LEARNING FROM OHERS AND REVIEWING THE LITERATURE

INTODUCTON
The review is not undertaken for its own sake. The primary purpose of the literature
review is to establish the state of current “Knowledge” or agreement about your research
Topic. A literature review is not merely a chronicle of who wrote, what and when but an in-
depth examination of texts to identify and investigate more critical elements where current
understanding is unclear and which the new research can address. After all, it is lack of clarity or
information that is the justification for your understanding the research. The objective of the
review is to identify, criticize and synthesize the most recent, relevant and authoritative texts
related to the research being undertaken.

Doing a literature review

The ability to review and to report on relevant literature is a key academic skill.
Doing a literature review situates your research focus within the context of the wider academic
community in your field. The literature reviews. Reports your critical review of the relevant
literature and Identifies a gap within the literature that your research will attempt to address.

Reviewing the accumulated knowledge about a question is an essential early step in the
research process. As in other areas of life, it is best to find out what is already known about a
question before trying to answer it yourself. The cliché about reinventing the wheel s a
reminder to do your preparation before beginning an endeavor that requires an investment of
time and effort.

Selecting relevant literature will entail looking at the various purposes the review can
serve. There is a need to discuss what the literature is, where to find it and what it contains.
There will be a need to use technique for systematically conducting a review. And finally, look
at how to write it and its place in the research report.

Researchers need studies to compare, replicate or criticize them for weaknesses.

Research vary in perception and depth. Literature review can help to clarify thoughts about
studying. Further, it can establish a framework within to present and analyze the findings.

Goals of a literature review;

Here is the purpose for which literature review is done.

1. To demonstrate a familiarity with a body of knowledge and establish credibility.

A good review increases a reader’s confidence un the researcher’s professional competence,
ability and background.
 2. To show the path of prior research and how a current project is linked to it. A good review
places a research project in a context an demonstrates its relevance by making connections to a
body of knowledge.
3. To integrate and summarize what is known in an area. A good review points out areas where
prior studies agree, where they disagree and where major questions remain. It also indicates the
directions for future research.
4. To learn from others and stimulate new ideas. A good review identifies blind alleys and suggests
hypothesis for replication and gain new insights.

The most common reason for writing a literature review is the second goal: creating links to a
developing body of knowledge. This is referred to as background or contexts review. It introduces
the rest of a research report and establishes the significance and relevance of a research question.

How to Evaluate Articles

After you locate a published study article, you need to read and evaluate the material. The
guidelines that can help you find out the merits of the material and decide whether to include it in your
research or not are as follows:

1. Examine the title. A good title is specific, indicates the nature of the research without describing
the results and avoids asking yes or no questions.
2. Read the abstract. A good abstract summarizes critical information about a study.
3. Read the article. You may begin by skimming the material and quickly reading the conclusion.
This will give you a picture of what the article is about.

To perform a good literature review, you must be selective, comprehensive, critical and current. By
being selective, you do not list everything, but only the most relevant studies. By being comprehensive,
you include part of the studies that are highly relevant and do not omit important ones. Include recent
studies in your literature review.

Sources for the Literature Review

The term “sources” refers to print, electronic or visual materials necessary for your research.
Sources are classified secondary and tertiary (URL:http://class_guides.lib.ucomm.edu/LiteratureReview)

 Examples of primary sources

Letters, correspondences, diaries, memoirs, autobiographies, official or research topics patents
and designs and empirical research articles
 Examples of secondary sources
Academic journal articles (other than empirical research, articles or reports), conference
proceedings, books (mimeographs or chapters of books), documentaries
 Example of tertiary sources
Encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, handbooks
 Literature reviews use a combination of primary and secondary sources since the purpose is to
document and analyze what has been published on any given topic through time.

Secondary sources can be considered primary depending on context. In science, for example, an
academic article reporting the findings of a major study can be considered primary.

The Literature Review Process

The ability to review and to report on relevant literature is a key academic skill. A literature
review involves a four-step process as seen in the given diagram.

1. Select a topic
2. Select and choose literature
3. Analyze and interpret literature
4. Write the Review

LESSON 2: Citing Related Literature Using Standard Styles

INTRODUCTION

After selecting materials relevant to the study, you need to cite their sources. There is a need to
follow prescribed formats for writing and the sources within the text aid is the reference list. This lesson
provides you with a list of a varied sources and the standard style to be followed.

The Need for Citing Sources

When writing a research paper, literature citation is important for two reasons: (1) to avoid
plagiarism (which is against the student code of conduct or ethical/moral standards for that matter.)
and (2) to assign proper authority to a statement (this adds weight to your paper). Giving credit to
the source of any information of ideas needs to be done in the text; this is known as citing literature.

There are several styles in citing your sources. The school may prescribe a particular style for its
students. What matters is that authorities are cited in the text and full references are provided at
the end of the report.

Researchers can find reports of research studies in several formats: books, scholarly journal
articles, dissertations, government documents and policy reports. This section discusses each format
for purposes of documentation.

Formats for citing literature vary in many ways. The most popular formats is the text, the
internal citation format of using an author’s last name and date of publication in parentheses.
Citation gives details of a scholarly publication’s location, helping people find it quickly. A full
 citation appears in a separate bibliography or reference section. When citing references, it is best to
check with an instructor for the required form.

Learning to distinguish among types of publications is an initial skill to master how different
types of references are cited. When e-journals are used, full text can be found in the internet. It is
easier to identify quantitative studies because they usually include a method or data section, as well
as charts, statistical formulas and table of numbers.

Books communicate many types of information, provide thought and entertain. Citations or
reference to books include author’s name, complete title, date of publication, and publisher.

Dissertations and theses which may be published as books or articles are valuable sources of
information. Specialized indexes are listed at accredited universities.

Government documents may include sponsored studies and published reports of research from
different government agencies. They are rarely found in the catalogue system. These documents are
also seen as policy reports and presented papers, and maybe located in the internet, research
institutes and policy centers. Professional associations in academic fields also sponsor oral
presentation of researches.

Referencing Sources

Referencing your sources means systematically showing what information or ideas you are
quoting or paraphrasing from another author’s works and where they come from. As a dictum, you
must research in order to do research. But simultaneously, you must express what your original
thoughts and ideas are, as well as those of others. The citation style is dictated by the school as
previously mentioned. You consult with your teacher about the format or writing style to be used.

Referencing appropriately is important for some reasons as stated below.

 Adds authority to your work by supporting it with previous research

 Demonstrate reading and understanding of relevant literature
 Enable the reader to track down the original sources to check its quality (and to check that you
haven’t misinterpreted it)
 Ensures that you write in an ethical manner by giving credit to the original authors (Dempster
and Hanna, 2016)

Citing Web Sites

Sources Example Citation

Web site with author Kraizer, S. (2005). Safe child. Retrieved February
29, from http.//www.safechild org.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Web site with corporate Administration (SAMSHA). (2008, February 15)
 author 29, 2008, from http.//www.stopalcoholabuse.
gov.
Web site with unknown author Penn State Myths. (2006) Retrieved December6,
2011, from http.//www.psoedu.ur/about/myths.
Global warning solutions. (2007, May 21). In
Page within a Web union of Concerned Scientists. Retrieved
(unknown author) February 29, 2008, from http.//www.ucsusa
org/global warming/solutions

Citing Books

Source Example Citation

Book by single author Rollin, B.E (2006). Science and ethics. New York,
NY: Cambridge University Press.
Sherman, C., & Price, G. (2011). The invisible web:
Book by two authors Uncovering information sources search engines
can’t see. Medford, NJ: Cyber Age Books.
Goodpaster, K.E., Nash, L.L., & Betignies, H.
Book by three or more authors (2006) Business ethics: Policies and person (3rd
ed.).
Book by a corporate author American Medical Association. (2004) American
Medical Association family medical guide (4th ed).
Winnie, P.H. (2001) Self-regulated learning
viewed from models of information processing. In
Article or chapter within an edited book B.J. Zimmerman & D.H. Schuk (Eds), self-
regulated learning and academic achievement
(2nd ed,pp 160-192). Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence
Eribaum Associates.

Citing Article from print periodicals

Source Example Citations

Article in monthly magazine (include volume Swedin, E.G. (2006, May/June). Designing babies:
number if given) A eugenics race with China? The Futurist.
Article in a weekly magazine Will, G.G. (2004, July 5) Waging war on Wal-Mart.
Newsweek.
 Dougherty, R. (2006, January 11). Jury convicts
man in drunk driving death. Centre Daily Times, p
1A.
Stock, C.D., & Fisher, P.A. (2006) Language delays
among foster children: Implications for policy and
practice. Child Welfare, 85 (3).
Rif kind, D. (2005, April 10). Breaking their vows.
Review.