Review of Literature

Review of Literature

     Written by Ari Julianto

A Review of Literature or Literature Review generally is a written summary of journal articles, books, and other documents that describes the past and current state of information on the topic of a research study. It also organizes the literature into subtopics, and documents the need for a proposed study.

Literature reviewed typically includes scholarly journals, scholarly books, authoritative databases and primary sources. Sometimes it includes newspapers, magazines, other books, films, and audio and video tapes, and other secondary sources.

There are two sources in Literature Review, they are:
a. Primary sources. These are the origin of information under study, fundamental documents relating to a particular subject or idea. Often they are first hand accounts written by a witness or researcher at the time of an event or discovery. These may be accessible as physical publications, as publications in electronic databases, or on the Internet.

b. Secondary sources. These are documents or recordings that relate to or discuss information originally presented elsewhere. These, too, may be accessible as physical objects or electronically in databases or on the Internet.

- In a quantitative study, researchers discuss the literature extensively at the beginning of a study. This serves two major purposes: it justifies the importance of the research problem, and it provides a rationale for (and foreshadows) the purpose of the study and research questions or hypotheses. In many quantitative studies, the authors include the literature in a separate section titled “Review of the Literature” to highlight the important role it plays.

- In a qualitative study, the literature serves a slightly different purpose. Similar to quantitative research, the authors mention the literature at the beginning of the study to document or justify the importance of the research problem. However, authors do not typically discuss the literature extensively at the beginning of a study. This allows the views of the participants to emerge without being constrained by the views of others from the literature. In some qualitative studies, researchers use the literature to support the findings.

Five Steps in conducting A literature review
1. Identify key terms to use in the research for literature.
2. Locate literature about a topic by consulting several types of materials and databases, including those available at an academic library and on the Internet.
3. Critically evaluate and select the literature for the review.
4. Organize the literature we have selected by abstracting or taking notes on the literature and developing a visual diagram of it.
5. Write a literature review that reports summaries of the literature for inclusion in the research report.

Yogesh Kumar Sing in Fundamental of Research Methodology and Statistic stated that there are 7 objectives of Review of Literature, they are
1.  It provides theories, ideas, explanations or hypothesis which may prove useful in the formulation of a new problem.
2.  It indicates whether the evidence already available solves the problem adequately without requiring further investigation. It avoids the replication.
3.  It provides the sources for hypothesis. The researcher can formulate research hypothesis on the basis of available studies.
4.  It suggests method, procedure, sources of data and statistical techniques appropriate to the solution of the problem.
5.  It locates comparative data and findings useful in the interpretation and discussion of results. The conclusions drawn in the related studies may be significantly compared and may be
used as the subject for the findings of the study.
6.  It helps in developing experts and general scholarship of the investigator in the area investigated.
7.  It contributes towards the accurate knowledge of the evidence or literature in one’s area of activity is a good avenue towards making oneself. This knowledge is an asset ever afterwards, whether one is employed in an institution of higher learning or a research organization.

    Finally, Review of Literature has 5 functions, they are
1.  The conceptual frame of reference for the contemplated research,
2.  An understanding of the status of research in problem area,
3.  Clues to the research approach, method, instrumentation and data analysis,
4.  An estimate of the probability of success of the contemplated research and the significance,
    or usefulness of the findings and, assuming the decision is made to continue, and
5.  Specific information required to interpret the definitions, assumptions, limitations and hypotheses of research.

(taken from any sources)