1. Thesis Process 2017-18 Info Session 5 The Literature Review
Joan Lofgren, Program Director
Aalto School of Business
BScBA Program, Mikkeli
November 16, 2017
Joan Lofgren, Nov. 16, 2017

2. Writing is hard!
Source:
Joan Lofgren, Nov. 16, 2017

3. The research hourglass https://explorable.com/what-is-research
Joan Lofgren, Nov. 16, 2017

4. Purposes of the Literature Review—to:
Assess the situation
Chart what is already known about the topic.
Identify possible gaps in the current research.
Facilitate problem definition
Immerse yourself in the subject
Become proficient in the language of this field.
Transferrable skill for later studies/working life.
Develop your own framework for analysis
Conceptual frameworks developed by others
Adapt? Develop a new one of your own?
Joan Lofgren, Nov. 16, 2017

5. Visualizing the process http://dkit.ie.libguides.com/literaturereview
Joan Lofgren, Nov. 16, 2017

6. Asking yourself questions (Keep the handout for use when working on your lit review.)
Joan Lofgren, Nov. 16, 2017

7. Looking for connections
Thinking about things you observe
Who has studied it before?
Find something fascinating to focus on and the connections will come easily.
Example: the observation that Mikkeli students can handle uncertainty better than other students in Finland. Why?
Fast pace of change in the program?
Working with students from other cultures?
Student traditions that persist and reassure?
Frame it as psychological, sociological, cultural, organizational. . . ?
Joan Lofgren, Nov. 16, 2017

8. Keep in mind re: the lit review
What it is. . .a survey of scholarly books, articles and other sources relevant to a particular issue, area of research, theory or methodology
What it is not. . . a list of article summaries (he said this, she said that, they said another thing) – you structure the discussion, the themes, the headings.
How to find the themes? They are explicit or implicit in your research questions. Think creatively about the ways in which you can approach your topic. Step back and look at things in a different way.
Joan Lofgren, Nov. 16, 2017

9. Evaluating sources
There are norms in academia for what is considered acceptable—you covered this in academic writing & critical thinking.
Acceptable:
books (incl. monographs, chapters in anthologies)
journal articles (peer review important)
theses and dissertations
government documents
unpublished manuscripts, working papers, conference proceedings (cutting-edge research by top scholars)
Joan Lofgren, Nov. 16, 2017

10. Which sources to avoid? Textbooks are usually not acceptable
They are for teaching purposes, not research. If a concept is mentioned in a textbook you can be sure it is based on an important original work.
Wikipedia and other open-source texts
Their authoritativeness is in doubt due to many authors and lack of information on their methodology. Use it in browsing perhaps, never in the final thesis! A means to an end, not a quotable source!
Newspaper articles and magazines
Unless a news item or opinion piece on a contemporary topic adds something to the scholarly debate, which is not very common.
Newspaper articles have a certain angle, are time-bound, and have not been peer-reviewed.
So if you use them, think carefully about why it’s justified.
Joan Lofgren, Nov. 16, 2017

11. Checklist for analysis
Is the author addressing a scholarly audience?
Does the author review the relevant literature?
Is the main argument based on data the author has gathered, or on secondary sources?
How recent is the work?
How significant is the journal in your field?
Does the author have a particular theoretical viewpoint? (How controversial is it?)
Does the author write from an objective viewpoint, and are his/her views based on facts rather than opinions?
Joan Lofgren, Nov. 16, 2017

12. Linking others’ research to your thesis
Where do I place myself in the debate?
Here is where your “voice” comes into the lit review – it is individual but not too personal.
Styles vary in this regard—US style uses first person more, European not as much.
It is not about saying “I think this is &%!#, just because . . .” but engaging yourself in the debates.
Joan Lofgren, Nov. 16, 2017

13. Your argument You’ll outline your full argument in the findings.
However, your lit review chapter does set the tone, and provides the basis for your own argument.
For some theses that do not include primary sources (eg conceptual theses), this becomes even more important.
It is acceptable to use secondary empirical research (ie someone else carried out a survey), but then you must work with that material and develop your own argument about it and other research.
Joan Lofgren, Nov. 16, 2017

14. Conceptual Framework A conceptual framework
reflects existing research and its relevance for your topic;
provides clear links between the existing literature and your research questions;
identifies gaps in the research that you are trying to fill;
shows how you have adapted or improved or extended an existing framework;
presents the key ideas or constructs in your approach and their relationship; and
is usually expressed in a schematic diagram or table.
Check the web resource linked in the thesis instructions.
Or this example:
Joan Lofgren, Nov. 16, 2017

15. Additional resources http://libguides.uwf.edu/litreview
And materials posted on Into.
Joan Lofgren, Nov. 16, 2017

16. Key deadlines for Lit Review
Lit Review-related deadlines:
Draft Reference List: Jan. 10, 2018
Draft Lit Review: Feb. 2, 2018
Revised Lit Review: Feb. 15, 2018
Task: On the back of your handout, list three of your own deadlines from Dec. 15-Jan. 10.
Challenge: Use the time over the break well! Decide when you will be on a break and when you will work on the thesis.
Joan Lofgren, Nov. 16, 2017

17. Postscript: checklist for online searches https://s-media-cache-ak0
Joan Lofgren, Nov. 16, 2017

18. Good luck!
Joan Lofgren, Nov. 16, 2017