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4. Reviewing the Literature

This page introduces you to reviewing the literature.

Reviewing the Literature

Well done for getting this far. You have developed your plan for your research.

You now should turn to the literature review section where you will show your in depth knowledge of the field, and your scholarship in terms of reading, analysing and evaluating.

 
You will identify what we already know about your topic and what gaps there are that will be partially filled by your research. You will justify your practice by referencing the literature. You will use Harvard referncing in your notes.


Two questions face you:-

1. What literature do I need to look at?

Your starting point is Google and Google Scholar.

 

You will suppliment this by the middlesex learning respources catalogue and electronic library

 

And Athens

 

In addition this --- Here----conversation will brainstorm any materials that are available for your topic in our "swap shop".

 

2. How do I write a literature review.

Have a look at this material.

Also

A Powerpoint will help and a conversation assist. Click here.
Ask any questions about reviewing the litearture below

 

The conceptual framework.

The very best peices of work will be based upon a concpetual framework. You can invent your own from the concpets that your review. Draw it out as a concpet diagram summarsing the concpets and relationships.

 

or you can borrow one from and existing work or model. This material <here>makes some suggestions

 

Document Actions

needs and literature

Posted by Ian at Nov 10, 2009 04:18 PM
How does the needs identification section differ from the literature review section?

needs and literature

Posted by Ian at Nov 10, 2009 04:22 PM
Thanks for asking, Ian.

Well the needs identification section is part of the introdcustion. It can justify the more detailed work later in both the review of the literature and the fieldwork (empirical work). The needs section will only reference policies to justify the project, as well as institutional documents, plans, and data.

The review of the literature has the focus of answering the research questions - or at least showing what research already exists and where the gaps are. (Even if the gap is only a further case study in your specific insitution.

Is everything that you read and reference of equal value?

Posted by Ian at Nov 10, 2009 04:26 PM
Is everything that you read and reference of equal value?

Is everything that you read and reference of equal value?

Posted by Sharon Parks-Nunes at Jan 07, 2010 05:39 PM
Everything that you read cannot be of equal value. There is a lot of material out there and you have to make a decision on what is important to your research. A good way to go about it is to find reading that ansewrs the questions you outlined in your proposal. You can look at research that has been done in the past on/near your your research topic. You can then decide what slant to take. You must also try to use as much writings of the major writers on the topic also.

How lmany references in a literature review?

Posted by Ian at Nov 10, 2009 04:27 PM
How lmany references in a literature review?

How lmany references in a literature review?

Posted by marion craven at Nov 26, 2009 06:35 PM
I read in a book that as many as 90 references are ecxpected in a MA in total. I think it is more important to get quality rather than quanity of references. Having started my literature research I can see a lot of information that is not reliable i.e. too small, too specific to a setting to include. However it takes so long to find something that you kind of want to include it.
 

How lmany references in a literature review?

Posted by Ian at Dec 07, 2009 10:26 AM
You are correct. Quality is more imporatant. Quantity helps give an imprerssion of in depth knowledge but only if there is quality. Some topics have key authors which are essential.

Some poor works are alos good as you can show your criticality and evaluative comments.

What are "exemplar models of practice"?

Posted by Ian at Nov 10, 2009 04:28 PM
What are "exemplar models of practice"?

How do they fit in the literature review and before the research?

What are "exemplar models of practice"?

Posted by Ian at Dec 07, 2009 10:38 AM
The practice on which the research is based must be the best we can imagine.If it not the finding will lose value.

What happens if there is nothing written on my topic?

Posted by Ian at Nov 10, 2009 04:29 PM
What happens if there is nothing written on my topic

What happens if there is nothing written on my topic?

Posted by Ian at Dec 07, 2009 10:37 AM
There is bound to be something. You are just not widening the search wide enough. For example, change the terms, widen the age group, borrow from other fields eg sociology, psychology, business etc.

You job is to know this and show it. Its not to find the article that repeat exactly what you are studying.

What is a concpetual framework?

Posted by Ian at Nov 10, 2009 04:30 PM
What is a conceptual framework and why do i need one?

What does using a concpetual framework add?

Posted by Ian at Nov 10, 2009 04:40 PM
What does using a concpetual framework add? Why should I use one?

What does using a concpetual framework add?

Posted by Kathryn Soulard at Nov 16, 2009 09:38 PM
Hello all
I'm not sure I'm qualified to answer this, but of all Ian's questions it seems the safest for me to respond to - and I'm feeling guilty about not having contributed much to any of the prior conversations.
For me, the conceptual framework helped me to see the relationships between the different strands of the research and identify links which often I hadn't been aware of previously. It also helped me to identify gaps in the existing literature, which I was able to respond to later. When it came to analysing the data, I was able to use the conceptual framework to structure the analysis and conclusions. Overall very useful.
Hope everyone's research is going well.
All the best
Kathryn

What does using a concpetual framework add?

Posted by Ian at Nov 23, 2009 11:04 AM
Thats a useful answer Kathryn. Well done.

I would add it indictaes a level of analysis, synthesis, and thinking that is at Masters level.

Any other suggestions about what it adds?

What does using a concpetual framework add?

Posted by marion craven at Nov 26, 2009 06:26 PM
Having read the 'clearing house' example of a conceptual framework a couple of weeks ago I am very conscious of building my project around achieving one. I can see that it develops a focus to my literature and thus my field research. It gives something new to research.
I did a presentation on 'How do I define inclusion and..' for a job interview. I used my knowledge from last year to create a conceptual framework to answer the question. It made my message it very powerful.
Currently I am looking at frameworks that others have created on different aspects of my project. I will then tie them all together to create my own conceptual framework which I will test on my field. And anaylsise its impact on my subjects. I certainly feel that it enables me to think at a higher level.

What does using a concpetual framework add?

Posted by Ian at Dec 07, 2009 10:27 AM
A good response. Can anyone add anything?

Whats the word length of each part.

Posted by Ian at Nov 12, 2009 03:10 PM
Look at the module front page, left hand column and see two examples.
or one at http://mwb.encryptec.co.uk/[…]/dissertation-structure

what should this year's folder look like?

Posted by marion craven at Dec 03, 2009 05:53 PM
Just found out that I passed last year - relief!

Now I have to get down to the dissertation. I have been told that more anaylsis is required for this piece. But does the final piece we hand in look like our portfolio last year with full appendices (e.g. evidence of contribution to online discussions, policies etc) and with MA criteria written over it. Or does it look more like the final bounded copy?

what should this year's folder look like?

Posted by Ian at Dec 07, 2009 10:30 AM
Very definately work towards a more formal "research" account. That's why we put the photo of the blue bound dissertations!

You need only to include material that is supportive of the research narrative,a dn shows the criteria.

Can any body help?

Posted by marion craven at Dec 03, 2009 06:37 PM
I am looking for a book/articles about the theory/models of partnerships with regards to teacher and pupils. I have lots about parents and school. Can anybody help?

Can any body help?

Posted by Ian at Dec 07, 2009 10:34 AM
i cannot recall anything like this. Carl Rogers perhaps had a view about the role of educators.- he never used the term partnership though. Psychologists like him have a notion of "contracting" (see client centred consulting)

An intersting and original idea but its very lack of literature shows something.


However, dangesr exist therfore in describing the relationship as a "partnership". (Children are forced to be educated, are weak in power, etc)

Can any body help?

Posted by marion craven at Dec 07, 2009 12:20 PM
Ian thanks for the comments, I will follow up your suggestions.

My own thinking recently has also questioned what is the place of the student in the partnership, however I feel that it needs to be explored further. I have been exploring the principles of a partnership and think maybe there something here when regarding seeing themselves as learners. Something very specific rather than general to all.

On swap shop I posted an analogy of research which looks at pupil participation for SEN. Perhaps my model is to be a combination of both and how they overlap.

professional autobiography

Posted by marion craven at Dec 10, 2009 05:15 PM
Are there different types of bias?

professional autobiography

Posted by marion craven at Dec 12, 2009 06:52 PM
On one of the other modules, Ian suggested for bias we look at www.essex.ac.uk/ecpr/standinggroups/documents/Nabacwa.pdf - I found this very interesting and has helped me to answer my own question and how to write my autobiography.

professional autobiography

Posted by marion craven at Dec 14, 2009 10:33 AM
I knew that the dissertation was an independent piece of work - but how independent? I feel that it is just me talking to my self and answering my own questions again this year, I suppose that is what is meant by independent!

professional autobiography

Posted by Ian at Dec 15, 2009 04:36 PM
Different types of bias. I am sure there are. From your experience you may be biased through gaining subjective knowlwedge, biased through values and beliefs, biased through lack of knowledge. You are subjective through life and professional experiences. There are langauge biases, for example, no words exist for certain ideas. last night I was talking about "Pupil referrall units" that are not PRU's but school based facilities for children exclusing from schools. Juts have not got the langauge to descfribe it. All these are biases in your thinking.

There are alos operational biases in the way you act (espcially as a researcher). Bias in the tools (eg questions, questionairres) etc.


Makes you wonder why we do reearch? Does it

professional autobiography

Posted by marion craven at Dec 16, 2009 08:00 PM
ian
Thankyou for your reply - it made me think even deeper. Interestingly I read that subjectiveness/personal knowledge is central to qualatitive research and makes better anaylsis.

Given no one on this module needs to talk, can I join the AE 09 conversations? There is one person is focusing on parental involvement.

Marion

professional autobiography

Posted by Ian at Dec 23, 2009 09:23 AM
yes

professional autobiography

Posted by Huseyin at Jan 13, 2010 11:29 AM
Not to worry Marion I will be here from now on, apologies to all for my late contribution but i intend to set that right.

As to the question regarding Bias. I would suggest you look at Cohen and Manion and also check out this site i found

http://www.chalmersresearch.com/bmg/types_bias.html
there are some pretty good things on that site. Hope that helps

professional autobiography

Posted by marion craven at Jan 22, 2010 01:48 PM
Thank you Huseyin,
Although we are all doing different project I find at the higher level there are many areas that we have in common.

Currently I am trying to work out who can be my control group for my research and whether I really need one as I am doing case studies. I am using a triangulation of data to see if my project is having an affect i.e observations/conversations but may refer to spelling ages /narrative assessment as back up. The problem I have is if I use a control group and do the same assessment at the beginning and end, I think by highlighting the area it it may improve their problem by default.

What are you doing for your research project?

I do find that by talking on this helps a lot, but having to think about others makes me focus on my own more. Similiarly discussing concepts like Ian introduces develops my work too.


Marion

mathodology

Posted by marion craven at Jan 23, 2010 06:06 PM
I have read that I do not need a control group as I am not trying to prove that something works, but to understand children's behaviour. I am not going to refer to spelling ages either.

Marion
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