REVIEW OR
RELATED
LITERATURE
Quarter 2 – Week 1
◦Before trying to solve a research problem, like
how to grow plants faster or how to improve
student grades, do you think it's important
to check if someone else has already
studied this problem?
◦If you want to write a great story, would you
first look at other stories to see how they
are written?
REVIEW OF RELATED
LITERATURE
REVIEW OF RELATED
LITERATURE
◦Is when we look for books, studies, and articles
related to the topic we are researching.
◦It helps us gather ideas, find important facts
and understand what has already been
discovered.
◦Scenario: "Let’s say you are studying how social
media affects students' sleep. Before you start your
research, you would read articles or studies that have
already explored how students use social media and
whether it affects their sleep. These are examples of
related literature that you would review.
Purpose and Importance of RRL
◦Helps you understand your topic better
◦Prevents you from repeating someone else’s
research
◦Shows gaps or areas that still need to be
studied
◦Builds credibility for your research
◦RRL helps you learn from the work of others, see
what’s already been done, and find new areas to
study. It also helps make your research more reliable
and trustworthy.
How to Do a Review of Related
Literature
◦ Step 1: Search for Literature
◦ Examples of sources: books, articles, websites, journals
If you are researching ‘how online learning affects student grades,’ you
could search for articles about the effects of online learning or distance
education on students.
◦ Step 2: Read and Take Notes
◦ Tips for Taking Notes:
a. Write down the important points.
b. Summarize key ideas in your own words.
c. Highlight anything that supports or contradicts your research.
◦ Step 3: Organize Your Notes
Parts of RRL
•Introduction – Provides background and sets the purpose of the
review.
•Thematic Presentation of Literature – Summarizes and
organizes the literature into themes.
•Synthesis and Analysis – Analyzes the literature, identifying
patterns and gaps.
•Gaps in the Literature – Highlights missing or under-researched
areas.
•Conclusion – Recaps findings and shows how your research will
address the gaps.
Introduction
◦ Provides an overview of the research topic and explains the purpose of the literature review.
It sets the stage by presenting the research problem or question and why it’s important to
review existing literature.
◦ What to include:Brief background on the topic.
◦ Significance of the topic.
◦ Purpose of the review.
"The rapid growth of social media platforms has significantly altered the way
adolescents interact with one another. This review aims to explore the relationship
between social media use and mental health, particularly focusing on anxiety and
self-esteem in teenagers. Understanding this relationship is crucial, given the
increasing prevalence of social media in the daily lives of young people."
Thematic Presentation of
Literature
◦ Purpose: Organizes the literature into themes or categories related to the research topic. This section
summarizes the findings of previous studies, grouping them based on common themes, methodologies, or
results.
◦ What to include:
◦ Summarize key studies on the topic.
◦ Group research into themes.
◦ Compare and contrast studies.
◦ Example:
Theme 1: Social Media and Anxiety
"Several studies have examined the link between social media use and anxiety. Research by Smith et al.
(2020) found that teenagers who spend more than three hours daily on social media platforms are more
likely to report higher levels of anxiety compared to their peers who use it less frequently."
◦ Theme 2: Social Media and Self-Esteem
"In contrast, studies focused on self-esteem present mixed results. While Johnson (2021) concluded that
frequent social media use negatively impacts self-esteem by promoting unrealistic beauty standards, Carter
(2019) suggests that social media can also foster positive self-esteem when users receive supportive
feedback from their peers."
Synthesis and Analysis
Purpose: Analyzes the information from the literature, identifying patterns, gaps, or
inconsistencies. This section synthesizes the main findings, showing how the studies connect
and what they reveal about the research problem.
◦ What to include:
◦ Compare studies and draw connections.
◦ Highlight patterns and differences.
◦ Show how the studies relate to your research question.
◦ Example:
"The literature suggests that social media has both positive and negative effects on
teenagers' mental health. While there is consensus on the link between prolonged social
media use and anxiety, the impact on self-esteem remains contested. The majority of
studies agree on the negative influence of social media on body image, but some research
highlights the potential benefits when platforms are used for peer support. These
inconsistencies highlight the need for further investigation into platform-specific effects."
Gaps in the Literature
Purpose: Identifies areas that have not been sufficiently researched, highlighting the
need for further studies. This part justifies why your research is important by showing
what is still unknown or not well understood.
◦ What to include:
◦ Identify gaps in the current research.
◦ Explain what has not been addressed.
◦ Example:
"Despite extensive research on social media’s impact on mental health, few studies
have investigated the long-term effects of specific platforms, such as Instagram or
TikTok, on adolescent well-being. Furthermore, most of the existing literature focuses
on Western populations, leaving a gap in understanding how social media affects
adolescents in developing countries. This review highlights the need for studies that
examine the influence of platform-specific use over time and across diverse cultural
contexts."
Conclusion
◦ Purpose: Summarizes the main points of the literature review and relates them to
your research question. It reinforces the significance of your research and indicates
how it will contribute to the existing body of knowledge.
◦ What to include:
◦ Recap of key findings from the literature.
◦ Transition into how your research will address the gaps.
◦ Example:
"In summary, while the literature on social media and mental health provides valuable
insights, particularly regarding anxiety, there are significant gaps that require further
exploration. This review indicates that more research is needed on the long-term
effects of social media, with particular attention to specific platforms and cultural
differences. By addressing these gaps, this study aims to contribute to a more
nuanced understanding of how social media influences adolescent mental health."
