Lec 2: Literature Survey & Problem Statement

Literature Review

Summary of most important and salient aspects of relevant literature for your topic. Summarizes previous research work on particular topic.

Importance of Literature Reviews

• Demonstrate understanding of your research subject/topic

  • critically assess existing research relevant to your work

• Provide evidence for what you’re claiming to be state-of-the-art knowledge and how your research relate to it

• Establish your research novelty and/or importance

  • pinpointing research gaps and filling missing bits of information

• Provides historical background for your research

• Gives overview of current context in w/c your research is situated

• Includes discussion of relevant theories, concepts, and approaches that underpins your research

• Introduces relevant terminology and provides definitions to clarify terms

• Describes related research and shows how you address gaps

• Provides supporting evidence

Questions Doing Literature Review

• Known about the topic

• Current status of research in an area

• Methods or problems identified by others and how they impact your research?

• Most productive methodology for your research

• Gaps in the knowledge

• Areas of further study

Resources for RRL

• Internet/Online Resources

• Electronic Databases

• Library

• Government Publications

Points in Finding Sources

Keep a bibliographic trail

• Track titles, authors, publication info, page numbers

• note online addresses and other pertinent information

Strategic Approach in RRL #1

Know what information you will need and where to get it

• key words

• synonyms, variations in spelling

• what you already know

• scope

Strategic Approach in RRL #2

Develop a Search Plan

• Google Scholar

• Look for original reports and paper

Strategic Approach in RRL #3

Few Sources

• Find ways to expand your topic

Strategic Approach in RRL #4

Too many sources

• specify journals to your field of interest

• ask where important sources can be found

• understand and categorize sources

Strategic Approach in RRL #5

Synthesize Information

• present overview of what your source offers

• read sections of each source where it contain necessary information

Strategic Approach in RRL #6

Summarizing and Note-Taking

• condense others’ work without distorting

Strategic Approach in RRL #7

• Focus material relevant to your research

• Cite all “borrowed” work in final paper

2 key steps in RRL

• Finding sources

• Synthesizing information