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A literature review involves looking at books, articles, seminar papers, websites or other secondary sources that have already been written on a particular topic. By looking at the existing research – secondary data – researchers can use this to help them shape their own research – primary data. A literature review should provide you with an explanation of the problem being studied as well as what research has already been done and how the findings relate to your particular hypothesis or question.
Accessing sources of data
Accessing sources of data
Secondary research is data that have been gathered and recorded by someone else. It can be information acquired from the internet, videos, databases, reference and textbooks, pamphlets and statistical reports of other people's research.
When accessing data sources, it is important that you evaluate the quality and reliability of all information. Avoid user-created websites, blogs and forums as these sites can be edited by anyone and the information may be unreliable.
Activity:
Conduct a literature review on the impact of smart phones on people's social skills Follow each of the Steps below to complete your literature review.
Step 1
Gather appropriate resources (e.g. articles) on the topic. Usually four or five sources are recommended. Sources should be current, credible and correct in terms of their relationship to the research topic.
Read each source through once. Then read each again, and this time highlight and annotate them to identify the parts that relate to what you are trying to find out.
For each of the sources, complete a summary of your findings
Step 2
Write the review as an integrated piece of writing, not individual summaries of each source. This will help to ensure your review is interesting and coherent.
You may like to cross off ideas you use from your summary in Step 1 as you go.
Follow the scaffold to structure your literature review
Step 3
Read your literature review and correct any errors you find.
Have someone else proof read your review.
Advantages and disadvantages of literature reviews
Advantages and disadvantages of literature reviews
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