REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Academic Research

KNOWLEDGE

Experience – Perception and observation

Reason – induction and deduction

Emotion – values, cultural background

Language – Discourse, social knowledge production

DEDUCTION

INDUCTION

Where is the argument most heated?

Where is there a missing piece?

How can I conceive the problem differently

What is accepted as knowledge and what is contested?

LISTENING TO THE DEBATE

THE LR ESTABLISHES THE RESEARCHER AS A PARTICIPANT

LR directly follows introduction and orients the research –places your research in the debate.

LR chance to show that you know the current situation in your area.

Line up the players in the field and show how your research will be different – even for those similar

PLACEMENT OF THE LR

Postpositive – Deductive study - separate and before method and results – sets up the hypothesis

Qualitative – Ethnography: LR is the critical framework that the observations show to be ‘true’.

Qualitative (Grounded ) – at the end: good for inductive study – a case study. Contrast actual results with the theories already present

STEPS

1. Identify key words from synopsis 2. Search catalogues and databases 3. Locate and scan abstracts – save all related4. Rank importance to your topic – check

bibliography 5. Have foundation texts ready that inform

you of the basic theories6. Start the literature map

STEPS

7. Place each reading on the literature map8. Keep summaries together in a file9. Keep precise references10. Go back to library / other basic resources to

find the ‘missing’ information 11. Redo summaries12. Map out the patterns in the argument13. Assemble the review with an organisational

principle

THE LIT MAP: BASIC

COMPLEX MAP WITH RESOURCES

ORGANISATIONAL PRINCIPLE

Lit Map has logical structure: classification, Represents the structure of the review and

report Helps you to find ‘missing pieces’. Looks like a concept map Fill it in as you go

Example Figure 2.1 Creswell

Use Microsoft Smart Art

LOCATE AND SCAN ABSTRACTS

Epistemology

Mythology of Earthquakes and Science: Focus – Greek and Italian myths

Key words: Myth* Earthquake* Gree* Ital* Scien*

Http://library.vu.edu.au/

ESTABLISH A PROCESS

Start with encyclopaedia style information

Then go to peer reviewed articles

Follow the bibliography of the MOST relevant

Then go to government papers – prevailing

real state

WHAT TO SUMMARISE – QUANTITATIVEEXAMPLE

Mention the problem being addressed How does the researcher SEE the problem –

theory they support State the central purpose of the study -

actions Outline the sample, population, findings –

method Review key results Point out the flaws and missing key figures /

variables

WHAT TO SUMMARISE – QUALITATIVEEXAMPLE

Mention the problem being addressed Identify central theme State major conclusions Mention flaws in its reasoning, argument

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Lit review defines all new terms as used by other writers in the way they use them.

Use the language of the literature – not everyday, dictionary language

Dispute definition if necessary (a possible early critique)