Quantitative Research Lesson 1: Relevant Literature

Unit 4: Writing the Review of Related Literature Lesson 1: Relevant Literature Sources for Quantitative Research

Contents

Engage 1 Introduction 1 Objectives 2

Explore 2

Explain and Elaborate 4 Differentiating Primary and Secondary Sources of Data 4

Primary Sources of Data 4 Secondary Sources of Data 5

Selecting Relevant Literature for Quantitative Study 7

Extend 10 Activity 1 10

Evaluate 11

Wrap Up 13

Bibliography 14

Unit 4.1: Relevant Literature Sources for Quantitative Research

Fig. 1. Traditional and digital books

One of the technologies we have developed in the 21st century is digital technology. With so

many texts, articles, and readings to choose online, it is difficult to select relevant readings

related to your research topic.

In doing research, especially in creating your literature review, you have to use technology

wisely. Painstakingly creating, searching, and citing valid sources of information are crucial

to your study. Not only does it make the results of your study more credible—the data that

you will review from relevant and related sources of information will serve as venues to

explore deeper into the topic of your study. This leads us to question why there is a need to

look into different sources of information when researching? What kind of research are you

supposed to look for? How will you be able to know if it is relevant and important to your

study? Lastly, how will you select the correct literature?

Engage

Introduction

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In this lesson, you should be able to do the following:

● Differentiate primary and secondary sources of data.

● Select relevant literature for your quantitative study.

DepEd Competency

Select relevant literature. (CS_RS12-If-j-1)

For this activity, you will select relevant literature and determine the origin of literature and

studies related to your research topic and title.

1. Select one related literature and one related study for your research topic.

2. Identify whether the chosen material is local or foreign in origin. Explain how they

are considered foreign or local in origin.

Objectives

Explore

15 minutes

Title of Quantitative Research

Title and Author/s Is the material local or foreign in origin? Explain.

2


Guide Questions

1. What are the bases of your selection listed above?

2. How are the selected articles and studies relevant to your quantitative study?

3. For you, what are the important characteristics of related and relevant literature or

study?

4. What process did you do in selecting relevant literature and studies?

5. For your quantitative study, are you allowed to use and cite qualitative literature and

studies? Provide an explanation for your answer.

3


Differentiating Primary and Secondary Sources of Data In quantitative research, statistical findings are key elements of a good literature review,

which are originally found in primary sources of data, while secondary sources of data offer

summaries of these findings that serve as useful quick references for your study.

Primary Sources of Data Primary sources of data include first-hand evidence of the literature. Hence, these

materials include published research on academic journals. These are also original copies

of theses and dissertations. This also includes original sources of textual, tabular, graphical,

or statistical data and mathematical models (Georgia State University 2020).

Researchers use primary sources of data to explore specific details and other findings

that were not wholly reflected on secondary sources of data. Primary sources of data can

give authoritative and credible support for the findings of your study.

Fig. 2. Statistical findings from a primary source of data

Explain and Elaborate

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Here are some examples in selecting relevant primary sources of data for quantitative

research:

● Supposing your study is about the relationship between the income of sari-sari

stores and the motivation of sari-sari store vendors. You need to borrow the journal

of accounts of the sari-sari store vendors in order to get first-hand evidence of their

income. Take note that it is a confidential document, so you may need to have a

written permission or waiver allowing you to extract information from these

documents. Also, some sari-sari stores do not necessarily have a journal of accounts.

● If your study is about the difference between your proposed fertilizer and

commercial fertilizer, you need to look for a related observation sheet that shows

the growth of different types of plants using two different fertilizers.

● In such studies like the perception of students on using e-Books as opposed to

traditional books, you need to search for research papers, theses, or dissertations

about student preferences on the use of a learning material.

Secondary Sources of Data Secondary sources of data are interpretations of pertinent information from primary

sources . These interpretations may be in the form of syntheses and summaries from

academic books, encyclopedias, or synopses and descriptions of works of art (Streefkerk

2019).

Fig. 3. Statistical findings from a secondary source of data

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Secondary sources of information are necessary for having a wide background of

knowledge of the topic that you are studying. Secondary sources of data also help

researchers access primary sources of data that are not available to the general public or

are difficult to examine due to the proximity of the origin of the primary source from the

researcher.

Here are some examples in selecting relevant secondary sources of data for quantitative

research:

● Supposing your topic is about the difference between the perception of respondents

regarding the removal of the Filipino subject from the college curriculum. You must

be able to find articles with summarized survey results, to use as one of the bases

for your study.

● If you are looking at the customer satisfaction rating of respondents regarding your

own recipe of “Gourmet Salted Egg Tahong,” you need to search for books regarding

customer service or online food reviews to learn more about people's perspective

on product satisfaction.

● Another study that you may come across as your topic is about the awareness level

of Grade 12 Practical Research students on using Linux OS. You need to search for

manuals or online guides on how to use and configure Linux OS.

Choosing the appropriate primary and secondary sources of data should be done carefully

to minimize errors and mistakes in your research. Determining the right source is a vital skill

for you as a researcher, and doing so will give you an advantage in producing a well-written

study. Here are some more examples of primary and secondary sources in quantitative

research.

What are the primary and secondary sources you need in your study?

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Table 1. Examples of primary and secondary sources of data in quantitative research

Selecting Relevant Literature for Quantitative Study The main purpose of a literature review in research is to provide a detailed overview of the

topics that you have explored. This shows the readers that you have used all means to

access relevant literature for your study and educates them on how your study fits into

the larger body of research (Fink 2014).

Since there are numerous online and offline readings, articles, and studies that you will

need to review, you will have to select literature that is relevant to your study. Here are

important guidelines to help you choose relevant literature for your quantitative study:

1. Select literature based on your Statement of the Problem (SOP).

Analyze your study’s problem in order to determine the subject of your research

questions. Use the subjects of your research questions as keywords for your search of

related articles and studies for your topic (Vanderstoep, and Johnston 2009).

Primary Sources in Quantitative Research

Secondary Sources in Quantitative Research

1. Original publications of research, thesis and dissertation

2. Journals of scientists 3. Field notes of field researchers 4. Observation sheets 5. Printed spreadsheets with raw data 6. Research in academic journals 7. Statistical results in academic

journals 8. Experimental results

1. Textbooks 2. Encyclopedia 3. Atlas 4. Magazine 5. Newspaper clippings 6. Summarized article 7. Interpretation of results of surveys

and polls 8. Manuals 9. Biographies

Why do you need to read many relevant articles and studies to write your literature review?

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2. Select literature that is related to your specific topic and field of interest or field of

specialization.

As a general rule, search for articles related to your specific topic and field of interest or

specialization (Creswell 2013). For example, if your topic is about management strategies

of small-scale store owners, search for books, articles, and topics related to

management strategies of small-scale store owners.

On rare occasions when there are few books, articles, and studies related to your

specific topic, both online and offline, you can search for a less-specific topic, or a

general topic related to your study. This must be rarely done since general topics can

give you too many articles or studies that may not be related to your research topic.

Using the same example we have under the specific topic, what you can search online

and offline is:

Specific topic : Management strategies of small-scale store owners

Less-specific topic : Management strategies of store owners

General topic : Management strategies

3. Select literature that uses evidence.

Select literature that has credible sources on their bibliography or references. It would

mean that they have followed reliable research that could also give you trustworthy

results. Look at the statistical findings of the literature; it must be validated, and based

on other studies.

Primary sources of data should act as the base of your study. This gives your study

credibility and foundation (Ridley 2012). Secondary sources of data should link their

summaries to the primary sources.

Why must you avoid using general topics when looking for literature sources?

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4. Select literature and studies that are current.

Your research adviser or research teacher will set the exact range of year of

publication allowed for your study. As a general rule, literature within five years or 10

years from the date of your research paper writing is acceptable. There are literature

sources published decades ago that are still relevant today. However, it is best to consult

your research adviser regarding this literature, whether they may be included in your

review or not.

5. Select literature published locally and internationally.

Locally published literature allows you to understand the current situation of the

problem you are studying in your immediate setting. Selecting foreign literature gives

you the idea that it can be applied in different settings or different contexts (Neuman

2007). Hence, this enriches the findings of your study.

Why is it important to look for and choose only new and recent literature?

Review ● Primary sources of data contain first-hand evidence or raw

experimental or survey data from different studies.

● Secondary sources of data contain summaries of literature,

articles, and studies related to your topic. They are mostly found in

an encyclopedia, textbooks, and review articles.

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Activity 1

Look for five related studies to your research topic. Then, classify whether it is a primary or

a secondary source of data. Apply the correct reference or bibliographic format when

accomplishing the second column.

Extend

Type of Source of Data Related Studies

Guide

● When choosing literature or study to include in your review of related literature you

choose the articles or studies related to your research title.

● The title usually contains the delimitations of the content of an article or study.

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1. The review of related literature and studies are composed of ____________ and

____________ as the sources of data.

2. Literature and studies are different from each other. Literatures are mostly books

while studies are mostly ____________.

3. Current literature means the material is published ____________ years at the latest.

Evaluate

A. Read and analyze the statement then supply the

missing words.

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1. Jazzy Genre: A Study on the Effectiveness of Jazz Music on the Emotional Well-Being

of Graduating College Students

Selected related literature/study excerpt:

Lago’s (2010) study on the relationship on the cognitive effects of music coincides

with the other authors mentioned before, wherein the different musical genres

that students prefer can motivate them to concentrate on their task, thus, leading

to better academic performance.

2. The Influence of Peers on the Academic Performance of Selected Senior High School

Students


The effect of the peers to the educational climate of the learners depends on the

amount of support that they receive from their peers, and is determined by

factors such as the deepness of the bond between peers, broad communication

mediums and long-lasting relationships (Temitope, and Ogunsakin 2015).

3. Saltwater as an Alternative Source of Electricity


Researchers at Stanford University developed a new device that consists of

electrodes that attract positive sodium ions and negative chlorine ions; when the

electrodes were submerged in saltwater, the electrodes draw the ions from the

water, and the movements of ions, created by the process, produce electric

current (McKenna 2011).

B. Determine the relevance of the selected literature or

study based on the given research title. Write R if the

material is relevant; otherwise, write IR.

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Wrap Up ___________________________________________________________________________________________

● Primary sources of data contain first-hand evidence, raw experimental results or

survey data from different studies.

● Secondary sources of data contain summaries of literature, articles, and studies

related to your topic.

● Selecting relevant literature sources is guided by the statement of the problem,

related to the specific topic, backed by evidence, published currently, and published

locally and internationally.

Fig. 4. Guidelines for selecting relevant literature

_________________________________________________________________________________________

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Creswell, John. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches.

California: SAGE Publications Ltd., 2013.

Fink, Arlene. Conducting Research Literature Reviews: From the Internet to Paper. 4th ed.

California: SAGE Publications Ltd., 2014.

Georgia State University (GSU). Literature Reviews: Types of Literature. Identify Databases &

Resources to Search . Last modified March 10, 2020. https://research.library.gsu.edu/

c.php?g=115595&p=1940435

Kumar, Ranjit. Research Methodology: A Step-By-Step Guide for Beginners . 3rd ed. California:

SAGE Publications Ltd., 2011.

Neuman, W. Lawrence. Basics of Social Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches.

India: Pearson Education Inc., 2007.

Ridley, Diana. The Literature Review: A Step-by-Step Guide for Students . 2nd ed. California: SAGE

Publications Ltd., 2012.

Shi, Shufang. Literature Review: An Overview . 2006. https://web.cortland.edu/shis/651/

LitRevOverview.pdf

Streefkerk, Raimo. Primary and Secondary Sources. Last modified September 23, 2019.

https://www.scribbr.com/citing-sources/primary-and-secondary-sources/

Vanderstoep, Scott, and Deirdre Johnston. Research Methods for Everyday Life: Blending

Qualitative: Blending Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches . California: Jossey-Bass,

2009.

Bibliography

14

https://research.library.gsu.edu/c.php?g=115595&p=1940435

https://research.library.gsu.edu/c.php?g=115595&p=1940435

https://web.cortland.edu/shis/651/LitRevOverview.pdf

https://web.cortland.edu/shis/651/LitRevOverview.pdf

https://www.scribbr.com/citing-sources/primary-and-secondary-sources/

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Quantitative Research Lesson 1: Relevant Literature