Selecting Relevant Literature PDF

3 Selecting Relevant Literature 1. define review of related literature 2. identify sources for the literature review 3. select relevant materials for the literature review 4. apply the steps in conducting systematic review 5. evaluate...

3 Selecting Relevant Literature 1. define review of related literature 2. identify sources for the literature review 3. select relevant materials for the literature review 4. apply the steps in conducting systematic review 5. evaluate articles relevant for your research study’s literature review The literature review is a major part of any research. 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 the 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. Selecting Relevant Literature The Review of Related Literature is an important component of research regardless of the type of research. Be it qualitative or quantitative research, you spend time and effort in reviewing related literature. Reviewing related literature is one major activity in research that makes you examine or study again concepts or ideas related to your research that people managed to publish in books, journals, or other reading materials in the past. 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 review: 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 is 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 techniques for systematically conducting a review. And finally, look at how to write it and find its place in the research report. Researchers need studies to compare, replicate or criticize them for weaknesses. Researchers vary in perception and depth. Literature review can help to clarify thoughts about studying. Further, it can establish a framework within which to present and analyze the findings. A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources on a specific topic. It provides an overview of current knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing research. Writing a literature review involves finding relevant publications (such as books and journal articles), critically analyzing them, and explaining what you found. There are five key steps: 1. Search for relevant literature 2. Evaluate sources 3. Identify themes, debates and gaps 4. Outline the structure 5. Write your literature review A good literature review doesn’t just summarize sources—it analyzes, synthesizes, and critically evaluates to give a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject. Purposes of Review of Related Literature (RRL) Your reasons for reviewing related literature are true for both qualitative and quantitative research. You re-examine written works related to your research for the following purposes: 1. To find out the connection of your research to the current conditions or situations of the world 2. To know more about theories or concepts underlying your research and to learn from them with respect to your own research study 3. To discover the relation of your research with previous research studies 4. To obtain information on the accuracy or relevance of your research questions 5. To familiarize yourself with technical terms related to your research RRL in Quantitative Research You have learned that there are two basic methods of reviewing related literature: traditional and systematic review. Traditional is for qualitative research while systematic is for quantitative research. Systematic review, ‘a question-driven methodology’ is used by quantitative researchers who begin their research work by asking questions—one big question that states the main problem of the research and a set of sub-questions that deal with specific aspects of the research. Qualitative research likewise begins with research questions, but these are open-ended and subjective questions, in contrast to quantitative questions that aim at obtaining exact, specific, and objective answers whose origin or sources are easy to trace. (Ridley 2012, p. 189; Jesson 2011) Steps in Conducting a Systematic Review Systematic review of related literature happens through the following sequential steps: 1. Clarifying the research questions 2. Planning the research based on your understanding of the research questions 3. Searching for literature 4. Listing criteria for considering the values of written works 5. Evaluating the quality of previous research studies 6. Summarizing the various forms of knowledge collected Obtaining results of the review of related literature by means of systematic review that takes place in a step-by-step method is a scientific way of conducting are-examination of reading materials that have close connection with your research. Adopting a systematic review of related literature prevents you from being bias in dealing with the varied form of literature. The adherence of systematic review to scientific method makes it the apt RRL method for quantitative research that likewise follows the scientific method of looking into the truthfulness of something. (Babbie 2013; Russel 2013; Jesson 2011) How to Evaluate Articles After you locate a published study or 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. It describes the topic and may mention, one or two major variables, and talks about the setting or participants. An example of a good title is "Parental Involvement in Schooling and Reduced Discipline Problems among Junior High School Students in NCR." 2. Read the abstract. A good abstract summarizes critical information about a study. It gives the purpose of the study, identifies methods used and highlights major findings. It prepares you for examining the report in detail. 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. Spend time and effort in reading an article to get maximum results. Some conditions that can affect or influence your reading are: a. the article is a high-quality article with a well-defined purpose, showing clear writing and is a smooth logical one. b. you are sharply focused on a particular issue or question. c. you have a solid theoretical background. 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 into primary, secondary and tertiary (URL: http://class_guides. lib.ucomm.edu/Literature Review) 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 Examples 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 sources will help you read and give you the materials relevant to your topic. To be systematic in recording the material and its source, you need to employ your note taking skills. Here is an example of details about a source which you can file and use during the actual writing of your literature review. (Journal of Moral Education, 36(2), 239-250). Note taking Technique: Notes Frame and Layout Category/Classification/Heading/Sub-heading: (Indicate if your source is a book, research paper, journal, newspaper, internet article etc.) Information of your source:  (Indicate information of your source like title, author, year of publication, publishing company etc.) Notes/Articles Own thoughts / Comments (Indicate here the original text or (Indicate here your review about this article by article from your source which you writing down your own thoughts and evaluate as can be part of your RRL.) comments in relation to your research topic.) Look for materials relevant to the chosen topic. Document sources you encounter. Finally, develop your argument and critique materials gathered for your literature review. Write your review in the past tense except when discussing its significance; in this case, you use the present tense. Example: Martin (2007) found that there was a possible direct relationship between how children saw and felt about themselves and how they felt about the Superheroes. This shows that it is probable that superheroes may be able to influence an adolescent's perception of masculinity. REFERENCE: Cabading J.P.F. & Brawner F.G. (2022). Practical Research 2. Rex Bookstore, Inc. Baraceros E.L., (2016). Practical Research 2. Rex Bookstore, Inc. Prieto N.G., (2017). Practical Research 2 for Senior High School. Lorimar Publishing, Inc. Cortez, S.I., (2020). Educational Manual in Writing a Research Manuscript Made Easy for Senior High School Students: The Basics of Quantitative Research Design. John 14-14 Book Publishing Center