Three Parts to A Stand-alone Literature Review Identifying appropriate literature Reading the Literature Drawing conclusions based on the readings
Step One- Define the Problem Select a topic for study- the sociology of religion, with religious denominations as an example. Zellner, William W. and Petrowsky, Marc (1998). Sects, Cults and Spiritual Communities: A Sociological Analysis. Miller, Timothy. (1995). America's Alternative Religions Hill Lindley, Susan (1998). "You Have Stept Out Of Your Place": A History of Women and Religion in America Wilson, Bryan. (1982). Religion in Sociological Perspective Stark, Rodney and Clock, Charles (1968). American Piety: The Nature of Religious Commitment Zablocki, Benjamin. (1980). Alienation and Charisma: A Study of Contemporary American Communes
Step Two- Review the Literature (This is the main activity we will be doing for this activity. You MUST be able to research and READ suitable material and then know how to use it– for many different reasons.)
Step Three: Form a Hypothesis The formation of a formal hypothesis normally comes at the conclusion of a literature review. Students should formulate specific research questions at an early stage in the research in order to narrow down the topic to particular areas of interest. For example, in the study of religious denominations, a student might wish to examine the relationship between social status and religious groups, or the emergence and growth of religious sects.
Choose a research Design (In this case, analysis of existing sources) Step 4 Choose a research Design (In this case, analysis of existing sources)
Why use the Literature Review Method? It provides the foundation for the study of a particular area and allows the researcher access to secondary sources of information that would be otherwise unavailable. It allows the researcher not only to describe the work done in a particular area, but also to evaluate it by identifying contradictions, gaps and inconsistencies in the literature. It allows the researcher to narrow down and define a particular area of interest in the topic under consideration and formulate questions that need further research.
Prepare for the Literature Review Identify the topic of interest Identify the sources of information and where these may be obtained Read around the topic area but keep focused on the question or subtopic Check the validity of the sources
Conducting the Interview Step 5: Collect the Data Conducting the Interview • List key terms to guide research. • Jot down key facts that will help to structure information. • Identify the major ideas. Carefully read the information presented, observing the headings for each main topic. • Identify categories and supporting details. Look for key words that point to supporting details. • Read the article carefully to identify the main ideas and supporting details. Read the footnotes, endnotes, and bibliography. • Keep references. Where possible, give the name(s) of researcher(s), the date of the study, the title of the study, and the source publication.
Step 6: Analyze the Data Analysis of information collected from a literature review depends on logical organization and rational interpretation of the existing arguments in the area of study. Be aware of the methodologies used to arrive at the information in the studies and understand any descriptive statistics used by secondary sources to present data.
PRESENT CONCLUSIONS Does the conclusion address the initial research questions? Is the conclusion clear? Does the conclusion accurately summarize the main ideas that can be drawn from the information? Is the conclusion supported by the existing information? Can the conclusion be better presented as a hypothesis and is further research needed to prove or disprove it?