ISD 554 RESEARCH METHODS

 A literature review is a body of text that aims to review

the critical points of current knowledge and or
methodological approaches on a particular topic.
 A literature review is a summary of previous research on a
topic.
 Literature reviews are secondary sources, and as such, do
not report any new or original experimental work.
 Literature reviews can be either a part of a larger report of
a research project, a thesis or a bibliographic essay that is
published separately in a scholarly journal.
 Most often associated with academic-oriented literature,
such as theses, a literature review usually precedes a
research proposal and results section.
 Its ultimate goal is to bring the reader up to date with
current literature on a topic and forms the basis for
another goal, such as future research that may be needed
in the area.
 A well-structured literature review is characterized by a
logical flow of ideas; current and relevant references with
consistent, appropriate referencing style; proper use of
terminology; and an unbiased and comprehensive view of
the previous research on the topic.
 Some questions to think about as you develop your literature
review:
 What is known about the subject?
 Are there any gaps in the knowledge of the subject?
 Have areas of further study been identified by other researchers that you
may want to consider?
 Who are the significant research personalities in this area?
 Is there consensus about the topic?
 What aspects have generated significant debate on the topic?
 What methods or problems were identified by others studying in the field
and how might they impact your research?
 What is the most productive methodology for your research based on the
literature you have reviewed?
 What is the current status of research in this area?
 What sources of information or data were identified that might be useful
to you?
 The purpose of a literature review is to convey to the reader
what knowledge and ideas have been established on a topic
and what are the strengths and weaknesses.

 The literature review allows the reader to be brought up to

date regarding the state of research in the field and
familiarizes the reader with any contrasting perspectives and
viewpoints on the topic.
 Literature review has a number of purposes. Many
are highlighted by Gall et al (2002) as
 A critical review of the literature is necessary to help the
students to develop a thorough understanding of and
insight into previous research that relates to their research
question(s) and objectives.
 To help identify theories and ideas that you will test using
data in a deductive study.
 To gather background knowledge in subject area for
an exploratory study

 The review will set the research in context by critically

discussing and referencing work that has already been
undertaken, drawing out key points and presenting
them in a logically argued way, and highlighting those
areas where they will provide fresh insights.

 It will lead the reader into subsequent sections of their

project report. It is part of the chapters.
 To help you refine further your research questions
and objective

 To highlight research possibilities that have been

overlooked implicitly in research to date;

 To discover explicit recommendations for further

research. These provide a superb justification for
your own research questions and objectives;
 There is no one correct structure for a critical review.

 Three common structures are:

 A single chapter (chapter 2);
 a series of chapters; or
 throughout the thesis report as you tackle various issues.

 A common mistake with critical literature reviews is that

they become uncritical listings of previous research –
‘annotated bibliographies’.

 Key: link the different ideas you find in the literature to form
coherent and cohesive argument, which sets in context and
justifies your research.
 In considering the content of your critical
review you will need:
1. To include the key academic theories and concepts
within your chosen area;

2. To demonstrate that your knowledge of your

chosen area is up to date;

3. Show clear referencing to enable those reading your

project report to find the original publications you
cite.
▪ Full acknowledgement helps to avoid charges of
plagiarism.
Wood (1965) wrote an article in the Journal of Panopticon
Studies that argued that the metaphor of the panopticon
was very important. The article is hard to read and uses big
words.

Smith (1966) wrote a book Jeremy Lessons for Modern

Managers. This is a very enjoyable book to read and claims
that panopticon would be a good basis for office layout
planning.

Jones (1967) in an article for the Bored Accountant magazine

mentions the panopticon.

Etc. ad nausea (i.e. until you feel sick).

Jackson (1995) suggests that businesses must be developed from a customer
rather than a product perspective. Lindesfame (1994) demonstrate that
direct selling gives the consumer increased control as it is to them when and
if they wish to respond to adverts or direct mail. MacKenzie (1995) comments
that free gifts are useful for getting responses to adverts, which is ultimately
what all direct insurers need. Bowen (1995) suggests that this type of
company can be split into three equally important parts: marketing,
insurance and information technology. Motor insurance is particularly price
sensitive because of its compulsory nature and its perception by many to
have no real ‘value’ to themselves.

References
 Bowen, I. (1994) ‘Short cut to success’, Post Magazine 2, 26 July.
 Jackson, D.R. (1995) ‘Prudential’s prudent parochialism’, Direct Marketing,
26-29 April.
 Lindisfame, I. (1995) ‘Death of a salesman’, Post Magazine 15, 30-31 June.
 MacKenzie, G. (1995) ‘Rise of the feeble’, Post Magazine 2, 5-6 February.
 Literature (information) sources can be divided into
three categories:
1. Primary literature sources (grey literature),
2. Secondary literature sources and
3. Tertiary literature sources (search tools).

 In reality, these categories often overlap.

 The use of these resources will depend on the research

question(s) and objectives.
Figure 3.2 Literature sources available
 Developing a search strategy
1. Define your topic
2. Decide on keywords and search terms
3. Identify the best sources to use
4. Supplement the information collected from
other sources
5. Record and evaluate the material.
 Two criteria
1. Assess relevance and value
▪ It is concerned with issues such as methodological rigour
and theory robustness as well as the quality of the
arguments.

2. Assess sufficiency
▪ Your review should discuss research that has already been
undertaken and position it in the wider context, citing the
main writers in the field.

 Read all literature that are closely related to your

research questions and objectives.
 The following pointers may help you get the most from
any material you collect for literature review.
1. How does the info relate to your thesis research?
2. How does the info relate to your research question and
objectives?
3. Date and age of material
4. Reliance – description versus discussion and fact versus
opinion.
5. Where did the author get the info from?
6. How did the author collect the information and is it reliable?
7. Can you adapt, change, repeat a methodology in either
another context or with another example?
8. Can any published data you find be reworked to reveal new
trends and new insights?
 3 sets of information you need to record after reading
and taking notes:

1. Bibliographic details;
▪ Bibliography- list of all relevant items consulted for your project
including those not referred to directly in the text.
▪ References- list of those items referred to directly in the text.
▪ Details in both cases should be sufficient to enable readers to find
the original items.
2. a brief description of the content; and
3. Other appropriate supplementary information.
Journal Book Chapter in an edited book
•Author(s) – surname, first •Author(s) – surname, first •Author(s) – surname, first
name initials name initials name initials
•Year of publication (in •Year of publication (in •Year of publication (in
parentheses) parentheses) parentheses)
•Title of article •Title and subtitle of book •Title of chapter
•Title of journal (underlined (underlined) •Author(s) of book –
or italics) •Edition surname, first name initials
•Volume •Place of publication •Title and subtitle of book
•Part/issue •Publisher (underlined)
•Page numbers (preceded •Edition
by ‘p’ of page or ‘pp’ for •Place of publication
pages) •Publisher
•Page numbers of chapter
 Referencing is a requirement of all academic work.
 It is a way of acknowledging the use of someone else’s work and giving them
the credit for it.
 When you do not acknowledge someone else's work it is call Plagiarism: The
word, in fact, means kidnapper, from the Latin plagiarius.

 Referencing involves:
1. referring to someone else's work or ideas in your text (this is called the
citation)
2. providing full details of their work (this is called the reference)
3. linking the citation and the reference together in the reference list at the
end of your work.

 Reference List
 A full bibliographic citation for the source is then placed in the reference list at
the end of your thesis report.
 There are various methods of referencing sources, including
 in-text referencing,
 footnotes, and
 endnotes.

 The Harvard Referencing System, an in-text referencing system, is

recommended for your thesis, as it is the system most frequently used in
business research.
 The Harvard system involves placing an abbreviated citation in your assignment
which includes the author's surname, the year of publication, and (if a direct
quote is used) the relevant page number.
 e.g.: (Smith 2000, p.8-10)

 There are two main types of quotations: indirect and direct quotations.
 An indirect quotation is when the original text has been paraphrased, i.e. rewritten in your
own words.
 A direct quotation is a word-for-word transcription of the original text by another author
which must appear in inverted commas and end with a citation
 Reference style
Book 1) Arya, C. (2003) Design of structural elements. 2nd ed.,
London: Spon Press.

2) Silvertown, J. and Charlesworth, D. (2001) Introduction to

plant population biology. 4th ed., Oxford: Blackwell Science.

3) Nestler, E.J., Hyman, E.S. and Malenka, R.C. (2001)

Molecular neuropharmacology: a foundation for clinical
neuroscience. New York: McGraw-Hill.
 Reference style
Chapter in an edited book Tajfel, H., and Turner, J.C. (1986). The Social Identity Theory of
Intergroup Behavior. In , Worchel ,S. and Austin , W.G. (Eds.),
Psychology of Intergroup Relations. Chicago, IL: Nelson-Hall.

Whittaker, K. A. (1990). Dictionaries. in Lea, P. W. and Day, A.

(eds.) Printed reference material. London: Library Association
Publishing, pp.11-23.

Nesbit, P. (2004). The motivational journey. In Burton, S. and

Steane, P. (eds.) Surviving your thesis. 5th ed., London:
Routledge, pp. 45-58.
 Reference style
Journal Zimmerman, J. (1979). ‘The Costs and Benefits of Cost
Allocations.’ The Accounting Review, 54(1): 504-521.

Northcott, D. and Llewellyn ,S. (2002). ‘Challenges in Costing

Health Care Services. Recent evidence from the UK.’ The
International Journal of Public Sector Management 15: 188-
203.

Bowlin, W.F., Renner, C.J., and Rives, J.M. (2003) A DEA study
of gender equity in executive compensation. Journal of the
Operation Research Society, 54(7), pp.751-7.
 Reference style
Web sources Heath, A., Jowell, R., Curtice, J. and Norris, P. (1998) The Future of the British
Election Studies [online]. London: CREST, March 1998 [cited 3 March 2006].
Prepared for the ESRC Working Party on the Future of the BES, March 1998.
Available at: <http://www.strath.ac.uk/Other/CREST/blonde1.htm>.

Mobbs, R. (2005) E-tutor: Advantages of eLearning [Online]. Leicester

UK:University of Leicester, December, 2003 [Accessed November 2004].
Available at: <http://www.le.ac.uk/cc/rjm/elearning.html>.
 Visit this website to learn more.

 http://www2.wlv.ac.uk/lib/Harv2/harv.htm