1. LITERATURE REVIEW

2. One of the essential task in research is to go through the existing literature in order to acquaint yourself with the available body of knowledge in your area of interest.
Reviewing literature is time consuming and sometimes daunting and frustrating , but you should not become discouraged, because you will also find it rewarding.

3. Function of literature review
1. Bringing clarity and focus to your research problem.
2. Improve your methodology
3. Broaden your knowledge base in your research area.

4. Bringing clarity and focus
Literature review involves a paradox
On one hand you can not effectively undertake a literature search without some idea of the problem you wish to investigate.
On the other hand , the literature review can play an important role in shaping your research problem because the process of reviewing the literature helps you to understand the subject area .
Thus it helps you to conceptualise your research problem clearly and precisely.
It also help to understand the relationship between your research problem and the body of knowledge.

5. Improve your methodology
Getting through the literature acquaints you with methodologies that have been used by others to find answers to research questions similar to the one you are researching on.
It tells you if others have used procedures and methods similar to the ones that you are proposing, which procedures and methods have worked and what problems have been faced
By becoming aware of problems and pitfalls this will help better position your methodology that is capable of providing answers to research questions

6. Broaden your knowledge base
Literature review makes you read widely around the area in which you intend to conduct your research.
Literature review helps you to be an expect in your area of study as you know what others have done, what methods they have used etc.

7. Procedure for reviewing literature
Reviewing literature is a continuous process.
It start with the idea and research problem formulation and continues until the report is finished

9. Searching Existing Literature
Sources that can be used are:
Books
Journals/articles
CD-ROMS
Newspapers
Bulletins
Internet (Books, articles, journals etc)

10. The main advantage of books is that materials published in books is of good quality and findings are integrated with other research to form a coherent body of knowledge (Martin 1985:33).
The main disadvantage is that the material is not completely up-to-date, as it takes a few years between the completion of a work and its publication in the form of a book.

11. Journals are mostly up to date even though there is often a gap of between two and three years between the completion of a research project and its publication

12. Review the Literature
Note whether the knowledge relevant to your theoretical framework has been confirmed
Note the theories put forward , the criticisms of these theories and their basis, the methodologies adopted and criticisms of them.
Examine to what extend the findings can be generalised to other situations.

13. Notice where there are differences of opinion among researchers and give your opinion about the validity of these differences
Ascertain the areas in which little or nothing is known- the gaps that exist in the body of knowledge.

14. Develop a Theoretical Framework
The information obtained from different sources needs to be sorted under the main themes and theories, highlighting agreements and disagreements among other authors and identifying the unanswered questions or gaps
Literature pertinent to your study may deal with two types of information:
1. Universal
2. More specific, ie local trends, or specific program

15. Example Study on the relationship between advertising and sales.
You can review literature about:
Advertising- trends, theories, some indices, factors affecting advertising, methods of improving advertising, etc.
Sales-factors affecting sales, Classification of sales, trends of sales, etc
RELATIONSHIP- theories that have been developed to explain the relationship, implications of the relationship.

16. Headings of the literature
Advertising theories
Types of Advertising
Trends of advertising
Factors affecting advertising
Sales
Measurement of Sales
Relationship between advertising and sales

17. Develop Conceptual Framework
Conceptual framework stems from the theoretical framework.
Conceptual framework is the basis of your research problem
Conceptual framework grows out of the theoretical framework and relates to the specific research problem.
That is how you select the actual theories, material, etc and make it part and parcel of your work.

18. References and Bibliography
Specific ideas from specified individuals
Ideas are traceable to source
Author’s name and date of publication
Bibliography
Helpful materials used during compilation
Not making specific reference
References to be used in projects, dissertations and thesis

19. Why Reference Show evidence of breadth and depth of reading:
At least 10 – 30 for project
Show that theoretical foundation is laid
Accurate and complete referencing
To allow other readers that may need to access the same literature
To evaluate your interpretation of ideas
Comparison of your ideas and others’:
Avoid plagiarism (Use of someone else’s ideas without acknowledgement)

20. Acknowledging Sources
Harvard format referencing
Full citation to appear in alphabetical order at the end of text (Surname first)
Consistent and accurate presentation
All sources to appear in the text and in references

21. Referencing
If author’s surname forms part of sentence, the year follows in parentheses:
As illustrated by Edwards (1980), the bulk of industrial problems are caused by managers.
If author’s name is not part of sentence, both the author and year are shown in parentheses:
Quality results from what takes place in the value chain (Oakland, 1996).

22. Referencing
When referring to a particular page, this is given in parentheses after the year:
“Aging is inevitable” (Jones, 1996:13).
For omission, three dots before, four dots after
Direct quoting a full paragraph
Indent paragraph and use difference format
No need for quotation marks
Author, year and page to be supplied
If author has more than one publications
Use chronological order in references
Is publications in same year, use letters a, b after the year to distinguish; (Job, 2001a), (Job, 2001b)

23. Referencing
When no author is given, appropriate body or institution should be used:
(University of Zimbabwe, 2004)
When reference is not original source:
Deming (1980) cited in Oakland (1996), builds on work by Shewhart.
Pareto (cited in Juran, 1996:24) notes that, “……………….”.

24. Referencing Citing more than one author:
If there are two authors, both should be given; Saladin and Polada (1999) state….
If more that two authors, all should appear the first time, thereafter, main author et al. (year)
Order of authors to be strictly adhered to

25. General Expectations To demonstrate wide reading in the area of study
Researcher
To demonstrate wide reading in the area of study
Thorough familiarity with theoretical constructs
Diversity of sources, not one author per concept or personal views
Acknowledge sources; avoid plagiarism
Work to reflect coherence and unity of flow

26. Presentation of Literature Review
1. In line with Objectives
2. In line with main themes
3. In line with arguments from theoretical and empirical concepts
NB// There is no universally accepted way of presenting literature but the manner that is felt to be bringing out the research problem.