Undergraduate Project Preparation

1
Undergraduate Project Preparation Literature
review and referencing
2
Literature review - purpose

• To generate research ideas
• To identify theory relevant to analysis in your
  project area
• To understand the different strands of theory,
  conflicts, applicability and limitations
• To gather secondary information relevant to your
  research topic
• To broaden your knowledge
• To develop your analytical skills

3
Literature search

• Secondary research of
• Theory
• Existing information of the topic
• Research methods
• Literature review chapter
• Defines key concepts
• Identifies relevant theory
• Compares theories
• Shows how the theory will be used

4
Literature sources I

• Reports
• Theses
• Conference proceedings
• Company reports and documents minutes, memos,
  emails, planning documents
• Government publications

5
Literature sources II

• Newspapers
• Magazines
• Books
• Journals refereed academic, professional, trade
• On-line sources databases, newspapers, journals

6
Literature sources III

• Search tools for finding information
• Indexes search on author and key words
• Abstracts like index plus summary - Anbar, ABI
  Inform, EBSCO
• Catalogues
• Encyclopaedias, Dictionaries, Bibliographies
• Citation indexes
• Internet search engines Google etc
• Index to Theses, British National Bibliography
  for Report Literature

7
Some internet sources

• ABI Inform index full text journals
• Anbar abstracts
• BIDS indexes, full text journals
• OPAC British library catalogues
• Emerald index and full text journals
• Mintel market reports
• http//www.bized.ac.uk

8
Planning the literature search

• Identify the area(s) of interest
• Subject area
• Business sector
• Geographical area
• Time period
• Identify key sources
• Identify key search words
• Review and refine the search

9
Conducting the search

• Search sources (indexes, catalogues etc.) based
  on keywords, authors, subjects
• Locate sources
• Read abstracts
• Read and make notes under theme headings on
  articles etc.

10
Evaluating the source

• Relevance to project theme(s)
• Reliability
• Quality of source
• Reputation of author(s)

11
Recording what you have read

• Author
• Date
• Article / Book title
• Journal and volume / publisher
• Page numbers
• Summary of content relevance to theme(s) (grid)

12
Referencing Harvard system

• See UNN document cite them right for full
  details
• Books author surname, initials, date, title,
  publisher
• Stonehouse, GH, Hamill, J, Campbell D, Purdie, A
  (2000) Global and Transnational Business
  Strategy and Management, John Wiley, London
• Articles author surname, initials, date, title,
  journal, volume / number, page numbers
• Stonehouse, GH and Pemberton, J (2001) The Role
  of Knowledge Facilitators and Inhibitors Lessons
  From Airline Reservations Systems, Long Range
  Planning, 34(2) pp115-138
• Do not mix systems

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The literature review

• Purpose
• To demonstrate your knowledge of theory
• Shows how you research relates to previous work
• Explains main points of relevant theory
• Discusses themes - critical comparison
• Provides theories which form analytical tools
  for your project - informs primary research
• Helps in evaluation of your arguments
• Provides basis for evaluating your evidence and
  drawing your conclusions