1. Where we are now…
Observation/
Background
survey
Broad area of
research
Literature review
Problem
definition
Problem
statement
Research
questions
Scope and
limitations
Benefits
Theoretical
framework
Variables clearly
identified
Hypothesis
generation
Research
design
Methods
Data
collection
Analysis
Interpretation
Deduction
Hypothesis
substantiated?
RQ answered?
3. Operational Definitions
Not ‘dictionary type definitions
What you will using in your research
Based on literature and past research
How you will operationalize the
variable/construct
6. Today’s objectives
Describe what a literature review is
How to conduct a literature review
Using library databases
7. What is “literature”?
Scholarly Journals ( Educational Technology R
&D, ELT Journal)
Professional Journals ( Educational
Leadership, )
Monographs
Books; research reports; dissertations; other?
Media
Popular magazines (e.g. Dewan SIswa, Time)
Newspapers (e.g., Berita Harian; The STAR)
Remember – be critical…
question what you read
8.
9. Literature review
What is a literature review ?
Discussion of published information in a
particular subject area
Sometimes, information in a particular
subject area within a certain time period
10. Literature review
Can be a simple summary of the sources
Has an organizational pattern and
combines both summary and synthesis
11. Literature review
SUMMARY - recap of the important information
of the source
SYNTHESIS - a re-organization, or a
reshuffling, of that information.
gives a new interpretation of old material
combine new with old interpretations
trace the intellectual progression of the field,
including major debates
evaluate the sources and advise the reader on the
most pertinent or relevant.
14. What you should do
Generally
Identify key terms
Locate literature
Critically evaluate and select the literature
Organize the literature
Write a review
19. CONCEPTS
What combination of concepts will other
authors have researched & published?
Should you ignore any concepts for the
literature review?
20. CONCEPTS
Evaluation √
Usability √
Web sites √
??
Special needs √
Students - in this context ?
Nottingham University X
27. Mapping out
Build family tree
Identify variables
Identify context/ setting
Identify theories
Look for research done in the area
Categorize
Defining
Historical
Justification
Methods
Scope
Context
28. Conducting a literature review
Start with a known item/ variable
Use simple “Google search”
Etd
Annotated bibliography
Dissertation abstracts
Move on to library online databases
29. Where to start looking
Start with your (sub)discipline first
Has anyone in your field studied this problem?
E.g., Education? = ERIC database
Branch out to other disciplines – esp. if the
topic is interdisciplinary
What has been done in other (related) fields?
E.g., Psychology (PsycINFO); Sociology
(Sociological Abstracts); Cultural Theory…ETC.
30. Track your literature
Keep a journal / page on your eportfolio– jot notes as
you read
Why is each item of interest to you? Where does the item “fit”
in your research?
Provides background/definitional information?
Provides a good example to highlight your argument?
Jot examples of great quotes – including page #s
Remember – paraphrases must be cited as well
Make copies as you go or better still upload /store in
Mendeley
Difficult/time-consuming to go back
Be aware of copyright rules/restrictions!
Itemize everything – document full citation as you find relevant
information
31. Review
“Re-views” – or looks again – at what others have done
in a particular area of study (so may include research,
opinion pieces, news articles, etc.)
Is analytical and comparative – not purely descriptive
Summarizing the articles is not enough – what does
this mean to you? How does this connect with other
things you’ve read?
Use the literature
to support/defend your argument
To identify concepts/issues previously found to be significant
and/or insignificant – including points of controversy (“critical
eye”)
32. The Lit Rev Bullseye
Think of the literature
search as a bullseye
Your problem is in the
centre – has anyone
studied this topic before?
Chances are – no hits!
If there is??
Slowly move your search
out & away from the
problem – to find other
relevant studies
33. The Lit Rev Bullseye - example
• What do we know about the
effects of playing online
games on rural young Malay
adults’ behaviours?
• Start with the exact question
– has anyone studied this?
• If no – are there studies of
how young adults’ behaviours
in general? Studies of online
gaming ? Studies that look at
the problem – but with a
different age group? In a
different locale?
34. Evaluating the relevance of the
literature: Questions to ask
Topic relevance: Is the literature on the same
topic as your proposed study?
Individual and site relevance: Does the
literature examine the same individuals and
sites you want to study?
35. Evaluating the relevance of the
literature: Questions to ask
Problem relevance: Does the literature
examine the same research problem as you
propose in your study?
Accessibility relevance: Is the literature
available in your library or can it be
downloaded from a web site?
36. Construct a Literature Map
Identify key terms for the topic and put them at
the top of the map
Sort studies into topical areas or “families of
studies.”
Provide a label for each box which will become
a heading for the review
Develop the map on as many levels as
possible
37. Literature Map
The need for Teaching Programs
to be Culturally Responsive
Bennett, 1995; Eastman,
Smith, 1991; Grant 1994; Noel,1995
Study Abroad
Programs
Attitude Toward
Study Abroad
King, Young ,1994
Personal insights
of Preservice Teachers
Friesen, Kang
McDongall, 1995;
Mahan, Stachowski, 1991
Possible
Improvements
Martin, Rohrlich ,
1991; Stachowski,
1991
Personal insights
of Preservice Teachers
Cockrell, Placier
Cockrell, Middleton
1999, Goodwin, 1997
Kea, Bacon, 1999
Predominantly
English
Speaking Countries
Mahan, Stachowski,
1990;
Vall, Tennison, 1992
Need for further study:
Non-English Speaking Cultures
Main Question: Do short-term
study
abroad programs in non-
English speaking cultures help
create cultural responsiveness
among preservice teachers?
Conventional
Programs
Colville-Hall
Macdonald,
Smollen, 1995;
Vavrus, 1994
Cross-Cultural
Programs
Cooper, Beare
Thorman, 1990;
Larke, Wiseman,
Bradley, 1990
U.S.
Programs
41. Exercise: Map your literature
Find 5-10 articles related to your research problem
Read the abstract
Map out the literature
Further action
Summarize each study in an “abstract” that
highlights important elements
Identify each article’s contribution to the study
Choose the most relevant ones
Write your review ( in a paragraph) and post it in
the group forum
Example