Chapter 3 Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Locating and Reviewing Related Literature This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: Any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; Preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; Any rental, lease, or lending of the program.

Discussion Topics Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 General and specific purposes for reviewing the literature Locating literature Six steps for conducting a review Criteria for evaluating a review of the literature

The Purposes of a Review Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 General purpose - to relate previous research to the current problem being investigated Provide contextual understanding Contribute to the overall evaluation of the credibility of the research Indicate whether the nature of the research is targeted to the reader’s needs

The Purposes of a Review Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Specific purposes Refine the problem Identify specific ways in which others have defined the general problem Identify delimitations related to the problem Identify operational definitions of the variables in the problem Develop the significance of the research Establish the importance of the current study in the context of what is known at this time Integrate the results of the study within the broader context of what is known at this time

The Purposes of a Review Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Specific purposes Identify specific methods for conducting the research Identify appropriate sampling strategies and samples Identify appropriate instruments to measure important variables Identify specific procedures to use in conducting the research Identify appropriate designs to use when conducting the research Identify contradictory findings Uncover studies or theories that contradict one another Identify reasons for the contradictions

The Purposes of a Review Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Specific purposes Develop specific research hypotheses Prior studies contribute to understanding likely outcomes of the current investigation Prior studies identify relevant theories or the research related to them which can serve as the basis for specific hypotheses Learn new information Relevant information to the current study New information or ideas unrelated to the current study but of interest to the researcher

Locating Resources Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Library resources Reference materials Journal indices Computer software Stacks Internet resources and access

Steps for Conducting a Review Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Step 1 – Review secondary sources Secondary sources summarize, review, or discuss original research of others to provide an overview of the topic Textbooks, scholarly books, and monographs Encyclopedias Reviews, handbooks, and yearbooks Meta-analyses - quantitative syntheses of a number of studies to arrive at an overall conclusion related to the topic being studied ERIC Meta-Analysis Digests in educational research ERIC Meta-Analysis Digests Best Evidence Synthesis - a review of quantitative and qualitative studies selected according to specified criteria

Steps for Conducting a Review Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Step 1 – Select a Topic and Key Terms General or specific Identify key terms Utilize the ERIC Thesaurus for searching Identify other databases for your topic Start your search with general terms first

Steps for Conducting a Review Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Step 2 – Identify Database and Access Software Identify the keyword descriptors using the ERIC ThesaurusERIC Thesaurus PsycINFO database For psychological research consult the Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms available in most libraries or through the American Psychological Association (APA)

Steps for Conducting a Review Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Step 3 – Conduct Search Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) ERIC – a federally funded information network that is designed to provide access to education literature ( ERIC Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE) - abstracts of articles compiled from approximately 1000 educational journals and periodicals Resources in Education (RIE) - abstracts of research reports not published in journals (e.g., conference papers; project reports; federal, state, and local agency documents; etc.)

Steps for Conducting a Review Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Step 3 – Conduct Search Education Index - bibliographic information for articles from 300 educational periodicals PsycINFO PsycINFO is an online APA database of psychological literature available in most libraries or on a cost basis Abstracts of articles from approximately 1800 journals as well as books, book chapters, dissertations, reports, and other documents Educational emphasis is on human development, learning motivation, teaching methods, and teacher effects

Steps for Conducting a Review Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Step 3 – Conduct Search In ERIC, use Advanced Search Use the connector “and” Click on “More details” In other databases, is the article from a peer-reviewed journal?

Steps for Conducting a Review Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Step 4 – Identify the source as Primary or Secondary Primary sources are articles that report original research Referred journals Non-referred journals Computerized ERIC searches

Steps for Conducting a Review Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Step 4 – Identify the Source as Primary or Secondary Secondary sources are those that summarize or discuss original research Books Encyclopedias Reviews

Steps for Conducting a Review Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Step 5 – Summarize and analyze the primary source information Take notes using index cards Identify bibliographic information Summarize the research problem Identify all variables, subjects, and instruments Describe the procedures Summarize the results and conclusions Record important quotes, weaknesses of the study, relevance to the current problem, etc. Code each article with your overall judgment of it Note the major focus of each article

Steps for Conducting a Review Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Step 6 – Organize the review Quantitative reviews Group studies by topic Write the review in three sections Provide a brief summary of the major articles Analyze the studies Integrate in the discussion how the reviewed studies are relevant to the current research Avoid long quotations Establish the length of the review depending on the type of study, the intent to publish the research, and the topic

Steps for Conducting a Review Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Step 6 – Organize the review Qualitative reviews The purpose of a qualitative review is to introduce the purpose and the very general questions of the study Provides direction Does not limit, constrain, or predict results of the study (i.e., a discovery orientation) Allows participant’s views to emerge Begins with an initial, preliminary review Continues with supplemental reviews as the study progresses Provides understanding of the results Provides meaningful analogies, scholarly language, for synthesizing, or additional conceptual frameworks within which the results become meaningful

Evaluation Criteria Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Does the review cover previous research adequately? Does the review cover the actual findings from other studies? Is the review current? Does the review summarize and analyze previous studies? Is the review organized logically by topic, not author?

Evaluation Criteria Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008 Does the review briefly summarize minor studies and discuss major studies in detail? Is the review of major studies related explicitly to the current research problem? Does the review provide a logical basis for the hypothesis? Does the review establish a theoretical framework for the study? Does the review help to establish the significance of the research?