Reviewing Literature

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Reviewing Literature

• This workshop will
•  
• Explain what completing a review of literature
  involves
• Offer tips on how to manage the reviewing process
• Show you basic strategies for taking a critical
  approach to literature at degree-level.

• Louise Livesey
• Academic Skills Adviser

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The Plan

• Why review literature? Whats the point?
• How to begin tips for the first steps of
  reviewing
• Managing your reviewing
• Working critically with the literature.

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1.Why review literature? Whats the point?
  What has made you book on todays session?
TALKING POINT
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Activity 1 Why are you asked to review
literature?
1.Why review literature? Whats the point?

• Work as a pair or small group, and agree on a
  list of all the reasons why someone would be
  asked to review literature in their field of
  study/future profession.

• To check your research has not been done before
  so you do not waste your time.
• For ideas on how to approach your research, what
  methods are appropriate to obtain the type of
  information you want (NOT the answers you want!)
• Justifies the reason for your research to show
  there is a gap in the field.
• To ensure you have a full understanding of the
  subject.

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Reviewing the literature gives you and your
marker
1.Why review literature? Whats the point?

• A landscape of knowledge and key issues (Bell,
  2005)
• It locates your topic within a much larger
  field of information (Blaxter et al., 2006)
• It is a small piece in a complicated jigsaw
  puzzle it does not stand alone. (Ridley, 2008
  5).

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2.How to begin tips for the first steps of
reviewing
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2.How to begin tips for the first steps of
reviewing
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2.How to begin tips for the first steps of
reviewing

• Be efficient longer pieces of work review more
  literature before selecting. Keep track of your
  searches.

The proposed topic of your research plagiarism trends in higher education The proposed topic of your research plagiarism trends in higher education The proposed topic of your research plagiarism trends in higher education The proposed topic of your research plagiarism trends in higher education
Core search terms searching criteria plagiarism HE higher education university academic misconduct academic malpractice. Journals only / 2000 onwards / HE only / quantitative studies only Core search terms searching criteria plagiarism HE higher education university academic misconduct academic malpractice. Journals only / 2000 onwards / HE only / quantitative studies only Core search terms searching criteria plagiarism HE higher education university academic misconduct academic malpractice. Journals only / 2000 onwards / HE only / quantitative studies only Core search terms searching criteria plagiarism HE higher education university academic misconduct academic malpractice. Journals only / 2000 onwards / HE only / quantitative studies only
Searched Terms or combinations of terms searched for Results of search (e.g. articles or books located) Date of search
ERIC plagiarism HE 21 - Larkham Manns (2002) Ercegovac Richardson (2004) 23/09/14
Summon plagiarism HE OR university 11 - 23/09/14
Google Scholar trendsplagiarism 7 - 24/09/14
Adapted from Ridley (2008 43)
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Reviewing is about more than just reading
3.Managing your reviewing
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Preliminary reading and analysis
3.Managing your reviewing

• Once you have found potentially useful papers

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Focused in-depth reading
3.Managing your reviewing
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4.Working criticallywith the literature

• The difference between exploratory and focused
  (Ridley, 2008).
• Take notes / map the text / annotate TRANSFORM
  it (Cottrell, 2005).

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4.Working criticallywith the literature

• Try different readings of different groups of
  texts.

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4.Working criticallywith the literature

• Abstract gt conclusions gt introduction gt
  findings/results
• Applying similar
• steps to all/most
• literature you find

  What is the purpose of the study? What is the scope of the study? What is the focus of the study? What are the units of analysis? What is the sampling strategy? What types of data were collected? How were the data managed? What analytical approach was used? How is validity addressed in the study? When did the study occur? How is the study justified? How are ethical issues handled? How are logistics handled? (Hart, 1998 49)
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4.Working criticallywith the literature

• What do we think a critiquing tool is?

TALKING POINT
(Cottrell, 2005)
Activity 2 Using a critiquing tool
What is the blank examples strengths and
weaknesses?
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4.Working criticallywith the literature

• Create your own critiquing tool

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5. Summary of the literature review process
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References

• Bell, J. (2005) Doing Your Research Project. 4th
  ed. Maidenhead Open University Press
•  
• Blaxter, L., Hughes, C. Tight, M. (2006) How to
  Research. 3rd ed. Buckingham Open University
  Press.
•  
• Cottrell, S. (2005) Critical Thinking Skills.
  Basingstoke Palgrave Macmillan.
•  
• Hart, C. (1998) Doing a Literature Review
  Releasing the Social Science Research
  Imagination. London SAGE Publications Ltd.
•  
• Ridley, D. (2008) The Literature Review a
  Step-by-Step Guide for Students. London SAGE
  Publications Ltd.
•  
• Student Services. (2014) Why do I have to have a
  literature review? Brisbane St. Lucia University
  of Queensland. online Available at
• http//www.uq.edu.au/student-services/phdwriting/p
  hfaq23.html Accessed 16.10.2014
•  
• Thomas, G. (2013) How to do your Research
  Project. 2nd ed. London SAGE Publications Ltd.

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Academic Skills Advice

• What do we do? Support undergraduate students
  with their academic skills by running clinics and
  workshops, having bookable appointment slots, and
  enabling students to access Instant Advice.
• When can you come for help? Everyday both face to
  face and on-line
• How do you get in touch? Email
  academic-skills_at_brad.ac.uk or website
  www.brad.ac.uk/academic-skills
• Where are we? Chesham Building B0.23
• Who are we? Michael and Helen specialise in Maths
  Support Lucy and Russell advise students on
  study skills and I (Louise) deliver the
  workshops

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Any questions?