REVIEW OF
RELATED
LITERATUR
E
Natalie Irish Villanueva
Justin De Guzman Paloso
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
(RRL)
Definition of RRL
RRL is an important component of research regardless of
the type of research. It provides the investigator with a
framework on which to build an appropriate hypothesis.
Reviewing related literature is one major activity in research
that makes you examine or study again concepts or ideas related
to your research that people managed to publish in books ,
journals or other reading materials in the past.
Purpose of RRL
3. To discover the relation of
1. To find out the connection your research with previous
of your research to the current research studies.
conditions or situations of the
world.
4. To obtain information on
the accuracy or relevance of
2. To know more about your research questions.
theories or concepts
underlying your research and
5. To familiarize yourself
to learn from them with
with technical terms related
respect to your own research
to your research.
study.
RRL in Qualitative Research
There are two basic methods of reviewing related literature: traditional and
systematic review. Traditional is for qualitative research; systematic for quantitative
research.
Systematic review, a ‘question-driven methodology’ is used by quantitative
researchers who begin their research work by asking questions- one big question that
states the main problem of the research and a set of sub-questions that deal with
specific aspects of the research.
Qualitative research likewise begins with research questions, but these are open-
ended and subjective questions, in contrast to quantitative questions that aim at
obtaining exact, specific and objective answers whose origin or sources are easy to
trace.
(Ridley 2012, p. 189; Jesson 2011)
STEPS IN CONDUCTING A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
Systematic review of related literature
happens through the following sequential
steps:
1. Clarifying the research questions.
2. Planning the research based on your
understanding of the research questions.
3. Searching for literature.
4. Listing criteria for considering the values
of written works.
5. Evaluating the quality of previous research
studies.
6. Summarizing the various forms of
knowledge collected.
Obtaining the results of the review of related literature by means of
systematic review that takes place in a step by step method is
scientific way of conducting a re-examination of reading materials
that have close connection with your research. Adopting a
systematic review of related literature prevents you from being bias
in dealing with the varied from of literature. The adherence of
systematic review to scientific method makes it the apt RRL
method for quantitative research that likewise follows the scientific
method of looking into the truthfulness of something. (Babbie
2013; Russel 2013; Jesson 2011)
META-ANALYSIS
IN
QUANTITATIVE
RESEARCH
Meta-analysis in Quantitative Research
Meta-analysis is a kind of review of related literature in
which you re-examine and combine the results of two or
more statistical studies for coming out with a grand total to
indicate stronger effects of the research outcome. Putting
results together and making them appear as one result work
to strengthen whatever impact the independent variable has
on the dependent variable.
META-ANALYSIS IN
QUANTITATIVE Technique and measurable outcome.
RESEARCH Similar in many ways, these studies
Meta-analysis helps in guaranteeing that are apt for combination
the precision of the measuring method purposes are called homogenous
used in quantitative research. studies. Conversely, with a number
However, this merging of statistical of differences from other studies,
results is not applicable to all they are called heterogenous studies
quantitative research studies. You and are exempted from this type of
resort to meta-analysis only if the systematic review of related
statistics that you intend to combine literature called meta-analysis.
come from studies having several
similarities like they are comparable in
terms of research questions, research
design, treatment, measuring
The qualitative approach of narrative In-Text Citation and
synthesis which is a systematic review
using written verbal language to explain
Referencing Styles
or describe test results is the appropriate
RRL method for heterogenous studies. All reading material related to your research
The meta-analysis systematic review that you intend to review or re-examine
prevails strongly in the field of medicine offer you concepts, ideas or information
where researchers must conduct studies belonging to other people. Having honesty,
to yield medicines that, supported by respect or courtesy to the owners of these
sufficient evidence are capable of varied forms of knowledge as well as
reaching their certainty level. (Ridley gratefulness for their valuable contribution
2012; Jesson 2014) to the yield, you see to it that the names of
these idea owners or authors appear in the
appropriate sections of your research paper.
Other people’s ideas incorporated in the central section or
main body of your paper are to be cited or referred to the
true owners of borrowed ideas. Referring to authors within
the main body of the paper is called Citation or In-text
Citation; at the end of the paper, it is called Bibliography or
References. The two most commonly used referencing styles
are the MLA (Modern Language Association) and the APA
(American Psychological Association). The following table
shows you how these two referencing styles differ in some
aspects.
In-text Citation and Referencing Styles
ASPECT APA MLA
System System
Writing the Author’s Full surname first, then Full surname first,
name followed by initials of first followed by full first
and middle name name, and optional initial
of the middle name
Writing the title of the Italicized title with only Underlined or italicized
reading material the beginning word title with all content
capitalized (exception: words capitalized.
capital for every proper
noun)
Writing the copyright date Written after the author’s Written after the
name publisher’s name
Ethical Standards in Literature- Review Writing
Nowadays, with the advent of modern technology
causing the emergence of varied electronic
communication devices and online sources of
information, collecting data happens easily and
speedily. Through computer technology with its
powerful Internet, you become exposed to extensive
amount of knowledge that is so easy to lure you into
practicing the copy-and-paste technique of obtaining
ideas for your research paper.
Unmindful of prestigious ways of working academically, there is a danger that
you may fall into this dishonest way of reviewing and writing related literature.
The ethical way of literature writing tells you to acknowledge the owners of
borrowed ideas and put quotation marks around copied words from books or
aticles. Intentionally or negligently disregarding the use of quotation marks around
words copied exactly is not only unethical but an indication of gross plagiarism as
well. You must be aware of the fact that with the surfacing of online sources of
information, software to detect plagiarism from online sources has likewise
become so available in academic institutions. Proper citation and referencing is
your way of freeing yourself from plagiarism and avoiding people from casting
doubts on your honesty and integrity as a researcher. (Fraenbel 2012; Ransome
2011)
