Literature Review Characteristics and Definitions

Literature Review Characteristics

• A literature review is a concise analysis of existing research, synthesising and critically evaluating the relevant work.
• It helps academic researchers understand the current knowledge on a specific topic.
• A good literature review should be comprehensive, encompassing all pertinent studies, theories, and data.
• It avoids omitting relevant contributions, considering diverse perspectives.
• A good literature review also avoids gaps in the research topic.
• Example: When exploring climate change, a complete review will include climate policies' economic analysis, meteorological studies, and the social effects on vulnerable communities.

Literature Review Definition

• A literature review is a thorough analysis of a body of research that addresses a specific research question.
• Burns and Grove (2005) define a literature review as an organised summary of published scholarly work on a particular topic.
• Taylor (2011) defines a literature review as a systematic presentation of published works by accredited scholars.

Systemic Literature Review

• A methodical and repeatable process ensures the review's organisation and replication.
• A clear inclusion and exclusion criteria minimise irrelevant studies and ensures relevance.
• Example: A study on renewable energy adoption uses the PRISMA framework to find and assess peer reviewed articles after 2015.

Well-Written Literature Review

• Clarity, coherence, and structure are important for a good review.
• Logically presenting information and using proper grammar improves readability and professional quality.
• Example: A literature review on e-learning platforms uses headings like "Introduction," "Methodology," and "Findings." Smooth transitions between the sections and concise summaries of the studies are included.

Bias-Free Literature Review

• A literature review should objectively evaluate sources without favouring specific studies or viewpoints.
• Example: A review of economic theories of unemployment should examine Keynesian and New Classical theories, along with their respective supporting data and criticisms.

Factors Affecting Literature Review

• Researchers' experience is crucial; experienced researchers are better equipped to conduct literature reviews than beginners.
• Easier research projects facilitate the collection of literature reviews compared to complex projects.
• Access to resources (computers, internet, journals) directly affects the quality of the review.

Purpose of Literature Review

• It helps pinpoints what's already known about the research topic.
• This builds on existing knowledge and provides recommendations for future research.
• It helps find suitable scholarly literature in existing research studies that can help in future research.

Sources of Literature Review

• Primary Sources: Original research articles, dissertations, and reports written by researchers who conducted the study.
• Secondary Sources: Summaries or interpretations of primary sources by other researchers, textbooks, and review articles.
• Tertiary Sources: General background information, encyclopaedias, dictionaries, and databases, which help to understand the research topic.
• Electronic Sources: Online databases, journals, and websites for literature reviews, providing wider access.
• Printed Sources: Books, journals, and magazines, vital for older literature in certain fields.

Steps in Writing a Literature Review

• Stage 1: Prepare an annotated bibliography to summarize each relevant source.
• Stage 2: Organise the annotated sources into themes, subthemes, or categories.
• Stage 3: Conduct further readings to explore the topics for a more comprehensive understanding.
• Stage 4: Construct individual thematic sections of the review, organising and synthesising the collected information.
• Stage 5: Synthesise all sections into a cohesive narrative.

Content of the Review (Introduction, Body, Conclusion)

• Introduction: Specify the topic; context, trends, conflicts, or gaps in the literature; and the review's perspective on the topic.
• Body: Structure the review by themes or categories; summarise, evaluate, and synthesise relevant sources, discussing different methodologies, theories, and conclusions.
• Conclusion: Summarize the major contributions of the reviewed literature and evaluate the current state of the research by highlighting methodologies, theories, and findings.

Research Questions

• Research questions, specific inquiries, aim to address problem areas.
• Strong research questions should be specific, coherent, focused, and relevant to scholarly debates, allowing for deeper investigative research.

Research Objectives

• Clearly defined objectives that the research intends to achieve and the steps involved.

Quantitative and Qualitative Research

• Use quantitative research to measure variables, assess outcomes, and test broad theories across large populations.
• Choose qualitative research to explore viewpoints, assess processes over time, understand the perspectives of stakeholders, and study a smaller group of people, in depth.

Questionnaire

• Definition: Data collection method where respondents answer predetermined questions.
• Key Assumptions: Unreasonable demand, hidden purpose or unrelated questions.
• Questions: Clear, straightforward, and answerable questions.
• Format: Clearly structured, numbered questions, attractive presentation, and easy-to-understand explanations.

Questionnaire Design

• Adjusting or copying existing questionnaires should carefully follow copyright procedures.
• Question wording needs to be accurate, unambiguous, and understandable.
• Questions need to be coded for efficient analysis.

Sampling

• Population: All members of the target group.
• Sample: A subset of the population.
• Sampling Frame: A list of all the population members, used to select a sample.
• Sampling Techniques:
  • Probability: Every population member has a known chance of selection.
    • Simple random sampling
    • Systematic sampling
    • Stratified sampling
    • Cluster sampling
  • Non-probability: Some elements have no chance of selection.
    • Convenience sampling
    • Quota sampling
    • Judgemental sampling
    • Snowball sampling
• Sample Size: Influencing factors for sample size determination include the study's purpose (statistical analysis, qualitative studies), cost and time constraints, and the desired generalizability.

Sampling Error

• Discrepancy between the sample's characteristics and the population's characteristics.
• The goal is to minimise error; larger sample sizes are associated with smaller errors.

Importance of Sampling Strategy

• Validating the data source and examining the generalizability to the broader population for future studies.