1. UNILAS PRESENTATION 02/04/2016 D. BANDA
THE ROLE OF LITERATURE REVIEW IN RESEARCH: WHAT TO INCLUDE AND HOW TO WRITE
UNILAS PRESENTATION
02/04/2016
D. BANDA

2. PILLARS FOR UNIVERSITIES
RESEARCH
COMMUNITY SERVICE
TEACHING

3. THE RIGHT ORDER?
TEACHING
PUBLIC SERVICE
RESEARCH

4. READING CULTURE
ZAMBIA
A READING NATION?

5. LITERATURE REVIEWING AND THE READING CULTURE
‘’IF YOU WANT TO HIDE SOMETHING FROM AN AFRICAN PUT IT IN A BOOK’’

6. WEAK FOUNDATION FOR RESEARCH
RESEARCH IS SERIOUSLY DONE AT POST GRADUATE LEVEL

7. PRESENTATION OF THIS PAPER
1. WHAT IS LITERATURE REVIEW
3.HOW TO WRITE A LITERATURE REVIEW
2. ROLE OF LITERATURE REVIEW

8. WHAT IS TO REVIEW? SYNONYMS:
EXAMINE
ANALYSE
EVALUATE
ASSESS

9. SOURCES FOR AN EFFECTIVE LITERATURE REVIEW CHAPTER
BOOKS
INTERNET
JOURNALS

10. THE MAIN GUIDE FOR THE RIGHT LITERATURE
RESEARCH INTEREST
GENERAL READING
STUDY AREA
RESEARCH TOPIC

11. THE ROLE OF THE LITERATURE REVIEW IN RESEARCH
It provides a theoretical background to your study. 1
It helps you establish the links between what you are proposing to examine and what has already been studied. 2
It enables you to show how your findings have contributed to the existing body of knowledge in your profession. It helps you to integrate your research findings into the existing body of knowledge. 3

12. THE ROLE OF LITERATURE REVIEW In relation to your own study.
1.BRINGS CLARITY AND FOCUS TO YOUR RESEARCH PROBLEM
2.IMPROVES YOUR RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.BROADENS YOUR KNOWLEDGE BASE IN YOUR RESEARCH AREA
4. CONTEXTUALIZES YOUR FINDINGS.

13. HOW LR Brings clarity and focus to your research problem
HELPS YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE SUBJECT AREA BETTER AND THUS HELPING YOU TO CONCEPTUALIZE YOUR RESEARCH PROBLEM CLEARLY AND PRECISELY
AND, THUS MAKES THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
MORE RELEVANT AND PERTINENT TO YOUR FIELD OF ENQUIRY

14. HOW LR Brings clarity and focus to your research problem cont.
WHEN REVIEWING THE LITERATURE YOU LEARN
WHAT ASPECTS OF YOUR SUBJECT AREA HAVE BEEN EXAMINED BY OTHERS , WHAT THEY HAVE FOUND OUT ABOUT THESE ASPECTS , WHAT GAPS THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED AND WHAT SUGGESTIONS THEY HAVE MADE FOR FURTHER RESEARCH.

15. HOW LR Brings clarity and focus to your research problem cont.
LR makes you gain a greater insight into your own research questions and provide you with clarity and focus which are central to a relevant and valid study.
In addition, it will help you to focus your study on areas where there are gaps in the existing body of knowledge , thereby enhancing its relevance.

16. HOW LR Improves your research methodology
By becoming aware of any problems and pitfalls, you will be better positioned to select a methodology that is capable of providing valid answers to your research question .
LR tells you if others have used procedures and methods similar to the ones that you are proposing, which procedures and methods have worked well for them and what problems they have faced with them.
LR acquaints you with the methodologies that have been used by others to find answers to research questions similar to the one you are investigating.

17. HOW LR Broadens your knowledge base in your research area1
LR ensures that you read widely around the subject area in which you intend to conduct your research study. 2
LR helps you know what other researchers have found in regard to the same or similar questions, what theories have been put forward and what gaps exist in the relevant body of knowledge.
LR helps you to understand how the findings of your study fit into the existing body of knowledge (Martin 1985: 30).

18. LR Enables you to contextualize your findings
Obtaining answers to your research questions is comparatively easy
The difficult part is examining how your findings fit into the existing body of knowledge.

19. LR Enables you to contextualize your findings CONT.
How do answers to your research questions compare with what others have found? 1
What contribution have you been able to make to the existing body of knowledge? 2
Where do you place your findings in the context of what is already known in your field of enquiry? 3

20. IN SUMMARY LR: IT INFORMS YOUR STUDY
IT PROVIDES THEORETICAL BACK-GROUND TO YOUR STUDY,
IT HELPS YOU TO CONTEXTUALISE YOUR FINDINGS BY COMPARING THEM
WITH WHAT OTHERS HAVE FOUND OUT IN RELATION TO THE AREA OF ENQUIRY.

21. DEMYSTIFY RESEARCH LITERATURE REVIEW TITLE BACKGROUND INFORMATION
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES/
QUESTIONS
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
SIGNIFICANCE
LITERATURE REVIEW
METHODOLOGY
LIMITATIONS
ETHICAL ISSUES
PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS

22. AN ORDINARY AFRICAN RURAL WOMAN- A RESEARCHER/ PUBLISHER?

23. THE ROLE OF REVIEW QUESTIONS
Review questions are very essential and influence the whole process of the review.
These questions are not only lightening your search but also directing you in evaluating, analyzing and interpreting collected data; It can be thought as compass for exploring "the forest" of knowledge and finding out your own path of the review.
For example, "From the previous literature, what is the effect of intervention X(New language ) on outcomes Y(pupil performance and Z" (reading levels )

24. REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR LR AS A CHECK LIST
It the LR a mere chronological catalog of all of the sources?
Does the LR highlight areas of agreement and disagreement?
Is the LR a set of current and useful articles and books?
Has LR identified areas of controversy in the subject covered?
Has the LR taken a biblical approach to issues covered in the study?
Has it included any evaluation of previous research works/Land mark studies?
How does the LR integrate into the proposed whole study?
Is it a mere collection of quotes and paraphrases from other sources?
Has the LR applied principles of analysis to identify unbiased and valid studies? (critical appraisal)

25. HOW DO YOU WRITE YOUR LITERATURE REVIEW1
Writing of LR should be thematic in nature and based on main themes; 2
The sequence of these themes in the write-up should follow a logical progression 3
Literature review must not only cite references that agree with topic under discussion but also seek to present opposing views and argue

26. HOW DO YOU WRITE YOUR LITERATURE REVIEW
various arguments should be substantiated with specific quotations and citations from the literature and should adhere to an acceptable academic referencing style. 4
LR must NOT answer research questions but identify gaps which the study must try to provide answers 5

27. THREE GUIDING PRINCIPLES TO WRITING AN EFFECTIVE LR1
A literature review is a piece of discursive prose, not a list describing or summarizing one piece of literature after another. 2
It's usually a bad sign to see every paragraph beginning with the name of a researcher. Instead, organize the literature review into sections that present themes or identify trends, including relevant theory. 3
You are not trying to list all the material published, but to synthesize and evaluate it according to the guiding concept of your thesis or research question

28. REMINDER ON TIME FRAME OF LIRERATURE REVIEW
IT CAN BE ENDLESS AS PEOPLE KEEP ON WRITING

29. Common problems with literature reviews include
LIST-LIKE WRITING THAT LACKS SYNTHESIS
Not being sufficiently critical by taking the biblical approach
Lack of a clear organisational structure
Relying on material that is likely to be out-of-date
Exclusion of landmark studies
Not discriminating between relevant and irrelevant materials
Adopting a parochial perspective

30. EXAMPLE OF LIST-LIKE WRITING THAT LACKS SYNTHESIS
Banda (2003) investigated X and found Y. Besa (2000) looked at B and found C. Mweemba (1995) verified that M causes N. ) and Zulu(2014) agrees with these views

31. WHY THE NEED FOR being sufficiently critical?
THE PURPOSE OF A LR IS NOT JUST TO SUMMARISE WHAT IS CURRENTLY KNOWN ABOUT A TOPIC, BUT IS ALSO TO PROVIDE A DETAILED JUSTIFICATION FOR YOUR RESEARCH. THAT IS, ULTIMATELY IT IS IN THE FORM OF AN ARGUMENT, AND THIS ARGUMENT IS DEVELOPED BY POINTING OUT "HOLES" IN THE JIGSAW PUZZLE AND PUTTING SOME DISPARATE PIECES TOGETHER WHICH SUGGEST A PROMISING LINE OF RESEARCH

32. WHY BEING SUFFICIENTLY CRITICAL?
You can show some doubt about the previous findings, on some methodological weakness, and suggest yours to be a confirmatory study with an improved methodology, or even as an update of the previous result.
You are supposed to make an "original" contribution to human knowledge, and not simply repeating what has already been done before
As you review the existing literature, you need to identify any limitations, deficiencies, or gaps in existing knowledge or practice that need to be addressed

33. THE NEED FOR Not discriminating between relevant and irrelevant materials
A LITERATURE REVIEW IS NOT SUPPOSED TO SIMPLY DEMONSTRATE HOW MUCH YOU'VE READ, BUT PROVIDE A DESCRIPTION OF HOW CERTAIN PARTS OF WHAT YOU HAVE READ PROVIDE THE FOUNDATION FOR, MOTIVATE, AND FRAME YOUR RESEARCH.

34. THE NEED FOR discriminating between relevant and irrelevant materials
IT IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT TO ASK: "WHAT BACKGROUND DOES THE READER REALLY NEED TO APPRECIATE WHAT COMES NEXT, AND WHAT IS ‘TRIVIA' OR UNIMPORTANT DETAIL WHICH CAN BE LEFT OUT?"

35. WHY INCLUDING LANDMARK STUDIES IN YOUR LR?1
THIS SUGGESTS TO THE READER THAT THE THESIS WAS WRITTEN BY A STUDENT WHO IS ON TOP OF THE FIELD. 2
N/B: YOUR LITERATURE REVIEW NEEDS TO BE FOCUSSED ON YOUR THESIS. EXAMINERS DON'T WANT TO READ MATERIAL THAT IS NOT RELEVANT

36. WHY RELYING ON MATERIAL THAT IS NOT LIKELY TO BE OUT-OF-DATE?
FOR PHD AND MPHIL STUDENTS, SOME UNIVERSITIES DEMAND THAT THE LITERATURE REVIEW THAT YOU DO FOR CONFIRMATION HAS TO BE UPDATED FOR YOUR FINAL THESIS.

37. How you can Adopt a parochial (narrow-minded) perspective and limit the scope of your literature review
THIS MIGHT HAPPEN IF YOU WERE TO MOSTLY CITE PAPERS PRODUCED BY THE RESEARCH GROUP YOU ARE A MEMBER OF OR IF YOU WERE TO LOOK MAINLY AT THE LITERATURE ON A TOPIC PRODUCED IN ONE COUNTRY OR CONTINENT.

38. NARRATIVES FROM EXAMINERS
TO CASE THE JOINT’
WHEN YOU WRITE A LR, YOU ARE IN A SENSE ‘CASING THE JOINT’ IN A VERY THOROUGH WAY,
WORKING OUT WHAT LITERATURE IS RELEVANT, UNDERTAKING A FULL CRITICAL APPRAISAL OF RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS AND SO FORTH.
TO BREAK AND ENTER.’
HOW YOUR RESEARCH FITS IN WITH WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE
THE LITERATURE REVIEW PROVIDES A RATIONALE FOR YOUR RESEARCH IN TERMS OF WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE, A JUSTIFICATION OF ITS VALUE AND SIGNIFICANCE.

39. END
YOU CAN DO BETTER!