Summary
Chapter 3: Literature review
3.1 Aims and objective of a review
A scientific literature review serves:
Establish context of problem
Understand structure of problem
Relate theories and ideas to problem
Identify relevant variables and relations
Show the reader previous research
Show which theories have been applied
Show which research designs have been used
Rationalize significance of problem
Synthesize and gain new perspective
Show what needs to be done.
First function of a literature review is to embed the current study in the existing structure of knowledge
The literature review allows you to show the reader your understanding of the problem and its structure.
It offers a brief summary of the previous work that is clearly related to the problem of your study. Important, because you cannot assume that every reader is knowledgeable about the field.
Major concern: whether the literature reviewed is exhaustive and unbiased. Additional: evidence often points in different directions.
Meta analysis
Often numerous articles have been published on a specific topic:
e.g., job satisfaction -> productivity
Meta analysis allows you to summarize the studies quantitatively
Advantages
Capability to deal with many studies on same topic
Capability to detect more complex patterns
Disadvantages
Studies need to be similar
Only quantitative criteria can be assessed
Comparing apples and oranges?
Systematic review process:
Planning
Conducting review
Reporting and dissemination
ISI web of knowledge: zoekmachine voor artikelen?? www.lib.uwo.ca/tutorials voor filmpjes over literature review.
3.2 Assessment of a ‘good’ literature review
Basic: decent account of literature and inform reader about what has been done.
Seasoning: point out why your study makes an important contribution to the field.
LR changes from description/summary to own work.
3.3 Critical review
To assess the quality of a text and to provide a short summary.
Structure:
Introduction
Summary
Critique
3.1 Aims and objective of a review
A scientific literature review serves:
Establish context of problem
Understand structure of problem
Relate theories and ideas to problem
Identify relevant variables and relations
Show the reader previous research
Show which theories have been applied
Show which research designs have been used
Rationalize significance of problem
Synthesize and gain new perspective
Show what needs to be done.
First function of a literature review is to embed the current study in the existing structure of knowledge
The literature review allows you to show the reader your understanding of the problem and its structure.
It offers a brief summary of the previous work that is clearly related to the problem of your study. Important, because you cannot assume that every reader is knowledgeable about the field.
Major concern: whether the literature reviewed is exhaustive and unbiased. Additional: evidence often points in different directions.
Meta analysis
Often numerous articles have been published on a specific topic:
e.g., job satisfaction -> productivity
Meta analysis allows you to summarize the studies quantitatively
Advantages
Capability to deal with many studies on same topic
Capability to detect more complex patterns
Disadvantages
Studies need to be similar
Only quantitative criteria can be assessed
Comparing apples and oranges?
Systematic review process:
Planning
Conducting review
Reporting and dissemination
ISI web of knowledge: zoekmachine voor artikelen?? www.lib.uwo.ca/tutorials voor filmpjes over literature review.
3.2 Assessment of a ‘good’ literature review
Basic: decent account of literature and inform reader about what has been done.
Seasoning: point out why your study makes an important contribution to the field.
LR changes from description/summary to own work.
3.3 Critical review
To assess the quality of a text and to provide a short summary.
Structure:
Introduction
Summary
Critique