Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Locating and Reviewing Related Literature Chapter 3 This multimedia...

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008

Locating and Reviewing Related Literature

Chapter 3

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Discussion Topics

General and specific purposes for reviewing the literature

Locating literature Six steps for conducting a review Criteria for evaluating a review of the

literature


The Purposes of a Review

General purpose - to relate previous research to the current problem being investigated– Provide contextual understanding– Contribute to the overall evaluation of the

credibility of the research– Indicate whether the nature of the research is

targeted to the reader’s needs



Specific purposes– Refine the problem

Identify specific ways in which others have defined the general problem

Identify delimitations related to the problem Identify operational definitions of the variables in the problem

– Develop the significance of the research Establish the importance of the current study in the context of

what is known at this time Integrate the results of the study within the broader context of

what is known at this time



Specific purposes– Identify specific methods for conducting the research

Identify appropriate sampling strategies and samples Identify appropriate instruments to measure important

variables Identify specific procedures to use in conducting the research Identify appropriate designs to use when conducting the

research– Identify contradictory findings

Uncover studies or theories that contradict one another Identify reasons for the contradictions



Specific purposes– Develop specific research hypotheses

Prior studies contribute to understanding likely outcomes of the current investigation

Prior studies identify relevant theories or the research related to them which can serve as the basis for specific hypotheses

– Learn new information Relevant information to the current study New information or ideas unrelated to the current study but of

interest to the researcher


Locating Resources

Library resources– Reference materials– Journal indices– Computer software– Stacks

Internet resources and access


Steps for Conducting a Review Step 1 – Review secondary sources

– Secondary sources summarize, review, or discuss original research of others to provide an overview of the topic

Textbooks, scholarly books, and monographs Encyclopedias Reviews, handbooks, and yearbooks Meta-analyses - quantitative syntheses of a number of studies

to arrive at an overall conclusion related to the topic being studied

– ERIC Meta-Analysis Digests in educational research– Best Evidence Synthesis - a review of quantitative and qualitative

studies selected according to specified criteria


Steps for Conducting a Review

Step 1 – Select a Topic and Key Terms– General or specific– Identify key terms– Utilize the ERIC Thesaurus for searching– Identify other databases for your topic– Start your search with general terms first



Step 2 – Identify Database and Access Software– Identify the keyword descriptors using the ERIC Thesaurus– PsycINFO database– For psychological research consult the Thesaurus of

Psychological Index Terms available in most libraries or through the American Psychological Association (APA)



Step 3 – Conduct Search– Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC)

ERIC – a federally funded information network that is designed to provide access to education literature (www.eric.gov.ed)

Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE) - abstracts of articles compiled from approximately 1000 educational journals and periodicals

Resources in Education (RIE) - abstracts of research reports not published in journals (e.g., conference papers; project reports; federal, state, and local agency documents; etc.)



Step 3 – Conduct Search– Education Index - bibliographic information for articles from

300 educational periodicals– PsycINFO

PsycINFO is an online APA database of psychological literature available in most libraries or on a cost basis

Abstracts of articles from approximately 1800 journals as well as books, book chapters, dissertations, reports, and other documents

Educational emphasis is on human development, learning motivation, teaching methods, and teacher effects



Step 3 – Conduct Search– In ERIC, use Advanced Search

Use the connector “and” Click on “More details”

– In other databases, is the article from a peer-reviewed journal?



Step 4 – Identify the source as Primary or Secondary– Primary sources are articles that report original

research Referred journals Non-referred journals

– Computerized ERIC searches



Step 4 – Identify the Source as Primary or Secondary– Secondary sources are those that summarize or

discuss original research Books Encyclopedias Reviews



Step 5 – Summarize and analyze the primary source information

– Take notes using index cards Identify bibliographic information Summarize the research problem Identify all variables, subjects, and instruments Describe the procedures Summarize the results and conclusions Record important quotes, weaknesses of the study, relevance

to the current problem, etc. Code each article with your overall judgment of it Note the major focus of each article



Step 6 – Organize the review– Quantitative reviews

Group studies by topic Write the review in three sections

– Provide a brief summary of the major articles– Analyze the studies– Integrate in the discussion how the reviewed studies are relevant

to the current research Avoid long quotations Establish the length of the review depending on the type of

study, the intent to publish the research, and the topic



Step 6 – Organize the review– Qualitative reviews

The purpose of a qualitative review is to introduce the purpose and the very general questions of the study

– Provides direction– Does not limit, constrain, or predict results of the study (i.e., a

discovery orientation)– Allows participant’s views to emerge

Begins with an initial, preliminary review Continues with supplemental reviews as the study progresses

– Provides understanding of the results– Provides meaningful analogies, scholarly language, for

synthesizing, or additional conceptual frameworks within which the results become meaningful


Evaluation Criteria

Does the review cover previous research adequately?

Does the review cover the actual findings from other studies?

Is the review current? Does the review summarize and analyze previous

studies? Is the review organized logically by topic, not author?


Evaluation Criteria

Does the review briefly summarize minor studies and discuss major studies in detail?

Is the review of major studies related explicitly to the current research problem?

Does the review provide a logical basis for the hypothesis?

Does the review establish a theoretical framework for the study?

Does the review help to establish the significance of the research?

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