id
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§ Literature search and indexing
§ Recording references
§ Literature review
§ How to “do” a literature review
§ Finding relevant publications
§ Structuring the literature review
§ Writing the literature review
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Master Degree Research
Perform Gather &
Select Make
literature analyse Write up
a topic a plan
search data
Create
Decide Develop Produce Plan
Gantt
objectives Work Struct. estimates resources
chart
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§ General sequence of steps in research design
§ Identify the research problem
§ Determine the purpose of research
§ Develop the theoretical framework
§ Define the research questions and/or hypotheses
§ Define the scope of the study
§ Decide on methodology
§ Define expected outcomes
§ Writing up
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§ Why this topic?
§ is it topical, timely?
§ is there a clear need for work in this area?
§ if so, who needs it, who will use it?
§ how will the world be a better place?
§ Where does expertise lie?
§ who can you talk to?
§ what can you read to find out more?
§ does this confirm the need for the research?
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§Is the proposed research novel?
§ How does the project relate to other work?
§ does it follow on sequentially from something? (eg extension of
previous project)
§ does it apply similar approach to another project?
§ does it fill a gap in knowledge?
§ draw a “mind map” of the subject
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§ Following questions can help to define a research focus
including;
§ What does the research seek to find out? What questions does it
aim to answer, or what hypothesis does it seek to test?
§ What areas of knowledge, subjects and disciplines will the research
need to draw on?
§ What do we know already that is relevant? Where shall we need to
add new knowledge or know how?
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§ What are the likely sources for the required information?
§ What are the potentially useful ways of doing the research - the
methodological options?
§ What limits must we set to the breadth and depth of the inquiry?
§ What obligations do we have to fulfil to the institution in which we
are doing the research?
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§ Finding your research subject
§ Brainstorming
§ Ways of refining the topic
§ Analogy - import ideas and procedures from a similar area
§ Morphological analysis - methodical breakdown of key
dimensions of general area of interest
§ Mind maps - use network diagram to extend out from central
concept
§ Relevance trees - use hierarchical diagram to develop fine
categories within research area
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§ importance of literature review
§ to increase your knowledge of research area and methodologies
§ to scope, justify and decide feasibility of your proposed work
§ to develop critical appraisal and ability to synthesize
§ consider purpose, conduct, findings, strengths and weaknesses of the studies
you read
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identifying a research problem developing research questions
1. read literature, 1. state purpose
identify gaps of research
2. formulate specific
2. generate list of questions or
interesting questions hypotheses
N
6. does suitable
problem exist? Y N 3. are they interesting
3. questions already or important?
Y answered in literature? Y
5. have questions been Y
N answered already?
5. eliminate
impractical questions N
4. test feasibility 4. survey
relevant literature
to next stage in to next stage in
research design research design
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§ Literature search
§ A methodical search of published sources of information to identify
items relevant to a particular need, for instance;
§ Topic selection, Find specific project information
§ Discover structure of information in a particular subject, etc.
§ But remember to
§ Define your initial topic, scope, content and parameters for your own work first
§ Decide on what sort of relevant information to your project
§ range of sources - eg, reference works, books and articles, government publications,
theses, conference proceedings, standards and statistics, directories, company and
market reports…
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§ Structure how you get it
§ Decide on a search order, allow enough time, keep detailed
records
§ Identify keywords for searching, use computerized databases
and Internet, but narrow your search first
§ Keep notes of references on index cards or computer
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Document/Start
Search statement
Read/Store
Modify Information
Evaluate Sources
Search Strategy
SEARCH 14
§ Extracting information from sources - an exhaustive
process
§ Use key topics as ‘hooks’ for searching and storing
§ Making notes
§ Make accurate note of bibliographic details of item
§ At top of notes about any item, put key topic(s) prominently
§ Don’t copy large chunks of text, but do note page no. of any quotations you
might use
§ Which vehicles to use for notes? Cards, loose leaf, notebooks? If notebooks,
number them and number pages.
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§ Storing information - key decisions
§ What containers to use
§ How to arrange items in containers
§ Like with like (need to label the containers by key topic)
§ In sequence (need to number items as they come in)
§ Whether to create records of the items you store
§ Probably yes
§ If no, items must be clearly labelled, and you will need an index into them by
topic (etc)
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§ Ask yourself a number of questions;
§ Relevant to your needs?
§ Useful for the problem in hand?
§ Date of publication appropriate?
§ Obtainable?
§ Level of information correct?
§ Too simple/advanced?
§ Is this a new information or do you know this already?
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§ Key considerations for indexing
§ Decide what are the key topics
§ Put them on index cards or use reference database software (Endnote)
§ Use them as hooks to fish for information
§ Put main topics on notes you make and on items you photocopy.
§ Decide how to store your information - in number sequence or by main
topic
§ Set up an index - use cards from 2 or make back-of-book index to
notebooks.
§ Searching your information
§ Look up the cards for topics you want.
§ Go from there to information store, and take out relevant items
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§Definition
§ A story or narrative, which documents the previous
research that is relevant to your own research area
§ The literature review essentially “sets the scene” and prepares
the reader for your own contribution
§ The literature review usually occurs as chapter 2 in your thesis
§ But other sections of your thesis are likely to contain references
to material considered in the literature review
§ Also the literature review is also an opportunity to learn more
about the subject area you are researching
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§Purpose
§ Knowledge of current literature and your own reading
§ Present it thematically or in an order that relates to the
rest of the project structure
§ Identify trends, gaps etc in the literature
§ Analyse, evaluate and otherwise demonstrate that you
have understood what you have read
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§ Planning the literature review
§ Setaside enough time to find, read and review a given publication.
§ 75% of the literature review can be done in one session
§ The other 25% may be ongoing as your understanding, knowledge
and research skills develop
§ Identify the main areas of the literature to be
covered
§ Make up a “shopping-list” of these areas so you know what you are
looking for
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§ Find relevant publications
§ Always follow the literature search cycle
§ Remember
§ to find 10 relevant publications you may have to read over 30 L
§ Thus you need to adhere to
§ Find, read and record relevant literature
§ Record the title of each publication
§ Record the source (e.g. reference or a web-page)
§ Make a brief note about the relevance of the publication
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§ Structure the literature that you have reviewed
§ You could even use a table with appropriate categories
§ Start by drawing a “concept map” or an overall plan of the literature
review chapter
§ Identify the main areas of the literature
§ This will include the “parent” or main discipline and the context of your
research
§ The main areas will be the main sections in the literature chapter
§ Identify relevant sub-areas to be highlighted
§ Sub-divide the main literature areas into smaller sections
§ These sections will be the sub-sections within the main sections of the
literature chapter
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§ Section 2.1 (introduction)
§ Introduce your own research topic and explain what literature areas need
to be reviewed
§ Briefly present your concept map or plan to show the reader how the
literature review is logically structured
§ Section 2.2 to 2.x
§ Address each of the main areas of the concept map or plan
§ Try to move towards specific discussion of each area and identify what is
already known and what is not known
§ Section 2.x (final section)
§ End by stating your own research challenge/question or any hypothesis
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§ Different literature review structures can be used including;
§ The ‘funnel’ approach:
2.2
§ From broad to narrow focus,
§ From main areas/issues to detail 2.3
§ From periphery to centre of research issue
§ The ‘family tree’ approach:
2.2
§ Different levels of knowledge at each level:
§ Various options/theories/issues
§ Time line 2.2.1 2.2.2 2.2.3
§ Concept map
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§ The literature review chapter should not be standalone but relates to other
chapters
§ Ensure that the literature review chapter is closely linked to your study
§ Mention your research topic up-front
§ Then proceed to identify the main areas that will drive the literature
review
§ Show how your study is related to previous work (e.g. extends, fills gap,
applies in different contexts, etc.)
§ Use the literature review chapter to develop your own research
framework or research model
§ Use the literature review chapter to help shape subsequent chapters in
your thesis
§ Often to highlight the gap including research problem that your project is to
focus on 26
§ Try to review topics rather than articles
§ GOOD: reviewing topics
§ “Absenteeism has been defined in three ways:
§ genuine absences through illness [1]
§ voluntary non-attendance e.g. skiving [2]
§ frequent absences due to mental or physical health problems [3]”
§ NOT AS GOOD: reviewing articles
§ “[1] says voluntary absences are due to illness. [2] suggests
some absences are simply due to non-attendance e.g.
skiving. [3] did a study and found that frequent absences are
caused by mental or physical health problems ”
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END OF SLIDE
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