Research seminar lecture_3_literature_review

1

Research Seminar for

Educational Sciences

Prof. Dr. Chang Zhu

Department of Educational Sciences

Major sections of a research

proposal

2

Title

Summary

Research problem

Literature review

Research questions

Research methods

Expects results &

significance

Planning

2

Questions

• Why literature review is needed?

• When do you conduct literature review?

• How do you conduct literature review?

• How do you write the literature review?

The research process

1. Identifying a research topic/problem

2. Reviewing the literature

3. Selecting sample/participants

4. Collecting data

5. Analyzing and interpreting data

6. Reporting and evaluating the research

4

3

Research topic

A good research topic needs to be

• interesting

• researchable

• significant

• ethical

• manageable

• specific

5

6

Research topic

Literature review

Understand the topic

Develop your own ideas

4

Literature review

� Systematic identification, location and

analysis of documents containing

information related to your research

topic/problem

� What do we already known/ what has

already been done…What type of

research has been done in the area? What

has been found in previous studies?

7

Literature review

� Place your research in a logical or

theoretical framework

� Provide the rationale for your research;

Where your study will be situated?

� Give possible directions what needs to be

done; What suggestions do other

researchers make for further study? What

has not been investigated?

8

5

9

Types of Literature

Review

selective comprehensive

Part of larger work

Stand alone work

e.g. Introduction

to an article

e.g. course

assignmente.g. review

article

e.g. Thesis/

dissertation

1

0

A stand alone article

6

1

1

Part of a research article

7

Literature review

� How can the proposed study add to our

knowledge of the area?

1

3

Literature review

• In addition, it allows you

� be aware of previous research methods

and procedures…

� Avoid potential mistakes

� Will be helpful to interpret your study

results

1

4

8

1

5

Searching the Literature

Scholarly articles books

1

6

Conference proceedings

9

1

7

dissertations

1

8

A

C

B

D

Mapping the literature

10

Organizing the literature

1

9

The general research topic

2

0

How to get started?

11

2

1

Writing a literature review is a

process…

TopicResearch, collect

information,

and read

Analyze and

synthesize

Write your

literature review

and revise

Keep track of

the references

Literature review: steps

1.Identify a list of key words

2.Search for primary and secondary sources

that are relevant to your research topic

3.Screen and evaluate the sources

4.Analyze and organize the sources

5.Write the literature review

2

2

12

Literature review: key words

• Single key words

• Often a combination of key words

Eg. ICT-based learning and higher education

digital media and learning

2

3

13

Literature review: search

• Search for relevant documents (books,

journals, articles, reports, thesis….)

�A list of key words to guide literature search

�Primary sources: firsthand information (an

original research, study report by the person

who conducted it). Secondary sources: second-

hand information (a review, description of a

study conducted by someone else)

2

6

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• Science direct

• http://www.sciencedirect.com/

• Web of Science/ Web of knowledge

• http://apps.isiknowledge.com/WOS_GeneralSe

arch_input.do?highlighted_tab=WOS&product

=WOS&last_prod=WOS&SID=N2PJEol6dap

9iJgmGC6&search_mode=GeneralSearch

2

7


• ERIC (Education Resources

Information center)

http://www.eric.ed.gov/

Academia

http://academia.edu/

2

8

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� Other online sources:

• Google scholar

• Dissertation Abstracts

• http://www.dissertation-abstract.com/

• http://www.proquest.com/en-

US/catalogs/databases/detail/pqdt.shtml

• …..

2

9


�VUB Online library:

• http://www.vub.ac.be/BIBLIO/

• http://biblio.vub.ac.be/vubissmartweb/Vubis.csp

V-spaces

ArticleDataBase

3

0

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• Specific journals

e.g. British Journal of Educational

Technology,

Computers in the Schools

Education as Change

Computers & Education

Teaching and Teacher Education

Journal of Educational Research

…..3

1

Literature review: resources

�High impact journals

• Thomson Reuters Master Journal list

• Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI)

3

2

17


�Some high impact journals in education:

• Higher Education

• The Journal of Higher Education

• Journal of Further and Higher Education

• The Research in Higher Education Journal

• Higher Education Policy

• The Journal of Educational Research

• Educational Research Review3

3


�Some high impact journals in education:

• Educational Studies

• British Journal of Educational Technology

• Educational Technology and Society

• Teaching and teacher education

• Learning and Instruction

• Learning and Individual Differences

• …..3

4

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Analyse and organize

3

5

�Collect and read relevant literature

�Provide an overview of significant literature

�Highlight key concepts


3

6

� Describe

� Summarize

� Compare and contrast

� Critically evaluate

� Analyze

� Organize

19


3

7

� Discover relationships between sources

� Identify major themes and concepts

� Identify consensus

� Identify critical gaps and disagreements

� Check limitations and directions for future

research

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• Evaluate the sources: Is it primary or secondary source?

• Differentiate facts and opinions; Is it personal opinion or

results & findings based on a research study?

• Analyze and evaluate contradictory studies/results; is

there a possible explanation? Is it related to a certain

context/population…?

• Is there any gap in the existing literature?

• Is it up-to-date? Is it relevant?

• Who was studied? How the study was conducted?

Where it was published?


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• Make an outline • Definitions

• Introduction of the main theory or theories that may

support your research

• Overview of previous research in this field or related

field, organize and summarize in a meaningful way;

avoid too broad and irrelevant info

• Similarities and differences identified in previous studies

(does it support or justify your planned research? Does it

point to certain directions of research? )


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• Quote or provide a source when using

arguments/opinions or presenting findings from

other studies

• Organize content logically; explain each concept

and relevant/potential relationships; be precise

• be consistent in using terms

Write….

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41

• Present the most relevant arguments/

statements/evidence just before your own

research questions or hypothesis

• Use introductory and/or summary words

• Follow APA writing style

How to write?

4

2

My literature review

Introduction

Article 1

Article 2

Chapter 1

Article 3

Book 1

Article 4

Article 5

……

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4

3

Main Concepts A, B, C

Main arguments, findings, conclusions

Research methods, context, population…

Introduction

Your

research

topic

Research

problem

4

4

What theories,

concepts,

arguments,

empirical

findings are

relevant for

your research

Do they support,

contradict, or

complement each

other

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4

6

What theories,

concepts,

arguments,

empirical

findings are

relevant for your

research

Do they support,

contradict, or

complement

each other

How do they

lead to your

research

(especially

your specific

research

questions)

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48

• Avoid too long, irrelevant information

• Avoid big words, or being too general

• Avoid repetition, summarize them

• Be focused, well-organized

• It is important to develop a logical framework for your

study

• Bear in mind that what is important is not just what has

been done, but why do you conduct this research

Some general guidelines

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• Take sufficient time to identify the best

descriptors and best preliminary, primary and

secondary sources in reviewing literature related to

your research problem or topic.

• Obtain and read at least the most important

primary sources for your literature review, rather

than relying on abstracts in preliminary sources or

summaries in secondary sources.

Some recommendations

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• Examine critically all aspects of the research

methodology of an article before accepting a

researcher’s findings and interpretations as valid.

•Consider contrary findings and alternative

interpretations in synthesizing qualitative and

quantitative literature.


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51

• Classify the publications that you have

identified as relevant to your literature review

into meaningful categories.

• When writing the literature review, make

explicit connections between the findings of your

literature review and your research questions,

hypotheses, or objectives that you plan to

investigate.


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use words such as

say/said

state(s)/stated….

point(s)/pointed out…

put forth…

argue(s)/argued…

investigated….


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53

use words such as

find/found…

stress…

indicate….

emphasize…

validate….

conclude….

…

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use words such as

confirm…

show…

suggest….

address….

examine…

believe…

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55

use words such as

support…

demonstrate…

comment….

agree….

disagree…

contend…

…


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use words such as

In the study of Author (2008)…

Author & Author (2010) point out…

The findings of Author et al. (2009) show

that….

Previous research (Author, 2001; Author,

2007) support…


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Writing literature review

• What main theories

• What main empirical studies and results

• What variables, what are the relationships

between them

• What research context

5

7

Writing literature review

• How does it lead to your own research

questions?

• Does it point out directions for your study

(e.g. relationships between variables)?

• Can you put forth hypothesis based on

the literature review?

5

8

30

Discussion

• Each group discuss

• One research article

• Read the literature review part

• Discuss the literature review is

organised, and how it is written

6

0

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• Your group research plan

Or

• Individual research plan