SOC 2805 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Google Scholar, Psycinfo, Flowchart
Chapter 2:
Review of the Literature
Along with selecting a research approach, the researcher also needs to review the
literature related to the topic of interest. The literature review is an important part of crafting a
research proposal. It helps determine whether the topic is worthy of further study and provides
the scope of the project. Chapter two begins with a discussion about selecting a topic and
continues with how a researcher determines whether the topic can and should be researched.
Finally, the actual process of reviewing the literature is outlined along with key differences
found in the literature reviews of quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods studies.
In beginning a research study, the researcher must first identify a topic to study and
consider whether it is a practical and useful topic to explore. By exploring the previous research
on the topic, the researcher becomes aware of what has already been done and what is needed.
Chapter two explains how being able to answer the question “How does this project contribute to
the literature?” helps to determine whether the project is worthwhile. The researcher must
consider whether there will be access to participants and resources and whether the research will
be of interest to others. A review of the literature serves many purposes including presenting the
results of similar studies, providing a framework for comparing results with previous research
and to determine how the current research contributes to the body of knowledge on the topic.
The Research Topic
• Identifying the Topic
o Draft a brief working title
o Pose the topic as a brief question
• Can the topic be researched?
o Participants
o Resources
• Should the Topic Be Researched?
o Does it add to the knowledge base?
o Is anyone interested in the topic?
o Researcher’s interests and goals
The Literature Review
• Shares results of other studies
• Relates a study to the ongoing dialogue in the literature
• Provides a framework for establishing the importance of the study
The Use of the Literature
• Literature reviews in thesis or dissertation proposals provide a summary of the major
studies and demonstrates that the writer is aware of the literature on the topic. In a
journal article, the literature review tends to be briefer than that found in the thesis or
dissertation.
• Can take several forms
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Along with selecting a research approach, the researcher also needs to review the literature related to the topic of interest. The literature review is an important part of crafting a research proposal. It helps determine whether the topic is worthy of further study and provides the scope of the project. Chapter two begins with a discussion about selecting a topic and continues with how a researcher determines whether the topic can and should be researched. Finally, the actual process of reviewing the literature is outlined along with key differences found in the literature reviews of quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods studies. In beginning a research study, the researcher must first identify a topic to study and consider whether it is a practical and useful topic to explore. By exploring the previous research on the topic, the researcher becomes aware of what has already been done and what is needed.
