Before a researcher begins to search for literature related to his or her topic, he or she should be aware of several “characteristics” when reviewing the body of literature. Discuss these “characteristics” and their importance to conducting an effective literature review.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Ans: Answer would ideally include: 1. There is and always will be a wide range in terms of the quality of books, articles, and conference papers you will locate. There is a common misconception that the fact of being published signifies a work’s quality. This is not necessarily the case. When a researcher finds an article or report, for example, he or she must consider whether it has been well researched or is simply someone’s opinion. Consider using refereed manuscripts, meaning that a group of experts in the field of study have reviewed the article, provided feedback on it, and deemed it worthy of publication or some other form of dissemination.
2. A researcher should be objective in his or her review of literature. The literature should be read and reviewed rigorously, ethically, and comprehensively. A thorough, systematic, and comprehensive review of the literature will discover and present multiple perspectives on the phenomenon under investigation. A researcher should include research that both supports and contradicts your views or anticipated results.
3. Researchers must always be sensitive to the timeliness of the research they choose to include in their literature review. It is always important to examine the body of research in its entirety, but it is probably most applicable and meaningful to a proposed study to focus the review on the most current empirical research.
4. The number of sources needed should also be considered. Every research topic is unique in terms of both size and scope. It is important for a researcher to realize that they must strike a balance between (a) getting bogged down in reviewing literature related to your topic and (b) engaging in only a cursory examination of the literature, such that they miss out on important studies or contributions to the research body.