LITERATURE REVIEW 1

LITERATURE REVIEW

The review of literature involves the systematic identification, location and analysis of documents containing information related to the research problem being investigated. It should be extensive and thorough because it is aimed at obtaining detailed knowledge of the topic being studied.

Purpose of literature review

Ø   To determine what has already been done related to the research problem being studied. This will help the researcher to:

-     Avoid unnecessary and unintentional duplication.

-     Form the framework within which the research findings are to be interpreted.

-     Demonstrate his or her familiarity with the existing body of knowledge.

Ø   Helps reveal the strategies, procedures and measuring instruments that have been found useful in investigating the problem in question. This will help the researcher to:

-     Avoid mistakes that have been made by other researchers

-     Benefit from other researcher’s experiences

-     Clarify how to use certain procedures, which one may only have learned in theory.

Ø   Helps to suggest other procedures and approaches, which will help, improve the research study.

Ø   Familiarizes the researcher with previous studies, which facilitates interpretation of the results of the study. If there is a contradiction, the literature review might provide rationale for the discrepancy.

Ø   It helps the researcher to limit the research problem and to define it better.

Ø   Helps to determine new approaches and stimulates new ideas. The researcher may be alerted to research possibilities, which have been overlooked in the past.

Ø   Approaches that have been proved to be futile will be revealed through literature review.

Ø   Specific suggestions and recommendations for further research can be found by reviewing literature.

Ø   It pulls together, integrates and summarizes what is known in an area. Thus helping to reveal gaps in information and areas where major questions still remain.

 Steps in carrying out literature review.

1.      Familiarize yourself with the library before beginning the literature review.

2.      Make a list of key words or phrases to guide your literature search.

3.      With the key words and phrases related to the study, one should go to the source of literature.

4.      Summarize the references on cards for easy organisation of the literature.

5.      Once collected, the literature should be analyzed, organized and reported in an orderly manner.

6.      Make an outline of the main topics or themes in order of presentation.

7.      Analyze each reference in terms of the outline made and establish where it will be most relevant.

8.      The literature should be organized in such a way that the more general is covered first before the researcher narrows down to that which is more specific to the research problem.

Sources of literature

 (a)       Primary sources: are direct descriptions of any occurrence by an individual who actually observed or witnessed the occurrence.

 (b)      Secondary source: they include any publications written by an author who was not a direct observer or participant in the events described.

Examples

Ø  Scholarly journals

Ø  Theses and dissertations

Ø  Government documents

Ø  Papers presented at conferences

Ø  Books

Ø  References quoted in books

Ø  International indices

Ø  Abstracts

Ø  Periodicals

Ø  The Africana section of the library

Ø  Reference section of the library

Ø  Grey literature

Ø  Inter-library loan

Ø  The British lending library

Ø  The internet

Ø  MicrofilmTips on good review of literature

Ø Do not conduct a hurried review for fear of overlooking important studies.

Ø Do not rely too heavily on secondary sources.

Ø Check daily newspapers as they contain very educative, current information.

Ø Copy the references correctly in the first place so as to avoid the frustration of trying to retrace a reference later.

Ø Do not only concentrate on findings, check on methodology and measurement of variables.