Critically reviewing the literature: The Searching, Selecting, Summarising and Synthesising Process Research Week July 2014 Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology CRICOS Provider code 00301J

After today’s Session….. You will have some tips on how to plan a database search and use specific techniques to make sure that you find relevant journal articles You will have some tips to help assess which databases to will be of most use to you. You will know where to find additional help and support. Get an indication of what the group would like to find out. What are their main issues, what would they like to get out of today’s workshop? It is quite possible for this workshop to go on for weeks. However, we will be trying to give you the skills to start planning your searches, evaluating your resources and when you may need help we will give you the details to know where to go for help. Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology CRICOS Provider code 00301J

Literature review - why? Provide a comprehensive review of published research that is relevant to your own topic of research It will help to identify areas of debate, disagreement, controversy or inconsistency Provide a platform for further research and investigation John will discuss in more detail Most students at your level will be required to complete a literature review. I find that they are quite interesting to do and gives you a powerful overview of a particular subject. Checking out what the debate is around a particular subject will inform you about the discussions going on in your area of research. Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology CRICOS Provider code 00301J

Literature search - the cycle Plan your search Evaluate material Store Results Refine Search What we will be looking at today is the first part of the literature review cycle and what resources are available to you in finding material that will give you the ideas and background that you then use to inform your own research and your own view points. Note that it is a cycle. You will continuously go through this process as you find material, store it, evaluate it, find more clues in new articles and books, refine your search, store your results, synthesize the material and on and on you go. That is why it is important to keep up to date with your topic, those of you doing a PhD will want to keep up with your topic on a regular basis over the years and you do that through alerts in databases. You will find authors writing in your field of research, you may find literature reviews of your topic, you can find support and rejection of your theories. At all times you I will show you some suggestions as to improve your searching techniques, use citations to develop your search parameters, and where to go for additional help. We can’t cover everything in one and a bit hour, but you should have enough information to get you started, and some knowledge about where to go for help. Fee Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology CRICOS Provider code 00301J

Research Steps Plan your search Evaluate your material Choosing keywords Developing search strategies Choosing information sources Evaluate your material Assessing information quality Refine your search to reflect new information Assess your search strategies The most important step before you leap into searching a database is planning. Look at your topic carefully Analyse it, break it down and discuss it out loud to identify keywords and explain it to yourself or a friend. If you talk it through often you will find that You can identify Keywords through explaining what you are trying to achieve. Example of student looking for improving emotional intelligence. He had looked for the two key words emotional intelligence and improving. I asked him to explain to me exactly what he was looking for and he said I understand emotional intelligence but I want to see how I can further look at developing various aspects of emotional intelligence. Initially he looked the concept and thought he wanted to improve on emotional intelligence – but no one was writing articles and indexing them in that way. He had made a judgement that emotional intelligence had to be improved. However, quite a few authors were writing around developing emotional intelligence and that is how we restructured the search. Be creative in your thinking and your approach. I often do a quick google search to help expand keywords or concepts. Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology CRICOS Provider code 00301J

Planning - Keywords “Discuss two aspects of organisational culture that you consider are essential for the success of the firm” I have a database search strategy sheet that you may find useful when searching We have a sample topic – how would you start analysing this topic? Identify the concepts inherent in this topic – How you might to describe the topic? Organisational culture - Success – effectiveness, Firm – company, corporation What are the keywords you can pick out immediately What are alternative keywords that you can identify Corporate culture Organisational culture Management culture shared values Company personality Other than talking about them – what tools would you use to get a more in-depth exploration of your topic? Google, Supervisor, Thesaurus Articles you have got ,

Planning - Alternative terms organisational culture corporate culture shared values success successful effective What are the keywords you can pick out immediately What are alternative keywords that you can identify Corporate culture Organisational culture Management culture shared values Company personality Other than talking about them – what tools would you use to get a more in-depth exploration of your topic? Google, Supervisor, Thesaurus Articles you have got

Planning - Truncation * The truncation symbol Success* Success Useful for finding alternative endings of a word Success* Success Successes Successful I will just give you some more tips before you start searching or looking for a database – there are some tools you can use to either broaden or narrow your search. It is worth knowing about these before you dive in. Remember the whole process is a circle – you search for terms, if they do not bring the results you want – you modify. The tools I am showing now help you modify. I would also recommend that you keep track of how you search, what terms are successful. You can occasionally find yourself in a loop – using the same words in the same order in the same database not changing the result. I have done that myself on many occasions. Then step back back and be more methodical.

Planning - Wildcards ? The wildcard stands for one letter. Use it for different English or American spellings within a word. organi?ational = organisational, organizational wom?n = woman, women colo?r = color, colour

Planning - Phrase Searching Quotation marks can ensure that the exact phrase is retrieved in search results e.g. “organisational culture”

Planning - Using Boolean Logic Boolean operators: ‘AND’ ‘OR’ ‘NOT’ AND = ‘as well as’ Use between different terms organisational culture AND success OR = ‘either/or’ Use between similar terms (synonyms) organisational culture OR corporate culture

Our search strategy “organi?ational culture” AND success* “Discuss two aspects of organisational culture that you consider are essential for the success of the firm” “organi?ational culture” AND success* OR OR “corporate culture” effective* Databases: Proquest/Business Source Complete Our next step will be to choose decide where we could find this information. Go to Business Source complete and search for articles using this search string. Show how they can filter Go to Proquest and search for articles using this search string. Is there a difference?

Sources of information How do you decide? Perhaps students can share with the class how they decide on which databases to use? There is no right or wrong way to decide – it really does depend on your topic, what you need to know in order to understand your topic. There is nothing wrong with using Google as a way of understanding our topic, breaking it down into component parts and getting some starting points. What can be an issue is just using Google or Google Scholar. We do have a LibGuide that looks at Google and Google Scholar How do you decide where you will find the information – some tips: Use a LibGuide Speak your Supervisor/Lecturer Speak to your Faculty Librarian Must be scholarly Recommended readings? Books ? Scholarly journal articles? Newspaper articles? Websites? Factual information? Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology CRICOS Provider code 00301J

“Discuss recent issues about women on company boards in Australia” Which Database? “Discuss recent issues about women on company boards in Australia” What type of information? Factual – numbers, which companies….? Issues – what is the trend, more in-depth discussion…..? Comparative – what is happening in other countries……? The data required informs the database selected Which databases would you choose? Factual – Datanalysis (it is Australian), Orbis (global); Factiva – possibly for both – can inform about statistics, trends, tap into the general pulse of opinion Issues – bear in mind it is Australia – Informit (Australian + international); Emerald; What functionalities do the databases have

Choosing Databases To help select databases once you have identified the type of material you want: LibGuides Databases A-Z Top Links Library team Go to the library Website to show LibGuides New to research Databases A-Z Ulrich’s Business Source Complete - EBSCO ProQuest Databases – includes ABI Inform Emerald – business, management and economics Science Direct – extensive business component APA-FT- Australian Public Affairs – for Australian articles Factiva – full-text newspaper articles and company profiles Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology CRICOS Provider code 00301J

Research Tip - Journals ‘Peer reviewed’ or ‘refereed’ Reviewed and edited by panel of experts Accurate, well researched Contributes to body of knowledge Scholarly or academic Report on research or analytical studies Scholarly or academic environment Emerald is a database that claims all the publications are peer reviewed. Proquest and Business Source Complete – you can choose if you want scholarly journals and/or Peer Reviewed journals Science Direct – Elsevier publications. Science Direct is a leading full-text scientific database offering journal articles and book chapters from more than 2,500 peer-reviewed journals and more than 11,000 books. Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology CRICOS Provider code 00301J

Research Tip – Literature Reviews Find Literature reviews on your topic: Search your topic and add type of article “literature review” Search your topic and add type of article “review article” Search your topic and add the term “literature review” to search box Remember to register for a database Go to a database and set up an alert Business Source Complete 255692f ebony01* Women AND “company boards” AND scholarly journals Alert/save/share Proquest Pepper02 Scopus Kitty.delaney@curtin.edu.au Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology CRICOS Provider code 00301J

Research Tip – Theses Find a thesis that may cover your topic: Curtin Thesis – check the catalogue espace@curtin Trove – National Library ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Remember to register for a database Go to a database and set up an alert Business Source Complete 255692f ebony01* Women AND “company boards” AND scholarly journals Alert/save/share Proquest Pepper02 Scopus Kitty.delaney@curtin.edu.au Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology CRICOS Provider code 00301J

You then receive alerts via email Research Tip - Alerts Use Alerts to keep current on your research topic References to articles on a topic or subject search Contents pages of recent journal issues Citations to specific articles or authors You then receive alerts via email Remember to register for a database Go to a database and set up an alert Business Source Complete 255692f ebony01* Women AND “company boards” AND scholarly journals Alert/save/share Proquest Pepper02 Scopus Kitty.delaney@curtin.edu.au Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology CRICOS Provider code 00301J

Research Tip - Alerts Remember to register for a database Go to a database and set up an alert Business Source Complete 255692f ebony01* Women AND “company boards” AND scholarly journals Alert/save/share Proquest Pepper02 Scopus Kitty.delaney@curtin.edu.au Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology CRICOS Provider code 00301J

Research Tip – Citation tracking When one author cites another author a relationship is established. Discover who is citing articles how it supports current research follow the history of an idea or method Web of Science and Scopus Note that Scopus does not produce a citation map but that you can still see how many other people are citing a work Woman on boards search Show the LibGuides New to Research Mention that we have a workshop on this subject Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology CRICOS Provider code 00301J

Research Tip – Citation Tracking Bateman, T.S., T. Sakano, and M. Fujita. 1992. "Roger, Me, and My Attitude: Film Propaganda and Cynicism toward Corporate Leadership." Journal of Applied Psychology 77 (5): 768-771. doi: 10.1037//0021-9010.77.5.768. Check Scopus for examples Go to Scopus and put the title into the search box Click on the article and show that it has been cited 28 times by different authors Click all items and export to EndNote Go to Web of Science and put the title into the search box Click on the article and show that it has been cited 23 times. You can create a citation map showing how it has been cited in a pretty diagram Why is this important - - get some feedback from the class Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology CRICOS Provider code 00301J

Research Tip - EndNote Managing your search results Export from databases to EndNote Export from Catalogue to EndNote Export from Google Scholar to EndNote Write research notes Rate your material Organise your material Show a quick insert citation, Show how easy it is to manage your bibliography Open test document Quick tour around EndNote template – show a reference with a document attached ONLY ONE ENDNOTE LIBRARY Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology CRICOS Provider code 00301J

REMEMBER Only 1 EndNote Library Research Tip - EndNote REMEMBER Only 1 EndNote Library Too often when I see a student with EndNote problems it is because they have more than one EndNote library. The set one up for each topic or assignment Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology CRICOS Provider code 00301J

Research Support Consultations with Faculty Librarians Search Strategies Databases Referrals to appropriate contacts Collection Recommend items for purchase Document delivery Research Support LibGuides Library workshops – see Bookings Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology CRICOS Provider code 00301J

Faculty Librarians Business: Kitty Delaney Kitty.delaney@curtin.edu.au Health: Diana Blackwood D.blackwood@curtin.edu.au Humanities: Marilyn Coen M.Coen@curtin.edu.au Science & Engineering: James Ward James.ward@curtin.edu.au Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology CRICOS Provider code 00301J

Writing a Literature Review Dr John Fielder Introduce myself What I do How I can help them Contact details Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology CRICOS Provider code 00301J

After today’s session… … you will understand the process of drafting a critical review of the literature in your field. … you will be aware of the need to position your study within the literature relevant to your research question. Get an indication of what the group would like to find out. What are their main issues, what would they like to get out of today’s workshop? It is quite possible for this workshop to go on for weeks. However, we will be trying to give you the skills to start planning your searches, evaluating your resources and when you may need help we will give you the details to know where to go for help. Curtin University is a trademark of Curtin University of Technology CRICOS Provider code 00301J

Types of Literature Reviews A narrative literature review – your ability to position your research within your field of study, and to “paint a rich picture” (as defined by your research question) (see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2d7y_r65HU) A systematic literature review – this is more like a data collection and analysis process that provides a rationale for capturing literature meeting select criteria (avoiding bias) (see: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NSUk5FLbJoY) copyright jeanne dawson

information knowledge papers/theses learning process seminars observations readings data papers/theses transformation

Functions of a Literature Review copyright jeanne dawson Functions of a Literature Review It provides the context for research. It acknowledges the work of others. It familiarises you with the disciplinary ‘conversation’. It informs and modifies your own research. copyright jeanne dawson

It finds evidence to establish the need for the proposed research. It identifies an appropriate research question. It informs and modifies your own research. copyright jeanne dawson

It establishes your thesis in the chain of research in your field. It shows an examiner you are familiar with important research in your area.  It demonstrates to an examiner your critical understanding of theory.  copyright jeanne dawson

Concept-centric rather than author-centric copyright jeanne dawson Concept-centric rather than author-centric A literature review is organised in terms of conceptual themes - NOT by authors. copyright jeanne dawson

Content of a literature review The literature review contains summaries and critical analyses of reported research relating to aspects of your research question or proposition and the methods available to address the question. Don’t just patch ideas from different sources together. Think about how your sources as a whole provide answers to your research question. copyright jeanne dawson

Coherence & Relevance Lit. review presents a coherent argument, leaving the reader in no doubt that the research is necessary and valuable. Presents a well-judged selection of material; it is not necessary to include everything you have read on the topic, only those relevant to your research question.  copyright jeanne dawson

Evaluative perspective Avoids merely presenting a description of the literature and previous work on the topic. Comments on the value of the literature summarised in the review. Clearly presents your argument and perspective in relation to the literature reviewed. Correctly interprets the findings of the reviewed literature. copyright jeanne dawson

Questions a literature review should answer: What do we already know in the research area? What are the characteristics of the key concepts/factors/variables? What are the relationships between the key concepts/factors/variables? copyright jeanne dawson

What are the existing theories? Where are the gaps and inconsistencies in our knowledge and understanding? What views need to be further tested? What current research designs or methods seem unsatisfactory? copyright jeanne dawson

What evidence is lacking/inconclusive/ contradictory/too limited? Why pursue the research question? What contribution to the area can my research be expected to make? copyright jeanne dawson

The Reading-Thinking-Writing Process Concept mapping: use this as a planning/reviewing tool (some researchers develop a theoretical framework). Try to write as much as possible without looking at your sources (just use to check you have things right and to get the referencing correct). Recognise that it takes time to work out how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together and how to best explain things. Reading and writing critically comes from immersing yourself in your topic and repeatedly reviewing what you have and have written. Expect your text to evolve into a good piece of writing!

For more detail … Two excellent literature review guides: https://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/lsu/content/2_assessmenttasks/assess_pdf/PG%20lit%20review.pdf http://www.lc.unsw.edu.au/onlib/pdf/Litrev.pdf Contact : Dr John Fielder j.l.fielder@curtin.edu.au