Leacock, Warrican & Rose (2009) Reviewing Literature Presentation 4

Leacock, Warrican & Rose (2009) What is a Literature Review? A systematic survey, study and interpretation of the published work related to a particular topic. This involves a critical review of prior work done in the particular area of interest. This body of previous work is referred to as the literature.

Leacock, Warrican & Rose (2009) A Literature Review involves reviewing & critiquing previous work done in the area. It may include: - Critical discussion of the theoretical grounding (basic theoretical knowledge) of the study - how others have defined the problem and related concepts - An exploration of previous research done in the area – findings and conclusions of prior work Only relevant, reputable sources should be cited - opinionated, unsubstantiated sources should be avoided.

Leacock, Warrican & Rose (2009) Reference to relevant theories and previous studies helps: when you are describing theoretical constructs and explaining the phenomenon in which you are interested to bring to the fore, ideas about variables that have proven important or unimportant in a given field of study. to highlight work that has already been done that can meaningfully inform your own study, and show how your work will be a logical extension of these efforts; to highlight the status of work in the field in terms of conclusions and potential hypotheses.

Leacock, Warrican & Rose (2009) Reviewing the literature  Provides a basis for gauging the feasibility of pursuing the topic refining the context of the problem. examining significance of the study. determining possible redundancies with regard to the study in mind. defining variables and relationships between those that are chosen for the study.  Provides you with new ideas and approaches to handling methodological and design issues.  Reveals sources of data you may not have thought about.  introduces you to measurement tools  reveals methods of dealing with problem situations  helps you interpret and make sense of your findings

Leacock, Warrican & Rose (2009) Where to find literature -Scholarly journals / monographs -The library’s book collection -Official statistics – local and international -Scientific research reports -Government publications -The World Wide Web -Other reputable sources

Leacock, Warrican & Rose (2009) Searching for Literature Identify the key search concepts and terms before beginning your search Make use of Indexes, Abstracts, and Other General References found in your institution’s library. Use electronic search tools – Today, most libraries have access to online databases and academic journals. Carry out your search systematically – and keep records of where you looked and what you found. This way, you will avoid duplication of efforts.

Leacock, Warrican & Rose (2009) Searching for Literature (Cont’d) Select works that are relevant to your topic. Record all basic information as you read each source (write annotations). Keep full bibliographic information on each source. Identify strategies for obtaining additional sources not available in library or online.

Leacock, Warrican & Rose (2009) Some Pointers for Writing your Literature Review Aim for critical discussion of issues relevant to your study Make every effort to find the original sources of information rather than using secondary sources (the works of other people who cited the text). Avoid using large chunks of text taken as direct quotes. Try to paraphrase the ideas in the text. ALWAYS identify the sources of your information. DO NOT “copy and paste” chunks of text from online sources. Worse yet, DO NOT “copy and paste” chunks of text from online documents and then neglect to cite the source. PLAGIARISM is frowned on! Become familiar with the referencing style acceptable to your department, and use it consistently. There are manuals and other documents with guideline for the various styles.

Leacock, Warrican & Rose (2009) Plagiarism can put you in the doghouse! Cite your sources! Even when you put the ideas in your own words!

Leacock, Warrican & Rose (2009) The End