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Presented at Alfaisal University Scholar Program in Research Excellence (ASPIRE) on October 8, 2021 by Dr Omar Hasan Kasule Sr MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard) Professor of Epidemiology and Bioethics King Fahad Medical City.
LITERATURE SOURCES - 1
· Literature review of the proposal is the
literature review for the final paper (with/without modification)
· The review must show how the current research
builds on previous research and identifies the knowledge gap
· Recommended 5-20 sources for research projects
but 150-250 for Ph.D. dissertations. Be guided by similar projects
· Sources selected should be appropriate to the purpose
of the research
LITERATURE SOURCES - 2
· Sources should be of appropriate width and
depth.
· Core sources on the subject matter should not
be left out.
· Recent sources prove that the researcher is UpToDate.
· The best source are refereed journals.
Alternative sources are: books (monographs, edited volumes), conference
proceedings, academic theses and dissertations, official documents, reports, dictionaries,
encyclopedias, etc. can be used.
· Online sources not from established journals.
· Links to unpublished material.
LITERATURE SEARCH
· Literature can be sourced from various sources:
Expert advice, specific databases (start with Google Scholar, Wikipedia, PubMed,
and some booksellers such as Amazon), reference sections of textbooks, and review
articles.
· References of articles already chosen can be a
source of important and relevant sources.
· You have to be transparent in writing your
methodology about your search strategy. Enough detail should be provided for
others to check and collaborate.
· It is rare to find nothing written about the
topic. If nothing is written the problem may be with the keywords used. Widen
the search or look at sub-topics.
· You can evolve your own strategy or use software such as End-notes.
· My approach is using keywords, selecting from a
list of abstracts based on the title, and further selecting by reading the abstract
and highlighting relevant sentences. Repeat the search as you keep writing and
think of additional keywords.
LITERATURE REVIEW: CONTENTS
· The literature review is not a laundry list of
what was published before.
· The literature review is summarizing, comparing,
contrasting, and explains (variations, strengths, weaknesses) as well as
resolving limitations/contradictions?
· Are the findings from the literature review
relevant to the current research?
· The review should identify and suggest further
research.
· Any assertions in the review should have enough
evidential support.
· Sources should be critiqued: were methods
rigorous and reliable? Are the findings generalizable?
CONCLUSIONS OF THE LITERATURE REVIEW
· Make a conclusion at the end of the review in
the form of tarjiih. The process is iterative you can come back to
change and improve (new keywords, refine the scope, adjust research questions, etc.)
· One of the conclusions of a literature review is
to prove that there is a need for this research: extend existing knowledge, fill
knowledge gaps, critique existing knowledge, and add a practical application or
problem-solving.
OTHER PURPOSES OF THE LITERATURE REVIEW
· Literature review should prove that the
proposed research will respond to the ‘need’ mentioned above by being timely,
suitable methods, and filling in the gaps.
· Literature review shows the author’s
familiarity with the main areas of the proposed research, and its underlying theories,
shows that the proposed research has something original to offer, and defines a key
term.
· Literature review should briefly Develop
research objectives and refine research questions
· Literature review helps define the limits of
the research: mapping the area of literature review, defining what will be done
and what will not be done with the why explained, study population, and the
time length of the project.
SUMMARY CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD LITERATURE
REVIEW
· Uses facts, reports, and authors to define the nature
of the research problem, purpose, and methods
· Proves that the researcher is familiar with the
main ideas and methods of the study
· Clarifies the conceptual basis of the study
· Points out new and original contributions of
the study
· Describes the research objectives and provides
a rationale for each research question.