Literature Reviews Dr Wayne E Wright Royal University

Literature Reviews Dr. Wayne E. Wright Royal University of Phnom Penh

Purpose of a Literature Reviews in a Thesis or Research Report To learn what is already known about your research topic To identify gaps in the literature where more research is needed To justify to your own study Show that little to no research has been done on your particular focus (topic, geographical area, type of research site, type of students, etc. ) To show why your study is an important one. To demonstrate your skills as a scholar You have read and understood the research on your topic You are able to synthesize the literature and identify gaps You can justify your own research as important

Major Steps in Preparing a Literature Review 1. Select a topic 1. Modify your topic based on the available literature 2. Read the selected literature carefully in order to get a broad overview 1. Pay attention to the relationship of the literature to theory 2. Establish a specific purpose for your literature review 3. Take careful notes as you evaluate and interpret the literature on your topic Adapted from Pan (2004, p. 3)

Major Steps in Preparing a Literature Review 4. Create a synthesis by reconciling the similarities and differences across the different studies. 1. Determine how the articles in your literature review fit together 2. Note the implications of the conclusions 3. Identifies areas in need of more research 5. Write a first draft, get feedback from others, and revise or rewrite your review

Understanding Different Types of Literature Empirical Research -- (Reports of Original Research) Empirical refers to observation Empirical research = systematic observation Researchers plan in advance What or who they will observe What specific things they will focus on Their purpose for focusing on these things How they will observe it Quantitative Research Experimental and Quasiexperimental designs Analysis of large data-sets Survey Data Qualitative Research Observations in social settings, participant observation, interviews, focus groups, document analysis

Understanding Different Types of Literature Things to pay attention to in empirical research articles The research questions and/or hypotheses Sampling procedures or Participant selection How many were selected? Who was selected? Why were they selected? How were they selected? The research site (location) The methods used to answer the research questions Instruments used for measurement or observation Findings Conclusions Implications Limitations “More research is needed …”

Understanding Different Types of Literature Theoretical Articles Evaluate existing theories Support them Oppose them Provide new insights or propose modifications Important for your theoretical/conceptual framework portions of your thesis or research report Literature review articles Explain what we know about a given topic from the research literature Provide new insights Reconcile conflicts Identify the gaps in need of more research Can be very useful to authors of a thesis or research report Author already identified the major studies and summarized the findings !

Anecdotal Reports Provide accounts based on the personal experiences of the author Lack the systematic observations of an empirical research article Are typically found in books or magazines aimed at practitioners (teachers, administrators, counselors, etc. ). Can still be of value in a literature review But you should note in the review that it is anecdotal

Other types of literature Dissertations and Theses Policy Documents and Reports Original official policy documents Governmental agencies or non-government organization reports Newspaper or other media reports Can provide some factual (hopefully) information about topic Opinion articles can highlight different views on a topic May describe (briefly) the findings of research on a topic

Other Types of Literature Reports on professional practices and standards May provide information, commentary, and evaluations of particular educational issues, policies, and practices. Book Reviews Provides a brief overview and a critical evaluation of an academic book Should not be used, unless you are unable to get a copy of the actual book If you use in your literature review, you should indicate it comes from a book review and provide the full source of the review.

Quickly Scanning a New Article You should quickly scan an article Make sure it is relevant to your research topic Figure out how it relates to the other articles Get a basic idea of the research questions, methodology, and findings Steps Read the title Read the Abstract Read all the section headings Skim the methodology section to see # of participants Research site Methods and instruments used Read the conclusion If article is relevant, then make time to read it take careful notes.

Ways to find literature Reference list of an article or book related to your topic Google Scholar Libraries Databases

Identifying Type of Article from a Reference Book Webb, L. D. , Metha, A. , & Jordan, K. F. (2003). Foundations of American education (4 th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill- Prentice Hall. Book Chapter (in an edited book) Wright, W. E. (2003). The success and demise of a Khmer (Cambodian) bilingual education program: A case study. In C. C. Park, A. L. Goodwin & S. J. Lee (Eds. ), Asian American identities, families, and schooling (pp. 225 -252). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing. Journal Article Wiley, T. G. , & Wright, W. E. (2004). Against the undertow: The politics of language instruction in the United States. Educational Policy, 18(1), 142 -168.

Types of Literature you can find On-Line for Free Journal Articles Free on-line journals Articles posted on-line for free by the authors or publishers Research reports Government Non-governmental agencies and organizations Policy Documents News Articles On-line encyclopedia articles (Wikipedia) Opinion pieces, policy critiques, fact sheets, etc. Produced by a research center or think tank Produced by inividuals

Types of Literature you can Find On-line that are Not Free Articles and other research available in subscription databases Journals Publishers may allow you to see the table of contents, or an abstract of an article, but you must pay to be able to download the article “Pay per article” Newspaper and Magazine Articles Databases “Pay per Article” e. Books Can buy and download entire books

Types of Literature you Can’t Find Online Books Book chapters Internal policy documents and policy guidelines

Practice Read Literature Review section from Wright, W. E. (2004). What English-only really means: A study of the implementation of California language policy with Cambodian American students. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 7(1), 1 -23. Pay attention to What type of research is reviewed How the reviewed is organized The different ways of talking about the literature How the different articles are pieced together and synthesized How the literature review sets up and justifies the author’s study

Practice The Education of Girls Scan the relevant parts of the research article Determine the best way to classify (group) the articles Discuss how the findings of each article contribute to our understanding of girls’ education Identify some gaps in the literature Discuss some research studies that could be conducted to address these gaps.