what is a literature review in research

what is a literature review in research

Importance of Literature Review in Research

1. Introduction to Literature Review

A literature review will try to look at as much of this existing research as possible. It will review this information in an attempt to make its findings as valid and reliable as possible. The review will analyse the data, for instance by using thematic analysis. A literature review is a critical look at the existing research that is significant to the work you are carrying out. By doing this, you are showing your understanding of the field, you are developing the knowledge already on hand, and adding to it. This is a very important aspect of your dissertation, as it is crucial that you do not just rely on what others know, you must contribute to the field in some way. This means you should be selective in the information you choose to review and also how you review it. This is very difficult for some who are unfamiliar with the field of research they are reviewing, but it is essential if you are to be seen as having authority in your area. 337967-1 This does not mean, however, that your research should be entirely original. There is a balance that you must find that makes your work part of the rich tapestry of academic research, without it being lost in the warp. This balance is most prominently displayed in your review of the current literature.

2. Purpose and Significance of Literature Review

The purpose and significance of a comprehensive literature review can be a surprisingly ambiguous notion. To some extent, the mistiness is generated by the inherent nature of the literature review. What is it for? Why do it? What can it achieve? These are some of the questions this section of the essay will purport to answer. On the face of it, an obvious aim of literature review is to enable the author to ‘know the literature’ in the field in which he is working. In order to do this, it can be helpful to differentiate between an extended piece of research and a short piece of research. In an extended piece, a review of the literature can be a research project in itself. A provisional assessment of the purpose of the project and a statement of the problems to be investigated would be followed by a preliminary exploratory review. This would enable the research questions and hypotheses to be modified if necessary and would lead on to the main research study. At each stage, as the exploratory review using previously unused data and the study the literature relevant to the topic would be reviewed, but this will be the and the amount of review will vary depending upon whether the research is a side piece to the main occupation or is contained within formal postgraduate study. A study side piece employment in the field will enable the literature to be known through direct contact with other researchers and practitioners, and this experience and the networking with academic contacts and which can result from it can be an excellent way to discover recent developments in the field and to gain access to unpublished literature. This, however, is not the situation for most researchers and the expected result. On the face of it, an obvious aim of literature review is to enable the author to ‘know the literature’ in the field in which he is working. In order to do this, it can be helpful to differentiate between an extended piece of research and a short piece of research. In an extended piece, a review of the literature can be a research project in itself. A provisional assessment of the purpose of the project and a statement of the problems to be investigated would be followed by a preliminary exploratory review. This would enable the research questions and hypotheses to be modified if necessary and would lead on to the main research study.

3. Process of Conducting a Literature Review

The literature review is a critical look at the existing research that is significant to the work that you are carrying out. This review summarizes the field by addressing the many issues the research has attempted to resolve or has identified. The review attempts to provide an overview of the field, identifies research that has gone inconsistent with the current understanding, and presents these conflicts. A research will help evaluate whether you have chosen a well-researched and understood field. In searching for information and reading around your topic, it is probable that you will come across information that contradicts the information that you already have, thus helping you to verify the validity of the information that you have already obtained. As well as highlighting any differences in opinion that could discredit the work that you have already done, by showing that there is too much information showing an alternative answer to the same question may prompt a change in field, as it could indicate that the current field is inadequate and is in need of more research, thus providing a clear gap in the research where this current field may no longer be adequate. At this point, a review can help to define a problem/question that is viable and is of significance on both a theoretical and practical level and is in need of a solution. This is important as reaching a clear problem is essential in effective research. This review will provide the backbone for research. The foundations of research are vital. A good research will have been built on a solid foundation. Usually, an effective research has been replicated or has been improved. By identifying weaknesses and gaps in the current understanding, research can help make a significant contribution to the field and can be confident that what they are doing is both significant and original. Written reports of the research often provide a comprehensive overview of the field. A good literature review that can recognize the main data and can identify key issues and problems will demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the field. For effective research, it is important that the review has a broad view of the field. A review that covers only the researcher’s specific area of interest may miss important information in an adjacent area. After completing a literature review, you will be well familiar with the field and will have identified a known gap in the research. You will no doubt have identified whether the field has sufficient information on a specific topic and will know whether.

4. Benefits of a Comprehensive Literature Review

An analysis of the past and present possible future scenarios related to research can be done in a review. This is particularly useful for research in a new area where a student is unsure of the potential outcomes. Positive results can act as a benchmark, which can assist in setting goals for the research. Conversely, a review can be useful in guarding against the resources being wasted if the same research has already been conducted or if it is shown that the knowledge produced will not be beneficial. In this case, it is better to cut losses early and to allocate resources to a more worthwhile project.

The benefits of undertaking a literature review can be numerous and in some cases a review is done to prove to a funding body that the proposed research is significant and that there is a need for conducting the research. In fact, it is written that these days funding bodies usually expect a review of literature to be conducted to support a case for research. This is even the case for a Level 1 APA postgraduate scholarship. A comprehensive literature review can be useful to provide a background or rationale for a research project. This can be particularly useful in the corporate or government sectors when the report produced from the research will be made available to the public. The findings can be compared to the previous body of knowledge and it can be shown where new knowledge has been contributed to the public.

The perceived lack of benefits of a literature review is a major reason certain students and researchers fail to undertake one. The resources currently available to students are actually quite varied; therefore, the skills necessary to locate and assess information from such resources are becoming increasingly important. Lack of appreciation of the value of the review is seen as one of the main reasons for the lack of conducting one. If researchers are aware of the benefits, then they are more likely to undertake the activity.

5. Conclusion

In the literature, there are some indicators that show the ability of the hypothesized variable in predicting cognitive biases and depression symptoms. For the relationship between verbal learning and depression symptoms, which is moderated by cognitive biases, since there is no research involving cognitive biases as a moderator, a research about verbal learning on depressive individuals and cognitive biases as a mediating variable is used, and another research about cognitive biases on depressive individuals and verbal learning as a mediator is also used. The use of cognitive biases and verbal learning as predictor variables and depression symptoms as criterion variables is shown by using path analysis. From these two research studies, it can be concluded that verbal learning and cognitive biases have different effects on predicting depression symptoms. However, further research is still needed to explore the indicators and the moderation effect of cognitive biases. From the research above, it can be concluded that there is no single specific indicator to predict cognitive biases during depression. This is caused by the various cognitive biases processes, the severity of depression, and the difference in cognitive biases’ effects on predicting specific depressive symptoms. But there is still an indicator that shows the ability of the cognitive biases predictor variable in predicting verbal learning and depression symptoms. This is a preliminary step to find prevention ways for more severe health conditions of depression caused by negative cognitive processing.