Key Concepts Blog: Developing the Research Study Readings

Patten (2000) Topic 14

Reasons for Reviewing Literature

First steps when planning to do research:

• Identify a broad problem area
• Review literature on the topic (theoretical and research literature)

Uses of Literature review

• To identify a testable hypothesis.
• Replicating a study – mimic an original study in all important respects.
• Modified replication - eg. new population, improved measurement technique etc.
• Resolve conflict in previous research.
• May help to come up with a new idea.
• To identify measuring tools/instruments and avoid those found to be not good.
• To see how research reports are written.
• To be able to cite relevant literature and show importance of the research and how it flows with previous research.

Patten (2000) Topic 15

Locating Literature Electronically
Descriptor – a key subject-matter term used to describe a record in a database.

Thesaurus – is used to determine which descriptors are available in relation to a topic.

Patten (2000) Topic 16

Writing Literature Review

-        Name and describe the broad problem area and provide conceptual definitions of major terms.

-        Establish importance of the topic – by showing that the topic was deemed important to be investigated by others researchers or by citing statistics regarding the population of interest.

-        Topic-by-topic description of relevant research – provide major and minor subheadings.

o   Group similar references.

o   Point out conflicts.

o   Indicate results of the researches (may not be necessary to describe methodology except when pointing out weaknesses in the methodology.)

o   Summarize and relate the review to your study.

Williamson (2000) Chapter 3
The Beginning Stages of Research

Theory is systematic explanation of observed facts and laws.  It is a complex set of relationships amongst variables.  Theoretical framework of a project describes key ideas underpinning the research and how they are related.  Theory may be developed from observation, discussions and literature review.  After the research is completed, theory will be developed based on findings, which incorporates initial theoretical ideas.

Literature Review is identifying, locating, synthesizing and analyzing the conceptual literature, research reports, articles, conference papers, books, thesis etc. related to the research topic.  It should include evaluative/critical judgments about the literature and present comparison of ideas and research findings tying them together.  Its purpose is to provide background and context for the research.

Wildemuth (2009) Chapter 2

Developing a Research Question

Attributes of a Good Research Question

• Clear, unambiguous, and easily understood
• Specific enough to suggest the data that need to be collected during the study.
• Answerable/feasible to collect the needed data.
• Interconnected with important concepts or phenomena
• Substantively relevant to the field.

To determine the feasibility of the research question, consider the following:

• Access to the people whom you want to be participants of the study.
• Equipment and material resources needed for the study and expertise to use equipment and software – (eg. Computer, software, printing and mailing video recording, audio recording, financial incentives for participants…)
• Political support needed to do the study (eg. From organization’s management).

Wildemuth (2009) Chapter 3

Questions Originating in Library and Information Practice

Evidence based practice is when information professionals base their decisions on the strongest evidence available.

Formulating practice-based research question

The question should be expressed in somewhat abstract form to make it of interest beyond the local setting, but not too abstract/generalized that it can no longer be of interest or support decisions in local setting.

Wildemuth (2009) Chapter 5

Testing Hypothesis

Hypotheses in Social Science usually make a statement about the relationship between two variables.  The researcher has an obligation to test its accuracy to the best of his/her ability.

Sources of hypotheses could be direct experience, prior studies, or established theory.

Pyrezak (2008) Apendix D
Checklist of Evaluation Questions

Considerations in the introductory part and general organization of literature review: specificity of problem area, presentation of the importance of the problem and underlying theories, organizing the citations by topics and subheadings, provide conceptual definitions, cite sources for factual statements, and ensure logical flow of research purposes, questions or hypotheses.

Considerations in choosing literature to review:  do not use too many sources for a single point, consider importance and currency, distinguish between opinions and research findings, note gaps in literature, and avoid overuse of direct quotes.

Sources

Patten. (2000). Topic 14 - 16. In Understanding Research Methods. Pyrezak Publishing.

Pyrezak, F. (2008). Appendix D. In Evalutaion Research in Academic Journal. Pyrezak Publishing.

Wildemuth, B. M. (2009). Chapter 2, 3, 5. In Applications of Social Research Methods to Questions in Information and Library Science. Connecticut.

Williamson, K. (2000). Chapter 3. In Research Methods fr Students and Professionals: Information Management and Systems.