other?

5. What precise contribution do they make to the field?

6. What are their limitations?

7. How does your own research fit into what has already been done?

Through literature review show your readers

• You have a clear understanding of the key concepts/ideas/studies/ models related to your topic

• You know about the history of your research area and any related controversies

• You can discuss these ideas in a context appropriate for your own investigation

• You can evaluate the work of others

Referencing

• Has two parts1. Citation

• Shows information coming from other source• Within the text of the report

2. List of references• Gives details of those sources• In the final section

• Information– factual material – graphs and tables of data – pictures and diagrams

• Styles:– Examples

• Harvard system• IEEE system

– EndNote output styles• http://endnote.com/downloads/styles