Review of Literature: Process and Sources

• Review of literature is reviewing material that has already been published on a topic.
• It is a major process that results in a past theory.
• It involves systematically identifying and analyzing documents with information about the research topic.

Two Phases of Review

• First Phase: Initial Search
• Researcher quickly reviews publications to develop a knowledge base to determine interest in pursuing a study.
• Second Phase: Secondary Search
• Researcher makes an in-depth and critical evaluation of relevant publications.
• Literature to be reviewed is classified as Academic (Research) Literature
• Academic literature is scholarly work written and reported for an academic audience, and is reported in a scientific manner.

Sources of Academic Literature:

• Peer Reviewed Journal Literature
• Work has been refereed for quality by scholars in the field
• Peer-reviewed articles should be the main source of information for a literature review, and provide concise information regarding theories, methodologies, application, and interpretation
• Conference proceedings involve articles or abstracts published from academic conferences.
• Previous research theses and dissertations can be used, but plagiarism should be avoided.

How to Organize the Literature:

• Chronologically: Literature is arranged based on date or time, from latest to oldest, or vice versa
• Conceptual and Thematic Structure: Literature is organized into meaningful themes to develop an appropriate structure for the literature review, organized around the topic under investigation.

Research Design

• Research design: plan, structure, and strategy of investigation to obtain research or solve problems.
• It is a detailed plan of how a research study is completed: operationalizing variables, selecting a sample, collecting data to test hypotheses, and analyzing results

Three Major Groups of Designs

• Historical Design
• Study focused on the past
• History is the branch of knowledge concerned with past events, especially those involving human affairs.
• Descriptive Design
• Study focused on the present condition
• Purpose is to find new truths.

Types of Descriptive Research

• Descriptive-Survey: Systematic examination of a condition, situation, or value to collect data for analysis.

Four Classifications of Survey According to Scope and Subject Matter:

• Census of Tangibles
• Covers a small population where variables are concrete.
• Involves counting and documenting physical objects in a specific location or area.
• Census of Intangibles
• Deals with constructs not directly observable.
• Counting items that are not physical, but rather concepts, abilities, or perceptions.
• Sample Survey of Tangibles
• Involves a large population where the sample is made and the information obtained is concrete
• Sample Survey of Intangibles
• Deals with measurements of psychological and sociological constructs of a large population
• Descriptive - Normative Survey
• Surveys are frequently made to ascertain the normal or typical conditions (or picture) or to compare results.
• Descriptive - Analysis
• Determines to describe the nature of an object by separating it into parts, discovering the nature of things.
• Descriptive - Evaluative: Appraises the worthiness of the current study.
• Descriptive - Comparative
• Researcher considers at least two entities (not manipulated).
• Establishes a formal procedure for obtaining criterion data for comparison and conclusion.
• Correlational Survey: Estimates the extent to which variables are related to each other in the population of interest.
• Developmental Studies: Gathers information about the subjects at various stages, possibly needing a considerable amount of time.
• Longitudinal Survey: Change is determined over an extended period of time using the same sample of participants or situations.
• Cross-Sectional Survey: Evaluates changes over time by studying participants of various age levels and other characteristics at the same point.
• Trend Analysis: Projects the demands or records of the point in the future, and estimates the rate and direction of changes
• Causal Comparative or Ex Post Facto
• Ex post facto means from after the fact
• Investigates the problem by discovering what a phenomenon is, and also how and why it occurs.
• Case Study
• Way of organizing social data to understand social reality
• Describes the past, present, and future.
• An intensive investigation of a particular individual, institution, community, or group considered as a unit
• EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
• Problem-solving approach where the study is described in the future by controlling or manipulating variables
• Focus is on the cause-effect relationship.