MANAGING YOUR LITERATURECRITICALLY

“A self-reflection on doing research”Dr. Norhalimah Idris

D06 – 339norhalimah@utm.my

07 – 5532090/013 – 3629710©Norhalimah Idris

What is Literature What is Literature Review?Review?

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Three basic areas for consideration:

1.Searching, reading and critically evaluating your literature.

2.Managing your literature – organizing and documenting.

3.Using your literature accordingly.

Managing your literatureManaging your literature

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Questions to ask when doing the Questions to ask when doing the literature review…..literature review…..

L.R exists in all of your chapters in your thesis.

• In Chapter 1 – Justifying the topic, identifying gaps and supporting the methods used for data collection and analysis. E.g: The funnel shape.

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Literature Review in Literature Review in contextcontext

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• In Chapter 2 – Focusing on issues/ research done in particular to your topic of interest. In-depth and critically analyzed.

• In Chapter 3 - Justifying your research methods, techniques for data collection and analysis. Rigorously.

Literature Review in Literature Review in contextcontext....continued....continued

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Literature Review in Literature Review in contextcontext....continued....continued• In Chapter 4 – Emphasizing your findings and

methods of analysis.

• In Chapter 5 – Discussions of results – addressing the so what questions i.e. contribution to knowledge of your research findings; i.e. linking your work to the application of such issue to the current practice and the literature.

• In Chapter 6 – the reflecting part i.e. addressing your limitations and future studies.

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What to search and where to search? Google scholar, Scopus, Science Direct –

looking for the right keywords and tracing the key literature i.e. key authors and highly cited research within your area of interest. L.R will lead you tracing back and forth of a particular work.Eg: www.google.com

What you search, you must read! Applying the scanning and speed reading

techniques.

Searching, reading and Searching, reading and critically evaluating your critically evaluating your

the literaturethe literature

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It will be a very long journey of literature reviewing until

your proposal is accepted…. and revisit the literature

before submitting your thesis to the examiner!!!!!

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Searching, reading and Searching, reading and critically evaluating your critically evaluating your the literaturethe literature……..continued……..continued• What you read you will forget!

• What you read and write, you will

remember!

• What you read, write and talk about, you

will understand!

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• Identifying key literature – being on top of the literature.

• Scanning and speed reading techniques:

• E.g: Look at your article(s)

* Abstract

* Introduction (find the aim, objectives, research

questions, hypotheses).* Methodology (the method(s) used, the study

focus and analysis done).

* Discussions – summary of findings and limitations.

Managing your literature Managing your literature – organizing and – organizing and documentingdocumenting

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The The BIGGESTBIGGEST dilemma…..dilemma…..

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Do not procrastinate!!!

1. Prepare a simple table using Words document or Excel.

2. Fill-up the table with the particulars – 3. E.g: Documenting your LR.doc4. The benefits of preparing this table:

As a record of all the literature that you have read in a very systematic way. A black and white evidence that you have read tremendously.

Organize the literature according to the development of such issue i.e the earliest to the latest.

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How to document what you How to document what you have read?have read?

Assist for report writing or writing up your chapters – For e.g:

References could easily be recorded, imported and exported to the Endnotes, Footnotes or RefWorks.

Avoid future panics if that particular article goes missing in action.

Know who is writing about what, where, what types of research, on which group/industry, using what method to collect data and analyse data and what is found and what are the GAPS (Being on top of the literature).

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How to document what How to document what you have read? you have read? …..continued…..continued

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Aim, objectives and research questions sections would help you to identify what are the study focus on. Help to formulate your own research questions or hypotheses. These are mainly addressed in the Introduction – Chapter 1 of your research.

Models/Theory - Evaluating each of the models in terms of strength and weaknesses and the relevance to your topic – To be used in Chapter 2 or Theoretical Framework.

Research Method – Analyzing what have been done using what approach and methods for analysing (Chapter 1 and extensively in Chapter 3).

How to document what How to document what you have read? you have read? …..continued…..continued

Analysis – justifying the techniques of any analysis chosen for your study - Chapter 4 (Analysis of Data).

Findings and limitation s– identifying gaps and justifying your topic is researchable, feasible and why your research is required – Chapter 1.

Critical thinking is where you are going to address the context of your research and critically evaluating/criticizing the existing literature. This is where most of your critical thinking will be organized and written in Chapter 2.

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How to document what How to document what you have read? you have read? …..continued…..continued

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Further examples of the Further examples of the usage of such table:usage of such table:

• summary of critiques on UK approach.doc

• Synthesis of the criticisms of UK.doc

• Summary of the literature.doc

• Figure 9(3) LR.doc

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A very good book on literature review

Thank YouThank You

Q & AQ & A

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