Research Methods Chapter 2 Summary

Theory
In everyday use, the word "theory" often means an untested hunch, or a guess without supporting
evidence. But for scientists, a theory has nearly the opposite meaning. A theory is a well-
substantiated explanation of an aspect of the natural world that can incorporate laws, hypotheses,
and facts. The theory of gravitation, for instance, explains why apples fall from trees and
astronauts float in space. Similarly, the theory of evolution explains why so many plants and
animals—some very similar and some very different—exist on Earth now and in the past, as
revealed by the fossil record.
A theory not only explains known facts; it also allows scientists to make predictions of what they
should observe if a theory is true. Scientific theories are testable. New evidence should be
compatible with a theory. If it isn't, the theory is refined or rejected. The longer the central
elements of a theory hold—the more observations it predicts, the more tests it passes, the more
facts it explains—the stronger the theory. Many advances in science—the development of
genetics after Darwin's death, for example—have greatly enhanced evolutionary thinking. Yet
even with these new advances, the theory of evolution persists today, much as Darwin first
described it, and is universally accepted by scientists.
Literature Review
A literature review is a comprehensive summary of previous research on a topic. The literature

review surveys scholarly articles, books, and other sources relevant to a particular area of
research. The review should enumerate, describe, summarize, objectively evaluate and clarify
this previous research. It should give a theoretical base for the research and help you (the author)
determine the nature of your research. The literature review acknowledges the work of previous
researchers, and in so doing, assures the reader that your work has been well conceived. It is
assumed that by mentioning a previous work in the field of study, the author has read, evaluated,
and assimilated that work into the work at hand.
A literature review creates a "landscape" for the reader, giving her or him a full understanding of
the developments in the field. This landscape informs the reader that the author has indeed
assimilated all (or the vast majority of) previous, significant works in the field into her or his
research.
"In writing the literature review, the purpose is to convey to the reader what knowledge and
ideas have been established on a topic, and what their strengths and weaknesses are. The
literature review must be defined by a guiding concept (eg. your research objective, the problem
or issue you are discussing, or your argumentative thesis). It is not just a descriptive list of the
material available or a set of summaries.
The purpose of a literature review is to collect relevant, timely research on your chosen topic,
and synthesize it into a cohesive summary of existing knowledge in the field. This then prepares
you for making your argument on that topic, or for conducting your original research.
Depending on your field of study, literature reviews can take different forms. Some disciplines
require that you synthesize your sources topically, organizing your paragraphs according to how
your different sources discuss similar topics. Other disciplines require that you discuss each
source in individual paragraphs, covering various aspects in that single article, chapter, or book.
Within your review of a given source, you can cover many different aspects, including (if a
research study) the purpose, scope, methods, results, any discussion points, limitations, and
implications for future research. Make sure you know which model your professor expects you
to follow when writing your literature reviews. Literature reviews may or may not be a graded
component of your class or major assignment, but even if it is not, it is a good idea to draft one
so that you know the current conversations taking place on your chosen topic. It can better
prepare you to write your own, unique argument.
Benefits of Literature Reviews
 Literature reviews allow you to gain familiarity with the current knowledge in your
chosen field, as well as the boundaries and limitations of that field.
 Literature reviews also help you to gain an understanding of the theory(ies) driving the
field, allowing you to place your research question into context.
 Literature reviews provide an opportunity for you to see and even evaluate successful and
unsuccessful assessment and research methods in your field.
 Literature reviews prevent you from duplicating the same information as others writing in
your field, allowing you to find your own, unique approach to your topic.
 Literature reviews give you familiarity with the knowledge in your field, giving you the
chance to analyze the significance of your additional research.
 Finetune your topics, objectives, and methodology in your research work.
 Findings from the literature review are used to do discussion in new research work.
Primary and secondary source

Research for your literature review can be categorised as either primary or secondary. The
simplest definition of primary sources is either original information (such as survey data) or
a first-person account of an event (such as an interview transcript). Whereas secondary sources
are any published or unpublished works that describe, summarise, analyse, evaluate, interpret,
or review primary source materials. Secondary sources can incorporate primary sources to
support their arguments.
Ideally, good research should use a combination of both primary and secondary sources. For
example, if a researcher were to investigate the introduction of a law and the impacts it had on a
community, he/she might look at the transcripts of the parliamentary debates as well as the
parliamentary commentary and news reporting surrounding the laws at the time.
Examples of primary and secondary sources
Primary sources: Secondary sources:
Diaries Journal articles
Audio recordings Textbooks
Transcripts Dictionaries and encyclopedias
Original manuscripts Biographies
Government documents Political commentary
Court records Blog posts
Speeches Newspaper articles
Empirical studies Theses
Statistical data Documentaries
Artworks Critical analyses
Film footage
Photographs
Steps to do a literature review
1. Search for relevant literature on your topic from Google Scholar using keys words.
2. Evaluate and select sources by abstract, citations, and references.
3. Identify themes, debates, and gaps (contradictory findings, unsolved issues,
controversies).
4. Outline your literature review’s structure.
5. Write the literature review under introduction, main body_theoretical framework,
conceptual review, empirical review_, and conclusion (summary).

Research Methods Chapter 2 Summary

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Research Methods Chapter 2 Summary

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Research Methods Chapter 2 Summary

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Theory

A literature review is a comprehensive summary of previous research on a topic. The literature

Benefits of Literature Reviews

Primary and secondary source

Examples of primary and secondary sources

Primary sources: Secondary sources:

Diaries Journal articles

Audio recordings Textbooks

Transcripts Dictionaries and encyclopedias

Original manuscripts Biographies

Government documents Political commentary

Court records Blog posts

Speeches Newspaper articles

Empirical studies Theses

Statistical data Documentaries

Artworks Critical analyses

You might also like