Literature Review Process in Research

Study Notes

An academic text providing an overview of a topic.
Helps identify what is known and unknown about a subject.
Uses higher-order thinking skills: reviewing, evaluating, and synthesizing scholarly works.
Is an integral part of research papers.

Involves three stages: searching for relevant works, analyzing these works, and drafting the literature review.

The researcher systematically looks for and selects reference materials relevant to the study.
Quality of references influences the quality of the paper.

Scopus, DOAJ, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, PubMed, CINAHL, Eric, IEEE Explore, Open Research Library, ScienceDirect, World Cat, JSTOR, BASE

Obtain an overview of selected references.
Determine if they are published by reputable publishers/journals and written by legitimate scholars.
Avoid using references from predatory journals or publishers, as they don't guarantee quality.
Predatory publishers publish for financial gain and don't adhere to academic ethics.
Avoid materials that don't directly explain concepts related to the study.
Use references published within the last five years (higher degree) or ten years (Foundation Stage).
Continue reading if materials are relevant, current, and reliable; otherwise, exclude them.
Carefully read each material that will be incorporated into the literature review.

Divide the literature review into two subsections:
- Conceptual Literature Section: Explains concepts relevant to the study.
- Related Studies Section: Presents studies similar to the one being conducted.
When writing the conceptual literature, use concepts from the titles of references or the specific questions and objectives of the research.
Arrange related studies in three ways:
- Thematic Arrangement: Similar studies are grouped together, emphasizing similarities and differences between studies.
- Chronological Arrangement: Studies are arranged from earliest to latest, emphasizing the development and progress in a specific field.
- Typological Arrangement: If there are sufficient local studies, they can be grouped together, emphasizing the geographical context.
At the end of the related studies section, write a synthesis that shows the research gap.
Synthesis can be done at the micro and macro levels:
- Microlevel Synthesis: Summarizes individual studies, identifying key themes, concepts, and findings.
- Macrolevel Synthesis: Provides a broader overview of the body of literature, identifying emerging trends, gaps, and areas for further research.