LITERATURE REVIEW
MR. IRANNA K
RESEARCH PROCESS
DEFINE-
The process is gathering
RESEARCH
information for the purpose of
initiating, modifying or
terminating a particular
investment or group of
investments.
The systematic
investigation into and study of
materials and sources in order to
establish facts and research new
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7 STEPS OF RESEARCH
PROCESS
• Step One: Define research problem
• Step Two: Review of literature
• Step Three: Formulate hypotheses
• Step Four: Preparing the research design
• Step Five: Data collection
• Step Six: Data analysis
• Step Seven: Interpretation and report
writing
ff
Define Review Formulate
Design Collect
research the hypothes
research data
problem literature es
f
ff
Interpret
Analyze
and
data
report
f
Where f = feed back(helps in controlling the sub system
ff= feed forward(serves the vital function of providing criteria for
evaluation
Step One: Define Research
Problem
There are two types of research problem,
viz., those
relate to states of nature
relationship between variables.
Essentially two steps are involved in define
research problem, viz.,
understanding the problem thoroughly and
rephrasing the same into meaningful terms
from an point of view.
Step Two: Review of Literature
Once the problem is define, a brief summary
of it should be written down. It is compulsory
for a research worker writing a thesis for a
Ph.D. degree to write a synopsis of topic and
submit it to necessary committee or the
research board for approval.
Step Three: Formulate Hypothesis
Formulate hypothesis is tentative assumption
made in order to draw out and test its logical
or empirical consequences. Hypothesis
should be very specific and limited to the
piece of research in hand because it has to be
tested.
The role of the hypothesis is to guide the
researcher by delimiting the area of research
and to keep him on the right track.
Step Four: Preparing the Research
Design
The function of research design is to provide
for the collection of relevant evidence with
minimal expenditure of effort, time and
money.
Research purpose may be grouped into four
categories, viz., (1) Exploration, (2)
Description,(3) Diagnosis, and (4)
Experimentation.
Step Five: Data Collection
Primary data can be collected through:
By Observation
Through personal interview
Through telephone interview
By mailing of questionnaires
Through Schedules
Step Six: Data Analysis
The analysis of data requires a number of
closely related operations such as
establishment of categories.
This stage mainly include :
1. Coding
2. Editing
3. Tabulation
Step Seven: Interpretation and
Report Writing
Researcher has to prepare the report of what
has been done by him.
Writing of report includes:
1. the preliminary pages;
2. the main text, and
3. the end matter.
INTRODUCTION
Review of literature is one of the most
important steps in the research process.
It is an account of what is already known
about a particular phenomenon.
The main purpose of literature review is to
convey to the readers about the work
already done & the knowledge & ideas that
have been already established on a
particular topic of research.
Literature review is a laborious task, but it
is essential if the research process is to be
successful.
MEANING OF LITERATURE
REVIEW
A literature review uses as its database reports of
primary or original scholarship & does not report
new primary scholarship itself. The primary reports
used in the literature may be verbal, but in the vast
majority of cases, report are written documents. The
types of scholarship may be empirical, theoretical,
critical/analytic, or methodological in nature.
Second a literature review seeks to describe,
summarize, evaluate, clarify &/or integrate the
content of primary reports.
…(H.M. Cooper, 1988)
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• A literature review is an evaluative report of information
found in the literature related to selected area of study. The
review describes, summarizes, evaluates & clarifies this
literature. It gives a theoretical base for the research & helps
to determine the nature of research.
…(Queensland University, 1999)
• A literature review is a body of text that aims to review the
critical points of knowledge on a particular topic of research.
…(ANM, 2000)
• A literature review is an account of what has been already
established or published on a particular research topic by
accredited scholars & researchers.
…(University of Toronto, 2001)
IMPORTANCE
OF
LITERATURE
REVIEW
Identification of a research problem &
development or refinement of research
questions.
Generation of useful research questions or
projects/activities for the discipline.
Orientation to what is known & not known about
an area of inquiry to ascertain what research
can best contribute to knowledge.
Determination of any gaps or inconsistencies in
a body of knowledge.
Discovery of unanswered questions about
subjects, concepts or problems.
Determination of a need to replicate a prior
study in different study settings or different
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Identification of relevant theoretical or conceptual
framework for research problems.
Identification or development of new or refined clinical
interventions to test through empirical research.
Description of the strengths & weaknesses of
design/methods of inquiry & instruments used in earlier
research work.
Development of hypothesis to be tested in a research
study.
Helps in planning the methodology of the present
research study.
It also helps in development of research instruments.
Identification of suitable design & data collection
methods for a research study.
Assistance in interpreting study finding & in developing
implications & recommendations.
PURPOSES
OF
LITERATUR
E REVIEW
The purpose of a literature review is to
convey to the reader previous knowledge &
facts established on a topic, & their strength
& weakness.
The literature review allows the reader to be
updated with the state of research in a field &
any contradictions that may exist with
challenges findings of other research studies.
It helps to develop research investigative
tools & to improve research methodologies.
It also provide the knowledge about the
problems faced by the previous researchers’
while studying same topic.
Besides enhancing researchers’ knowledge
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Place each in the context of its contribution to
the understanding of subject under review.
Describe the relationship of each study to
other research studies under consideration.
Identify new ways to interpret & shed light on
any gaps in previous research.
Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly
contradictory previous studies.
Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent
duplication of effort.
Point a way forward for further research.
See what has & has not been investigated.
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Develop general explanation for observed
variations in a behavior or phenomenon.
Identify potential relationship between
concepts & to identify researchable
hypothesis.
Learn how others have defined & measured
key concepts.
Identify data sources that other researchers
have used.
Develop alternative research projects.
Discover how a research project is related to
the work of others.
Place one’s original work (in case of thesis or
SOURCES
OF
LITERATUR
E REVIEW
Literature can be reviewed from
two sources:
1. Primary sources
2. Secondary sources
1. Primary Sources
Literature review mostly relies on primary
sources, i.e. research reports, which are
description of studies written by researchers
who conducted them.
A primary sources is written by a person who
developed the theory or conducted the
research, or is the description of an investigation
written by the person who conducted it.
Most primary sources are found in published
literature.
Example of a primary
For example, a nursingsource: An original
research article.
qualitative on patient experiences in the ICU:
A credible literature review reflects the use of
Hupcey, J. E. (2000). Feeling safe the psychosocial
mainly
needs of primary sources.
ICU patients. Journal of Nursing Scholarship,
32:361-367.
2. Secondary Sources
Secondary source research documents are
description of studies prepared by someone
other than the original researcher.
They are written by people other than the
individuals who developed the theory or
conducted the research.
The secondary sources may be used when
primary sources are not available or if
researchers want external opinions
Example of a Secondary Source: A literature
on an
issueon
review orpatient
problem or eveninthe
experiences theresults of their
ICU: Stein-
own research.
Parbury, J. & Mckinley, S. (2000) patient experiences
of being in an intensive care unit: a select literature
review. American Journal of critical care, 9:20-27.
The main sources from where literature can
be searched are as …
MagazinesElectronic
& database
newspapers
Research Resource Books
Reports s
of
literatur
Encyclopedia e review Journals
&
dictionary
Theses Conference
papers
1. Electronic Sources:
Computer-assisted literature search has
revolutionized the review of literature.
These searches, however, for a variety of
reasons may not provide the desired
references.
Electronic literature search through web
may be very useful, but sometimes it
can be time consuming & unpredictable
because there are many website & web
pages that can lead to information
overload & confusion.
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General literature search can be conducted through
search engines like Yahoo ([Link]),
Google ([Link]), MSN search, Lycos,
WebCrawler, Alta Vista, or Excite.
The most relevant nursing databases are as follows:
CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied
Health Literature): Accessible at
[Link] it citations of nursing
literature published after 1988. Even full-text articles
are available on CINAHL plus, a paid web page.
PubMed: PubMed can be used to search research
abstracts, available at [Link]
MedlinePlus: It is the National Library of Medicine’s
web sites for consumer health information. It is
available at [Link]
[Link]
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MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis &
Retrieved System Online): It is another electronic
source of literature review commonly used by nurses.
The National Library of Medicine provides free access to
MEDLINE through PubMed, available at
[Link] or
[Link] generally,
abstracts of research articles are provided free of cost;
some of the full-text copies are also freely available &
some others are available for a free.
Cochrane Database of System Reviews: Health
care-related literature can be searched from this
source, available at [Link]
ERIC: The ERIC database is the largest source of
education information. A free search may be carried
out [Link]
at [Link]
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Registry of Nursing Research: Sigma Theta Tau
International Honor Society of Nursing makes this
database available through its Virginia Henderson
International Nursing Library. Access to this database
has been redesigned & made easier for users to
obtain evidence & scientific findings from more than
2,200 research article & conference abstracts. The
research abstracts are searched via key words,
author, & title of the research study. Free access to
this database may be found at
[Link]
psycINFO: The psycINFO database belongs to American
Psychological Association, & covers literature from
psychological or related disciplines. It may be searched at
[Link]
Dissertation abstracts online: Abstracts of masters’ &
[Link]
doctoral theses are available on this electronic database
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Online Journals: Following are the website
addresses for journals & magazines that are
available online:
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
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Other online databases: Many other online
database can be searched for free by nurses from the
following websites:
[Link] (HIV/AIDS information)
[Link] (information on
hazardous agents)
[Link] (combined health information
database)
[Link] (toxicology database
network)
Cancer Lit (Cancer literature)
EMBASE (exerpta Medica Database)
ETOH (Alcohol & alcohol problems science
database)
[Link]
Health STAR (Health services technology
2. Printed Sources:
Printed sources are also used for literature
review.
Printed research summary may be located from
published abstracts such as Nursing Research
Abstract, Psychological Abstracts, Dissertation
Abstract International, Masters Abstract
International, etc.
References of the other printed sources may be
located through indexes such as cumulative
Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature,
Nursing Studies Index, & Index Medicus.
Following are the main printed sources that can
be used to review the relevant literature:
[Link]
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Name of national Names of international journals
nursing journals Nursing Research
Nursing & Midwifery Research in Nursing & Health
Research Journal Nursing Sciences Quarterly
Indian journal of Western Journal of Nursing
Nursing Research & Research
Midwifery Applied Nursing Research
The nursing Journal of Biological Research for Nursing
Advances in Nursing Sciences
India
Nightingale Nursing Clinical Nursing Research
Worldviews on Evidence-Based
Times
Nursing
International Journal of
Journal of Qualitative Research
Nursing Education American Journal of Nursing
Indian Journal of
International Journal of Nursing
Nursing Studies
[Link] Studies
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Research reports
Unpublished dissertations & theses
Magazines & newspapers
Conference papers & proceedings
Encyclopedias & dictionaries
Books
[Link]
STEPS
OF
LITERATURE
REVIES
Understand
ing the Identifyin
Searching
research g the
the
problem relevant
literature
&identifyin sources
g the key
search Analyze
Write the and
( variables , literature synthesizi
population , review ng the
interest )
literature
G
WRITTEN
LITERATUR
E
Introduction
Conclusi ELEMENTS Body
on
Writing the Introduction…
While writing the introduction, following steps
should be taken care of:
Define or identify the general topic, issue, or
area of concern, thus, providing appropriate
context for reviewing the literature.
Point out overall trends in what has been
published about the topic or conflicts in
theory, methodology, evidence, & conclusion
or gaps in research & scholarship, or a single
problem or new perspective of immediate
interest.
Establish the writer’s point of view for
reviewing the literature, explain the criteria to
Writing the Body…
Following measures need to be undertaken while writing
the body of the literature.
Group research studies & other types of literature
(reviews, theoretical articles, case studies) according to
common denominators such as qualitative versus
quantitative approaches, conclusions of authors,
specific purposes or objectives, chronology, & so on.
Summarize individual studies or articles with as much
as or as little detail as each merits according to its
comparative importance in the literature, remembering
that space denotes significance.
Assist the reader with strong ‘umbrella' sentences at
the beginning of paragraphs, & brief ‘so what’ summary
sentences at intermediate points in the review to aid in
understanding comparisons & analysis.
Writing the Conclusion…
The points to be taken care of in the conclusion are as
follows:
Summarize major contributions of significant studies
& articles to the body of knowledge under review,
maintaining the focus established in the introduction.
Evaluate the current ‘state of the art’ for the body of
knowledge reviewed, pointing out major
methodological flaws or gaps in research,
inconsistencies in theory, & finding & areas or issues
pertinent to future study.
Conclude by providing some insight into the
relationship between central topic of the literature
reviews & larger area of study such as discipline, a
scientific Endeavour, or a profession.
Example…
Example of a bad
review
Sexual harassment has many consequences. Adams, Kottke, & Padgitt (1983)
found that some women students said that they avoided taking a class or working
with certain professors because of the risk of harassment. They also found that
men & women students reacted differently. Their research was conducted through
a survey of 1,000 men & women graduate & undergraduate students. Benson &
Thomson’s study in social Problem (1982) lists many problems created by sexual
harassment. In their excellent book, the Lecherous Professor, Dziech & Weiner
(1990) give a long list of difficulties that victims have suffered.
xample of a better review
The victims of sexual harassment suffer a range of consequences, from lowered
self-esteem & loss of self-confidence to withdrawal from social interaction,
changed career goals, & depression (Adams, Kottke, & Padgitt, 1983; Benson &
Thomson, 1982; Dziech & Weiner, 1990). For example, Adams, Kottke, & Padgitt
(1983) noted that 13% of women students said that they avoided taking a class or
working with certain professors because of the risk of harassment.
POINTS TO BE
CONSIDERED
FOR
LITERATURE
REVIEW
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Be specific
Briefly state specific findings listed in an article,
specific methodologies used in a study, or other important points.
Literature reviews are not the place for long quotes or in-depth
analysis of each point.
Be selective:
Researcher should narrow down a lot of information into
a small space for literature review. Just the most important points
(i.e. those most relevant to the review’s focus) must be
mentioned in each work of review.
Focus of current topics:
Researcher needs to analyse points such as if it is a
current article, & if not, how old it is: has its claims, evidence, or
arguments been superseded by more recent work; if it is not
current, then if it is important for historical background ; etc.
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Ensure evidence for claims:
Researcher should focus on what support is given for
claims made in literature. What evidence & what type
(experimental, statistical, anecdotal, etc.) of evidences are
offered? Is the evidence relevant & sufficient? What
arguments are given? What assumptions are made, & are they
warranted?
Focus on sources of evidences:
Researchers should ensure the reliability of the sources
of the evidence or other information – if they are from
author’s own experiments, surveys, historical records,
government documents, etc. He should check how reliable
those sources are.
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Reference citation:
Any references cited in the literature review must be
included in the bibliography. The common practice is that the
reviewer does not list references in the bibliography that are
not directly cited in the literature review or elsewhere in the
paper /thesis.
Avoid abbreviations:
Avoid technical terms, jargons & abbreviations.
Simple & accurate sentence structure:
A researcher should use simple sentences &
must avoid errors of grammar & punctuation.
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Organization of literature review:
A literature review is organized by subtopic, not by
individual references. In a typical literature review, the writers may
cite several references in the same paragraph & may cite the same
reference in more than one paragraph, if that source address more
than one of the subtopics in the literature review. Typically,
discussion of each sources is quite brief. The contribution the
present reviewers make is organizing the ideas from the sources
into a cogent argument or narrative that includes their perspectives.
Referring original source:
The reviewer should focus on citing the material that
originates with each reference. This may require a careful reading
of the reference. If the reference author refers to another source
whose ideas are relevant or interesting, it is better to track & use
that original reference.
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