RRL

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Step 1: Review APA guidelines
▪ in particular, pay attention to general document guidelines
(e.g. font, margins, spacing)
▪ title page, abstract,
▪ body, text citations, quotations.

Step 2: Decide on a topic

Step 3: Identify the literature that you will review:
• redefine your topic if needed

• try to narrow it to a specific area of interest

• be sure to identify landmark or classic studies and theorists as

these provide you with a framework/context for your study.
Step 4: Analyze the literature

Overview the articles:

• skim the articles to get an idea of the general purpose and content of the
article
• focus your reading on the abstract, introduction and first few paragraphs, the
conclusion of each article

Group the articles into categories

e.g.
• topics and subtopics and chronologically
• NOTE:
• decide on the format in which you will take notes as you read the articles

• define key terms: look for differences in the way keys terms are defined

• note key statistics that you may want to use in the introduction to your review.

• select useful quotes that you may want to include in your review

• note emphases, strengths & weaknesses: since different research studies focus
on different aspects of the issue being studied, each article that you read will
have different emphases, strengths. and weaknesses.
• identify major trends or patterns: As you read a range of articles on your
topic, you should make note of trends and patterns over time as reported in the
literature.
• synthesize and make sense of what you read because they are not readily
apparent
• You discover them as you review the big picture that has emerged over time

• identify gaps in the literature, and reflect on why these might exist
• important for you to address as you plan and write your review.
• identify relationships among studies
• note that studies fall into different categories (categories that you see emerging or
ones that are already discussed in the literature)
• when you write your review, you should address these relationships and
different categories and discuss relevant studies using this as a framework

• keep your review focused on your topic

• make sure that the articles you find are relevant and directly related to your topic

• Evaluate your references for currency and coverage

Step 5: Summarize the literature in table or concept map
format
• Galvan (2006) recommends building tables as a key way to help you
• Overview
• Organize
• summarize your findings

• Use of excel enables you to sort your findings according to a variety of factors
• sort by date
• Author
• Methodology

• Examples of tables that may be relevant to your review:

• definitions of key terms and concepts
• research methods
• summary of research results
Step 6: Synthesize the literature prior to writing your review

• consider your purpose and voice before beginning to write

• using the notes that you have taken and summary tables, develop an
outline of your final review.

• the following are the key steps as outlined by Galvan (2006: 71-79)
1. Plan how you will organize your findings into a unique analysis of the picture that
you have captured in your notes.
2. Create a topic outline that traces your argument
• first explain to the reader your line or argument (or thesis
• then your narrative that follows should explain and justify your line of argument.
3. Within each topic heading, note differences among studies.
4. Within each topic heading, look for obvious gaps or areas needing more research.
5. Plan to describe relevant theories.
6. Plan to present conclusions and implications.
7. Plan to suggest specific directions for future research near the end of the review
 STEP 7: WRITING THE REVIEW (GALVAN, 2006: 81-90)
IDENTIFY THE BROAD PROBLEM AREA, BUT AVOID GLOBAL STATEMENTS

• Early in the review, indicate why the topic being reviewed is important

• Indicate why certain studies are important

• If citing a classic or landmark study, identify it as such

• If a landmark study was replicated, mention that and indicate the results of the
replication
 STEP 7: WRITING THE REVIEW (GALVAN, 2006: 81-90)
IDENTIFY THE BROAD PROBLEM AREA, BUT AVOID GLOBAL STATEMENTS

• Discuss other literature reviews on your topic

• Justify comments such as, "no studies were found.“

• Avoid long lists of nonspecific references

• If the results of previous studies are inconsistent or widely varying, cite them
separately
 STEP 8: DEVELOPING A COHERENT ESSAY
(GALVAN, 2006: 91-96)

• If your review is long, provide an overview near the beginning of the review

• Near the beginning of a review, state explicitly what will and will not be
covered

• Specify your point of view early in the review: this serves as the thesis
statement of the review.

• Aim for a clear and cohesive essay that integrates the key details of the
literature and communicates your point of view
 STEP 8: DEVELOPING A COHERENT ESSAY
(GALVAN, 2006: 91-96)

• Use subheadings, especially in long reviews

• Use transitions to help trace your argument

• If your topic teaches across disciplines, consider reviewing studies

from each discipline separately

• Write a conclusion for the end of the review

• Check the flow of your argument for coherence.

 ETHICAL STANDARDS IN WRITING
RELATED LITERATURE
• Avoid plagiarism.
Plagiarism– the act of using another person’s words or ideas

• Do not just copy tables, figures, data, ideas, images, and words of other authors,
making it appear that such works are yours. Always give credit to the authors of
studies you have cited in your review.

▪ Recognize the ideas, theories, and original conceptualizations of others. People

who have contributed to your topic or helped you shape your topic should be
properly acknowledge.

▪ Be critical in the studies you will include in the literature review.

 MAJOR ETHICAL ISSUES IN
CONDUCTING RESEARCH
• INFORMED CONSENT
• BENEFICENCE- DO NOT HARM
The ethical principle of beneficence refers to the Hippocratic "be of
benefit, do not harm". Beauchamp and Childress, suggest that
non-malificence relates to the potential risks of participation
Risk benefit ratio
• Respect for anonymity and confidentiality
• Respect for privacy
• Levine: "privacy is the freedom an individual has to determine the time,
extent, and general circumstances under which private information will
be shared with or withheld from others ".

• Vulnerable groups of people

• captive populations (prisoners, institutionalized, students etc)
• mentally ill persons
• aged people
• children
• critically ill or dying
• poor
• with learning disabilities
• sedated or unconscious