1. Reviewing the Literature
Bryman: Social Research Methods: 3e
Chapter 4
Reviewing the Literature
Authored by Tom Owens 1

2. Searching the Literature Should Answer These Questions:
What is already known about this area?
What concepts and theories are relevant?
What research methods and strategies have been used in this area?
Are there any controversies?
Are there any inconsistencies in findings?
Are there unanswered questions?
See page 81

3. So, you write a Literature Review because.....
you need to know what is already known about your research area;
you can learn from the mistakes of others;
you can learn about different theoretical and methodological approaches to your research area;
it may help you to develop an analytic framework;
it may lead you to consider including variables in your research of which you might not have thought;
it may suggest further research questions;
it is required!
See page 95

4. Getting the Most from Your Reading
Take lots of notes (including references);
Ask yourself questions about what you read (its value to your topic, methods used, conclusions);
Find research questions (perhaps because what you read indicates contention);
Identify sources to which you will want to return later on;
Be selective (read for relevance);
Don’t stop reading!!
See page 82

5. How to Search the Literature 1
Read books and articles you know, or are recommended by your supervisor;
Keep notes based on your reading;
Note the keywords used;
Note other literature which might be interesting later;
Generate your own keywords.

6. How to Search the Literature 2
Search your institution’s library;
Search online (using an appropriate database);
Examine titles and abstracts for relevance;
Retrieve selected items, read, take notes;
Check regularly for new material.

7. Putting Your Reading to Work 1.By
demonstrating your competence*;
preparing the ground for your research;
showing how gaps or problems correspond to your research questions.
*adapted from Gilbert, 1977
See page 84

8. Two Main Approaches to a Literature Review 1
Systematic review:
a) Very extensive search of the specific research field;
b) Grouping of sources into categories:
* very relevant, based on good research,
* very relevant, weak research,
* low relevance, or too general;
c) Giving a step-by-step report on the search method used, decisions taken and derived conclusions. (Tranfield et al, 2003:209)

9. Two Main Approaches to a Literature Review 2
2. Narrative Review:
a) Limited search for the most interesting contributions;
b) Concentration on connections between sources located and research questions;
c) Revision of research questions in the light of readings.

10. Systematic or Narrative Review?
Positivist;
“Quantity” focus;
Theory informs the search;
Synthesis is the research goal.
Narrative:
Intrepretivist;
“Quality” focus;
Theory emerges from the search;
Identifying the discourse is the research goal.

11. Techniques 1: Meta-analysis (Quantitative Research)
Pooling the results from various studies in order to estimate the overall effect of a particular variable by correcting the various methodological errors of individual studies.
Key Concept 4.2 on page 88

12. Techniques 2: Meta-ethnography (Qualitative Research)
Relating various qualitative studies to each other to produce a synthesis. The usual criteria for selection are credibility and interest-level. Through repeated readings of the selection, a number of characteristics of the observed phenomenon emerges.
Key concept 4.3 on page 89

13. Plagiarism: Crime and Punishment 1
Plagiarism means pretending that we, ourselves, wrote what others actually wrote;
Plagiarism might be accidental:
- not using quotation marks for direct quotes might
be careless rather than deceitful;
- or forgetting to cite a source in the text;
Plagiarism might not be seen for what it is:
- recycling our own material from previously submitted work;
- not referencing ourselves as the author of our own older work.
See pages
107/108

14. Plagiarism: Crime and Punishment 2
Plagiarism is always a crime, since it destroys the foundations of the research edifice;
Institutions vary in terms of the seriousness with which they view the offence:
- punishment can range from resubmission to expulsion,
- but reputation is always lost.