Literature Review and Fact Finding

A review of the literature is an essential part of the academic research project. The review is related to the selected research area where research needs to describe, summarize, evaluate and clarify the writing (Emeraldinsight,2012). In writing the literature review, purpose is to express reader what knowledge and ideas have been established on a topic, what their strengths and weaknesses are (Emeraldinsight,2012).
According to Aveyard (2010), Literature Review is acomprehensive study conducted to a paticular topic related to selected area of study.

According to Bwgriffin (1996), features of literature overview are

• Organizes literature
• Evaluates literature 
• Identifies patterns and trends in literature
• Synthesizes literature

An overview of what we know and of what we do not know about a given topic. Not essentially comprehensive, but up-to-date and includes all major work on the topic. Also Literature Review is an intellectual context for the original research a motivation for the original research.

Why write a literature review?  

 It highlights particular arguments and ideas in a field of study while demonstrating the weaknesses, areas needing further study are. The review should therefore also reveal to the reader why the writer’s research is useful, necessary, important, and valid.

What a literature review is not?

• A “laundry list” of literacy work written on a topic, where each source gets its summary paragraph about merits and weakness of that work.
• An Annotated Bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and documents.  The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources that have been used by the researcher.
• A Book Review of creative works are sometimes called literary reviews.

Types of Literature Reviews in the Social Science

•         Chapter in a thesis or dissertation
•         Explicit section in a grant or research proposal
•         Explicit section in a research report 
•         Full-length, stand-alone review article

20-11-2012

         Discussed about some examples of problem statement structure and what is expecting from students from the problem statement. 

Fact Finding

This is used when doing system investigation, feasibility study or many other things. The possible methods:

– Questionnaires

– Interviews

– Observation

– Sampling

Questionnaires:
          A set of questions designed to generate the data necessary for accomplishing the objectives of the research. 

Question Content:

• Behavior questions

•Belief questions

•Attribute questions

•Attitude questions

Question Types:

• Close Ended
Open Ended

Interviews:

• Ask question at the right level

• Get interviewee’s confidence

• Make an appointment with a time limit

Observations:

         By looking at organizations process the observation conducting person can do observations to understand the situation to express the expressions.

Sampling: 

        The study in detail of a small number of respondents drawn from a larger population.The results from the sample are used to calculate the results that would have been obtained had a census been taken 

Reference

Emeraldinsight (2012) How to... write a literature review Part: 1. [online] Available at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/authors/guides/write/literature.htm?  [Accessed: 19 Nov 2012].

Bwgriffin (1996) Literature Review. [online] Available at: http://www.bwgriffin.com/gsu/courses/edur7130/content/literature_review.htm  [Accessed: 19 Nov 2012].

Aveyard, H. (2012) Doing a Literature Review in Health and Social Care: A Practical Guide . 2nd ed. England: McGraw-Hill International, p.1-22.