Diss1 Intro Litreview Ssh

7/29/2019 Diss1 Intro Litreview Ssh

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Dissertation:

Introduction &Literature Review

Useful resources:

Lunenburg, F. C., & Irby, B. J. (2008). Writing a SuccessfulThesis or Dissertation: Tips and Strategies for Students in

the Social and Behavioral Sciences. Thousand Oaks, CA:Sage.

Silyn-Roberts, H. (2002). Writing for Science andEngineering: Papers, Presentations and Reports.Oxford: Buttersworth- Heinemann.


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Dissertation:Introduction


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Purpose Clearly state purpose

Give background

Authorities and chief contributions

Show correlations, contradictions, gaps

Outline your approach

Give a context for a discussion ofresults

Describe the structure of the document


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Difficulties

How much background?

Informative enough?

A good first sentence?


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Common Mistakes Main purpose is not clear

Inadequate literature review

Too long, rambling, unstructured

Too short, too general

The approach is not clear

Specialist terms are not defined


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Checklist: Does the

Introduction-- Adequately review other peoples work? Show correlations, contributions, gaps?

Give a historical account if appropriate?

Put the study into a context of other

work? Clearly state the purpose?

Summarize the approach?

Describe the structure?


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Dissertation:

Literature Review


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What is a

Literature Review? A survey of published materials that are

relevant to a particular issue, theory or areaof research

It provides a description, summary, andcritical evaluation of each work


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Materials surveyed may include: scholarlyjournals, books, dissertations, conference

proceedings, etc.

It may be completed en route to an essay,thesis or dissertation and included in the

final project. Or, it may be conducted as its

own entity

What is a

Literature Review?


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The Process1. Problem formation

What is the topic being examined?

What are the associated issues?

2. Literature search Find related materialshow?


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3. Evaluation, Analysis and Outline Which materials are especially significant to your

particular topic?

What do these materials propose about yourtopic?

4. Write and Revise

A discussion of the findings and conclusions ofsignificant literature

The Process


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Purpose of a

Literature Review To place each individual work the the

grand scheme of things: its contributionsin the context of the understanding of thissubject

To identify new interpretations of previouswork


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To resolve conflicts between contradictoryprevious studies

To identify previous scholarship, in order toprevent duplication and repetition

To determine the way forward for furtherresearch

Purpose of a

Literature Review


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Elements of a Lit Review Overview of the subject, issue or theory

being considered and the objective of thereview

Division of works into categories (eg. insupport, against, alternative offerings) andan organized presentation

Explanation of similarities and differencesbetween works - identify areas ofcontroversy


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Conclusions on which works are mostsuccessful in their arguments, mostconvincing, and contribute to thedevelopment and understanding of the topic

A synthesis of results, summarizing what isand is not known

Formulate questions that require furtherresearch

Elements of a Lit Review


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Problem Formation Make a list and define major terms

Make sure you understand them and can usethem as keyword for library and Internet

searches

Define the purpose of your lit review -

your audience, the scope of the review,the type of publications you are using

(journals, qualitative research, etc.), and

the time you have to complete it


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Problem Formation Determine how you will organize your sources

(by trends, theories, chronology, authors,methods, themes, research questions, etc.)

Determine what is most important to cover (forexample theories, authors, or methods youmust absolutely discuss)

Try to relate the points to one another andorder them logically (you can number them byorder of importance, or organize

chronologically)


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What literature

should be included? Before including works, be sure to assess

their excellence and relevance

Consider the authors credentials (pastwork, education, authority)

What evidence is provided?


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How objective is the work? Is it prejudiced? Iscontrary data considered? Is certain information

ignored?

Which of the arguments are most/leastconvincing?

Does the work make a significant contributionto an understanding of the subject?

What literature

should be included?


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Finding Literature Identify a few key papers from your current

knowledge base

Consult librarians and professors

Search the library and online databases

Look at the references listed by the texts youalready have and locate them


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Finding Literature

Forward citation:

Through an online search, find papersthat reference your key literature

Make your selection based onrelevance, date, breadth, depth, andrequirements


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Evaluate the Literature

Critical thinking: Discern the validity and authority of an argumentthrough reason and logic

Analysis:

Take apart and understand ideas

Synthesis:

Bring together parts of different arguments to producea cohesive, coherent and ideally original perspective


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Evaluate the

Literature Break down information into its component parts andseparate important aspects of information from the lessimportant

Analyze and critically appraise component parts ofargument

Discuss the pros and cons of the components

Demonstrate understanding of theory

W iti P t f


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Writing as Part of a

Thesis Explains how the work of others has ledup to and contributes to your coming work

Displays your knowledge of the literatureand field of scholarship validates you asan author

Provides readers with backgroundinformation and related studies necessaryto understanding your work


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Provides readers with an historicalperspective as to the evolution of theideas being considered

Leads readers to the problem that youundertake in your work and shows how itis a new perspective

Writing as Part of a Thesis


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Summary of Purpose

Give a clear presentation of related literature

Give the history of the topic

Show your knowledge of the relevant worksand researchers

Show agreements, contradictions, gaps

Show weaknesses in other studies

Summarize techniques and materials

Show the originality of your own work.


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Difficulties

Quantity of literature

Lack of literature

Getting started

How broad or narrow?

What should be discarded?

Re-reading for improved understanding


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Overcoming

Difficulties Show the relevant facts Show what has been done

Show what is being done

Show agreements, disagreements, gaps

Show the conflicting camps

Show that you understand the issue

Make your view clear and relevant


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A literature review will

suffer if you--

avoid commenting on the issues act as a neutral observer

dont understand the topic well


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Researching and

Writing Be systematic

Go beyond books and articles Be selective. Dont try to read

everything

As you research, improve your ability tobe selective


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Step 1

Use the experts: librarians Learn which databases are relevant

Learn efficient search techniques


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Step 2

Keep systematic records of citations Keep copies of all key documents

Note full details of each citation


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Step 3

Try to find a book that gives anoverview of the topic and mentions the

major researchers in the field


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Step 4

Find and read a few review articles by

authorities in the field The most frequently cited authors and

papers are the most important

Use this information as a framework forbuilding your review


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Step 5

Choose the key papers

These are the most frequently citedpapers and authors

The titles are most relevant to your field

Begin with the most recent ones

Use this information to expand yourframework


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Step 6

Questions to be answered:

How does your topic fit the research area?

Why is it important?

What is known about it?

What is not known or in question?

Why do the gaps need to be filled?

Which gap(s) will you attempt to fill? Why? How?


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Step 7 Write some possible topic headings for the

review

Keep them specific

Not: Issues associated with...

Better: Methods for investigating...,Historical background, Standard techniques,

Current technology, and so on (Silyn-Roberts,p. 87)

Make separate files for each heading


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Step 8

Arrange your information according toyour topic headings

Some information may fit under morethan one heading. Put it in both files

and decide later where it belongs

As you learn more from the research,you may change some of your headings


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Step 9

Look at the fringe papers

These are the ones by less prominentauthors

Look at methods, results, andinterpretations


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Step 10

Read the relevant sections of the fringepapers, take notes, and classify theinformation under the headings that you

have established


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Step 11

Re-read the original review papers

Determine how your knowledge of thetopic has changed

Review steps 7, 8, 9, and 10 to

determine if you want to make anyadjustments


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Step 12

Look at your notes and headings. Re-sort yourinformation if necessary

Make sub-headings for each heading

Make connections among the information foreach topic, and write the review

Connect everything under headings and sub-headings

Keep revising until it is coherent

Write the reference list


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Common Errors

Writing the review before you have a thoroughunderstanding of the issues

Giving a superficial account of researcharticles

Not coherent

Not pointing out gaps, contradictions,ambiguities

Referencing errors


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Checklist Did you give the history of the topic?

Did you mention the current issues?

Did you show the agreements, correlations,ambiguities, and gaps?

Did you show the conflicts between theresearch camps?

Did you make it clear that you understand theissues?

Did you cite reviews, key papers, fringepapers?


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Questions, Discussion,

and Individual Practicehttp://www.ryerson.ca/graduatestuden

tsupport/

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Diss1 Intro Litreview Ssh