CHAPTER 2 OF THE RESEARCH PAPER

W R I T I N G R E V I E W O F R E L AT E D
L I T E R AT U R E , T H E O R I T I C A L
F R A M E WO R K A N D H Y P OT H E S I S
WHAT IS A LITERATURE?
A literature may be defined as “written
works collectively, especially, those
enduring importance, exhibiting
creative imagination and artistic
skill which are written in a particular
period, language, and subject (Funk
& Wagnalls Dictionary, 1976 as
cited in Calmorin,).”
In other words, any written materials
published in book, journal,
magazine, novel, poetry, yearbook
and encyclopedia are considered
literature.
The relevance of each literature presented to
the present study is also explained
thoroughly. It is unscientific if related
literature is presented but has no explanation
of it’s the relevance to the present study.
The review of related studies is equally
important to the review of related literature.
Published and unpublished research studies
such us thesis, dissertation, and research
proceedings are sources of materials.
Reviewing the literature requires the ability
to juggle multiple tasks, from finding and
evaluating relevant material to
synthesizing information from various
sources, from critical thinking to
paraphrasing, evaluating, and citation
skills.
PURPOSES OF THE REVIEW OF RELATED
LITERATURE AND STUDIES
1. Why do you need to review the literature for
your thesis or project?
(a) to justify your choice of research question,
theoretical or conceptual framework, and
method;
(b) to establish the importance of the topic;
(c) to provide background information needed to
understand the study;
(d) to show readers you are familiar with
significant and/or up-to-date research relevant
to the topic; and
(e) to establish your study as one link in a chain of
research that is developing knowledge in your field.
(f) to establish relationship with your hypothesis which
you posed in your stated problem or research.
(g) to critique and evaluate what other researchers have
done in relation to the problem to be studied whether
these studies affirmed or negate the subject under
study.
(h) to analyze critically a segment of a published body of
knowledge through summary, classification, and
comparison of prior research studies, reviews of
literature, and theoretical articles.
TEN (10) SIMPLE RULES FOR WRITING A
LITERATURE REVIEW ENUMERATED BY BUDGEN
& BRERETON, 2006.
1. DEFINE THE TOPIC AND AUDIENCE
Topic must be interesting, important and current.

2. SEARCH AND RE-SEARCH THE LITERATURE

After having chosen the topic and the audience, start
downloading published articles related to the topic. Some
useful sites are: Google scholar, proquest, etc. Be sure to
properly acknowledge sources.

3. TAKE NOTES WHILE READING

If you read the papers first, and only afterwards start
writing the review, you will need a very good memory to
remember who wrote what and what your impressions and
associations were while reading each single paper.
4. CHOOSE WHAT TYPE OF REVIEW YOU WISH TO WRITE
Some journals are now favoring the publication of rather short
reviews focusing on the last few years, with a limit in the number
of words and citations. The choice between review types will have
to be made on a case-to-case basis, depending not just on the
nature of the material found and the preferences of the target
journal(s), but also on the time available to write the review and
the number of co-authors (Dijkers, 2009).
5. KEEP THE REVIEW FOCUSED, BUT MAKE IT OF BROAD INTEREST.
Arranged readings according to themes. The need to keep a review
focused can be problematic for interdisciplinary reviews, where
the aim is to bridge the gap between fields (Wagner et al, 2011)
6. BE CRITICAL AND CONSISTENT
Reviewing the literature is not like arranging hollow blocks. It is very
important to have consistency in your review.
7. FIND A LOGICAL STRUCTURE
Pautasso (2013) emphasized that like a well-baked
cake, a good review has a number of telling features:
it is worth the reader’s time, timely, systematic, well
written, focused, and critical. It also needs a good
structure. It must be arranged logically so as not to
destroy its implications
8. MAKE USE OF FEEDBACK
As a rule, incorporating feedback from reviewers greatly
helps improve a review draft. Having read the review
with fresh mind, reviewers may spot inaccuracies,
inconsistencies, and ambiguities that has not been
noticed by the writers due to rereading the typescript
too many times.
9. INCLUDE YOUR OWN RELEVANT RESEARCH
In many cases, the reviewers of the literature will have
published studies relevant to the review they are
writing. A literature review can be just a simple
summary of the sources, but it usually has an
organizational pattern and combines both summary
and synthesis.
10. BE-UP-TO-DATE IN YOUR REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND
STUDIES
Given the progressive acceleration in the publication of
scientific papers, today’s reviews of literature need
awareness not just of the overall direction and
achievements of a field of inquiry, but also of the
latest studies, so as not to become out-of-date before
they have been published.
TYPES OF LITERATURE REVIEWS

1.ARGUMENTATIVE REVIEW
2.INTEGRATIVE REVIEW
3.HISTORICAL REVIEW
4.METHODOLOGICAL REVIEW
5.SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
6.THEORICAL REVIEW
FUNCTIONS OF REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND
STUDIES
To provide justification of the study.
To identify gaps, problems and needs of related
studies.
To provide rationale of the study as well as the
reasons of conducting the study.
To have basis that will be used to support
findings of the study
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MATERIALS CITED
Samo (2010) enumerated the different
characteristics of the literature and studies to
be cited in the present study:
1. The materials must be as recent as possible,
may be 10 years back.
2. Materials must be as objective and unbiased
as possible.
3. Materials must be relevant to the study.
4. Coherence principle must be observed in
writing literature review.
 SAMPLE REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Reaching the Unreached: A Challenge for Filipino Educators

Helen Bihag-Boholano & Mary Lou C. Go Puco

Education is one of the necessary elements for progress, a means of rising above
poverty, bringing the social gaps, improving living conditions and health, and
promoting wellness and a better life. It is required so that positive contributions to
the global community may be addressed. Globalization is seen by teachers in the
effects that it produces by following an economic, business oriented model of the
world that changes the classroom environment (Barron, Odell & Mercier, 2006);
however, the various initiatives have failed to address poverty issues which result
in increased dropouts and educational differences. The oversight is a source of
concern since the Philippine Constitution of 1987 expressly provides for free and
compulsory elementary and secondary education. Education for All (EFA)
recommends working with international agencies like the World Bank and
International Monetary Fund to devise programs to reduce poverty-related barriers
to learning (Goldstein, 2004). These agencies and opportunities must be utilized to
address the issues of education deficiencies related to poverty. In other words, the
benefits of globalization should be employed to overcome some of its challenges,
especially in poverty-stricken areas.
From another perspective, globalization impacts both the numeracy and
literacy aspects of education since reading and math competencies
closely determine job opportunities. Sparkes (1999) posited that the
ability to participate effectively in the labor market, and its inverse –
unemployment, are strongly affected by the realization of basic literacy
and numeracy skills, adding that this is especially so in developing
countries where the level of education is closely related to
unemployment and earnings. Moreover, as globalization increases the
intensity of competition in these areas, fewer jobs are available to those
without these competencies (Bynner & Pearsons, 1997; Moser, 1999).
In terms of labor market access, only one in every 50 jobs is open to
those without basic entry-skills and only 50% of jobs are open to those
with skills only at entry level (Mosser, 1999). Given the increased
availability of human capital provided by mobility aspect of globalization,
the job market is increasingly competitive and limited.