Research Methodology (BBRC4103)

Bachelor in Multimedia Communication

En. Zahari Bin Omar

Open University Malaysia
(Kelantan Learning Centre)

CONTENT

Page

1.0

Introduction To Writing Literature Review...1

2.0

Important Of A literature Review.8

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The Procedures For Writing A Literature Review...........................................11

4.0

Summary...13

5.0

Reference...14

1.0

Introduction Writing Literature Review

A literature review is an appraising description of information found in the literature

associated to your chosen area of research. The literature review illustrates, summarize, appraise
and clarify the literature for which you are writing literature review. It should give a hypothetical
foundation for the research and helps you establish the nature of your research. Unrelated works
are removed completely while the marginal ones are considered critically.
A literature review is a text written by a critical issue to consider current knowledge
including substantive findings, and theoretical and methodological contributions to a particular
topic. Literature reviews are secondary sources, and therefore, do not report any new or original
experimental work. In addition, the literature review can be interpreted as a review of an abstract
achievement.
Most often associated with academic-oriented literature, such as a thesis or peer-reviewed
articles, a literature review usually precedes a research proposal and results section. Its objective is
to set the current review of the body of literature and to provide some context for the reader. A
review of research literature is a staple in almost every academic field.
A systematic review is a literature review focused on a research question, try to identify,
evaluate, select and synthesize all high quality research evidence relevant to that question. A metaanalysis is usually a systematic review using statistical methods to combine the data used in all the
studies selected to result in a more reliable effective.
A literature review is a report evaluating studies found in the literature related to the area
choose. This review should describe, summarize, evaluate and clarify this literature. It should
provide for theoretical research and help us determine the nature of our own research. Select a
limited number of works that are important to our area of trying to collect a large amount of work
that is not as closely related to our topic area.

A literature review goes beyond finding and includes the identification and articulation of
the relationship between literature and our field of research. Although the form of a literature
review may vary with the type of study, the basic purpose remains:

Provide a context for research

Describe research

Ensure that the research has not been done before (or that it is not only "replication study")

Indicate where appropriate research to the existing body of knowledge

Allows researchers to learn from previous theory on this subject

Describe how the subject has been studied previously

Highlight weaknesses in previous research

Develop a gap in previous research

Show that the work adds to the understanding and knowledge of the field

Help refine, refocus or change the topic

There are 3 main reasons for conducting a literature review:

1. Literature Reviews for Planning Primary Research
Almost every primary research began with a review of the literature. The purpose of the
literature review section of a research article is to provide readers with an overall
framework for this piece of work which fits in the "big picture" of what is known about the
topic of previous research. Therefore, the literature review aims to clarify the research topic
and develop a rationale for the research problem and the need for additional research.
Boote and Beile (2005) explained the purpose of the literature review fluent in planning
primary research:
As the foundation of any research project, the literature review should reach some
important objectives. It sets the broad context of the study, clearly demarcates what
is and what is not within the scope of the inquiry, and justify their decisions. It also
situates the existing literature in the context of scientific and wider history. It will
not only have to report the claim made in the existing literature but also examine
critically the research methods used to understand whether the claim is required.

Any examination of literature enables the author to distinguish what you have
learned and accomplished in the field of study and what still needs to be learned
and accomplished. In addition, this type of study allows the author not only to
summarize the existing literature but also to synthesize it in a way that allows a
whole new perspective. Therefore, a good literature review is the basis of both
theoretical and methodological sophistication, and thus improves the quality and
usefulness of subsequent research.
The researchers used a literature review to identify the rationale for the need for them selfstudy. The specific rationale for our research that might emerge from our literature review
includes the following:

We may find the lack of consistency in the results reported in the study that we
have chosen to study and conduct research to explore in inconsistency. For
example, Berliner et al. (2008) noted inconsistencies in research that high school
dropouts; they suggest that the problem may be that the researchers did not
differentiate between high school dropouts who reenrolled and those who do not.

We may have uncovered flaws in previous studies based on the design, data
collection instruments, sampling, or interpretation. For example, Borman et al.
(2007) reviewed the research on Success for All literacy programs and found no
randomized controlled studies have been conducted on its effectiveness. Quasiexperimental design of the study and findings leave open to reasonable criticism
based on uncontrollable external variables.

Research may have been conducted on different population than the one in which
we are interested, thus justifying our work with different people. For example,
Schirmer and McGough (2005) reviewed the research literature reading
development and reading instruction and found that there was a lack of this type of
research to students who are deaf. Therefore, they suggest the need for research on
reading instruction has been found to be effective with students who will run with
deaf students. Another justification for conducting research with deaf students when
the previous study was based on the children listen to hear it possible to devise
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innovative ways very different teaching reading based on sign language and culture
the deaf.

We can document the educational or psychological problems that persist and

suggest studying the effects of innovative interventions to try to correct the
problem. For example, Burnard (2008) wanted to explore innovative pedagogical
practices to engage students who face challenges stemming from poverty, class,
race, religion, language and cultural heritage, or gender. In particular, he is
interested in how music teachers involved students who were loyal.

Uncertainty about the interpretation of findings of previous studies' justifying

further research. For example, prior studies of people with schizophrenia show that
sometimes the players continue to feel confused about the condition and treatment,
even after meeting with health care professionals. Schneider et al. (2004) conducted
a study from the perspective of people with mental illness to determine what
contributes to their perception of the relationship of effective and ineffective
professional.
As noted earlier, the literature review can be used at the beginning learn to explain

what is known about our topic and provide a rationale for the study our plan. In addition,
the literature review can be used to assist in the design of studies to provide guidance on
the appropriate sample size or identifying potential data collection practices or instruments
that can be used in our study. As familiarity with the literature useful for both quantitative
and qualitative research no matter what paradigm researchers. Everyone who provides a
literature review must do so with a critical eye: What are the strengths and weaknesses of
prior studies? What's missing from the official body of scientific literature that may be
necessary to formulate appropriate research focus and methods of investigation?
When ourr goal is to design our own research, the number of studies that we
actually cite in our literature review may be somewhat limited due to space limitations (for
authors who publish in journals) or because the study considered the learning activities (in
our own course work). Typically, low research article published in the journal contains 20
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to 30 references to primary research. Relatively limited number of quotations for training

activities or wider if we prepares a proposal for a thesis or dissertation.
The exact number varies, depending on the purpose of the study of literature and
literary remains. The main criteria for inclusion should be a priority in our topic, whatever
the constraints imposed by the instructors, advisers, or issuers.
Use literature to design and conduct research that requires us to critically evaluate
research you read. This critical analysis can be the basis for our rationale for our selection
or data collection procedures. Criteria for evaluating research are provided at the end of
each chapter.
2. Review of Literature as an End in Itself
Review of the literature can be seen as an end in itself, whether to inform practice
or to provide a thorough understanding of what is known about the topic. The process for
conducting this type of research literature varies, depending on our purpose. If our goal is
to improve professional practice, we will want to make our literature review to the
problems that have encountered in our profession. Therefore, when we look at the writings
of the solution, we can rely on the literature review, or we can find research reports low
until we find one that seems to fit our situation. For example, Mayo (2007) reviewed the
literature from the LGBTQ community with a specific focus on action "out" because he
studied in the schools from the perspective of the obstacles that the youth meeting, and also
in terms of agency and resilience shown by some youths. Mayo uses literature to suggest a
promising strategy for school leaders, youth, and researchers to make progress on this
issue.
When the literature review was to provide a comprehensive understanding of what
is known about a topic, the process is much longer. For example, McKinley et al. (2007)
includes more than 300 references in the literature review of their race as a construct in
educational research, examining topics such as the meaning of equity, inequality,
whiteness, and race as a social construct, and the implications of desegregation and
placement in special education for the members of the group minorities. Gadsden (2008)
includes nearly 200 references in his study to examine the place of art education in the art
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of change in education through the lens of power, culture, and representation. He draws
conclusions for researchers and educators in terms of the future direction suggested by the
current body of scientific knowledge in this field.
3. The purpose of the literature review also to convey to the reader what knowledge and ideas
have been established on a topic, and what their strengths and weaknesses. The literature
review allows the reader to be brought up to date on the state of research in the field and
familiarizes the reader with any of the different perspectives and views on this topic. There
are good reasons to start a literature review before starting a research paper. The other
reasons for this include:
To see what has and has not been investigated.
Develop a general explanation for the observed variation in behavior or phenomenon.
To identify potential relationships between concepts and to identify researchable
hypotheses.
To find out how others have defined and measured key concepts.
To identify data sources that other studies have used.
To develop alternative research projects.
To find out how the research projects related to the work of others
2.0

The Importance of a Literature Review in Research Writing

Doing a careful and thorough literature review is essential when we write a research at any
level on the basic homework that is assumed done vigilantly, a given fact in all research
papers. By providing a literature review, usually offered in our introduction before we
reach our thesis statement, we are telling our reader that we have not neglected the basics
of doing a research because a literature review not only surveys what researches have been
done in the past on our research topic but it also appraises, encapsulates, compares and
contrasts, and correlates various scholarly books, research articles, and other relevant
sources that are directly related to our current research. Given such fundamental nature of

providing a literature review, our research paper will be not considered seriously if we lack
a literature review in the beginning of our paper.
1. A Literature Review Helps Us Create a Rapport with Our Audience
A literature review helps we create a sense of rapport with our audience or readers
so that they can trust the fact that we have done our homework; as a result, they can
give us credit for our due diligence: We have done our fact-finding and factchecking mission, one of the initial steps of any research writing. As a student, we
may not be an expert in a given field; however, by listing a thorough literature
review in our research paper, we are telling the audience, in essence, we know what
we are talking about. As a result, the more books, articles, and other sources we can
list in the literature review, the more trustworthy our scholarship and expertise can
be. Depending on the nature of our research paper, each entry in the literature
review can be long or short; for example, if we are writing a doctoral dissertation or
Masters Thesis, the entries can be longer than the ones in a term paper. The key is
to stick to the gist of the sources as we synthesize the source in the literature
review: its thesis, research methods, findings, issues, and further discussions
mentioned in the source.
2. A Literature Review Helps Us Avoid Incidental Plagiarism
Imagine this scenario. We have written a research paper, an original paper in our
area of specialization without a literature review. When we about to publish the
paper, we soon learn that someone has already published a paper on a topic very
similar to us. Of course, we have not plagiarized anything from that publication;
however, if and when we publish our work, people will be suspicious of our
authenticity. They will ask further about the significance of repeating a research so
similar? In short, we could have utilized the time, money, and other resources we
have wasted on our research on something else. Had we prepared a literature review
at the onset of our research, we could have easily avoided such mishap; during the
compilation of our literature review, we could notice how someone else has done a
similar research on our topic. By knowing this fact, we can tailor or tweak our own

research in such a way that it is not a mere rehashing of someone elses original or
old idea.
3. A Literature Review Sharpens Your Research Focus
As we assemble outside sources for our literature review, we will condense,
evaluate, synthesize, and paraphrase the gist of outside sources in our own words;
through this process of winnowing, we will be able to place the relevance of our
research in the larger context of what others researches have already done on our
topic in the past. The literature review will help us compare and contrast what we
are doing in the historical context of the research as well as how our research is
different or original from what others have done, shedding light on the rationale
why we need to do this particular research. Perhaps we are using a new or different
research method which has not been available before, allowing us to collect the data
more accurately or conduct an experiment that is more precise and exact thanks to
many innovations of modern technology. A literature review, thus, is essential in
helping us shape and guide our research in the direction we may not have thought of
by offering insights and different perspectives on the research topic.
4. A Literature Review Comes in Many Different Types
Depending on our area of specialization, a literature review can take various forms:
argumentative review, integrative review, historical review, methodological review,
systematic review, and theoretical review. An argumentative review is written to
present an opposing view to a given position. Such review will be valuable to
persuade others to join us in supporting our thesis. An integrative review is
composed of examinations and critical analysis on a given topic to introduce a need
for a new research. For example, we can use an integrative review on the spreading
of a pandemic plague, arguing how the old methods of gathering and analyzing the
data were inadequate and how modern technology, such as DNA analysis; will help
make the same research more accurate. Similarly, a historical review will assess all
the historical records of scholarship chronologically while methodological review
examines the research methods alone as collection of data, their critical analysis,

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interpretation, and research results, for example. A literature review in any field is
essential as it offers a comprehensive overview and recapitulation on the given
scholarship from past to present, giving the reader a sense of focus as to which
direction our new research is headed.
3.0

The Procedures For Writing A Literature Review

There are 4 steps in literature review as stated below:Step 1: Search the Existing Literature in Your Research Area of Interest
Existing Literature Search in our Research Area of Interest Once we pick a topic that
interests us, we make sure it is an area that has been studied and well researched that can
give us more research literature to choose from. Narrowing our topic so that we can cover
any topic we choose in depth. Comprehensive and narrowness of the topic line go hand in
hand. Now, we can go to find existing literature. In order to effectively search the literature,
have in mind some ideas broad subject areas and problems that we want to investigate. The
first task will compile a bibliography of our research area. Books and journals are the best
source of literature in a particular research field. These sources include:

Journal Index This for (eg ACM, IEEE and Elsevier Bussiness)

Abstract plan (eg, Dissertation Abstracts International, Emerald and IT Knowledge

Base)

Index excerpt (ex. ProQuest and Scopus)

Step 2: Review the Literature Obtained

Once to have identified a number of journals and books, the next thing to do is to start
reading those who need to pull together themes and issues related to the topic of the
research. Reading and reading! That's the bottom line in doing a review. If do not have the
framework or theme to start our research, we use a separate sheet of paper to write the main
thing that extract from journal articles and books. Once to create an outline, the slot in the
information extracted accordingly. As to continue reading, we take a critical review with
particular reference to the following aspects:
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Note the theory presented, the criticism, the method used (sample size, data
collection, measurement procedures);

Observe whether related knowledge framework designed us confirmed with

certainty;

Discover the difference of opinion among researchers and post our opinion on their
validity; and

Examine the gap in the body of knowledge.

Step 3: Develop a Theoretical Framework

Review of the literature can be a never-ending task. We must know that with our limited
time to complete our research, it is important for us to set boundaries and parameters to
look into the literature related to our research topic. The information we get from literature
sources must be sorted according to the themes and issues that we put into our framework.
Unless study the literature on the framework that progress, and will not be able to develop
focus our literature search. This means that the theoretical framework will give us the
basics and guide to further reading. Best practice is to develop a framework first and then
dive into the literature search or otherwise. Of course, as we read more about the study, we
are likely to change the framework. Do not worry much about this because it is part of the
research process.
Step 4: Writing up the Literature Review
Final task will be to organize and write all the literature reviewed and revised. Start our
research with a number of themes or points we want to emphasize. Organize and list all the
themes we would like to discuss and relate. This organization is very important and making
structures known to our readers. When writing, identifying and explaining the various
theories related to our field and determine gaps in knowledge in the area. Continue to
describe the latest advances in research and current trends. In research, we describe,
compare and evaluate the findings based on:

Assumptions research

The theory related to the study hypothesis

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4.0

Applied research design

Selected variables

Potential future work by researchers speculate

Summary

Literature review shows what has been done in the field of study and how the proposed research
relates to earlier research. Delimits a literature review of the study, the relevant methods used by
other researchers as well as proposed earlier work and provides a foundation for the proposed
research tasks. The literature review can uncover methods to address research problems that may
be similar to the difficulties our facing.

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5.0

Reference

Book

Ahmad, S., &Perumal, T., &Lee, N. ( 2011) Research Methodology (2nd

ed.). Seri Kembangan Selangor: Meteor Doc Sdn Bhd.

Machi, L., & T. McEvoy, B. (2012) The Literature Review. Samsung Hub Singapore:
Sage Publications Asia Pacific Pte.Ltd

E-Book

Literature Review and Focusing the Research (n.d) Retrieved From

http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/29986_Chapter3.pdf

Web

Sik Kim, Yoon. (2014) The Importance of Literature Review in Research

Writing. Retrieved June 25, 2014, from
http://hubpages.com/hub/literature_review

Wikipedia. (2014) Literature Review. Retrieved 25 June, 2014, from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literature_review

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