PILGRIM CHRISTIAN COLLEGE

United Church of Christ in the Philippines

Capistrano – Akut Sts., Cagayan de Oro City

SPED 41 and SPE 44- RESEARCH 2

TOPIC: THE REVIEW OF LITERATURE

 Meaning of Review of Literature
 Need of Review of Literature
 Objectives of Review of Literature
 Sources of Literature
 The Functions of Literature
 How to Conduct the Review of Literature?
 Some Hints for the Review of Literature
 Precautions in Library Use
 Reporting the Review of Literature

Prepared by: Mc Kerwin Niňo M. Acdal, LPT, MA

Instructor
____________________________________________________________________________

1. Meaning of Literature Review

The phrase ‘review of literature’ consists of two words 'review' and 'literature'. From the traditional
meaning, the word literature is used with reference to the language, e.g. Hindi Literature, English
Literature, Sanskrit Literature. It includes a subject content: prose, poetry, dramas, novels, stories, etc.
In research methodology, the term literature refers to the knowledge of a particular area of investigation
of any discipline which includes theoretical, practical, and its research studies.

The term ‘review’ means to organize the knowledge of the specific area of research to evolve an edifice
of knowledge to show that this study would be an addition to this field. The task of review of literature is
highly creative and tedious because the research has to synthesize the available knowledge of the field
in a unique way to provide the rationale for his/her study (Singh, 2006, p. 35).
The term ‘Review of Literature’ has been defined in the following ways:

• According to Good, Barr and Scates

“The competent physician must keep abreast of the latest discoveries in the field of medicine.
Obviously, the careful student of education, the research worker and investigator should be familiar
with location and use of sources of educational information”.

• According to W. R. Borg
“The literature in any field forms the foundation upon which all future work will be built. If we fail to build
the foundation of knowledge provided by the review of literature, our work is likely to be shallow and
naive and will often duplicate work that has already been done better by someone else”.

• According to C. V. Good
“The keys to the vast storehouse of published literature may open doors to sources of significant
problems and explanatory hypotheses and provide helpful orientation for definition of the problem,
background for selection of procedures, and comparative data for interpretation of results. In order to
be creative and original, one must read extensively and critically as a stimulus to thinking”.

• According to J. W. Best
“Practically all human knowledge can be found in books and libraries. Unlike other animals that must
start a new with each generation, man builds upon the accumulated and recorded knowledge of the
past. His constant adding to the vast store of knowledge makes possible progress in all areas of human
endeavor”.

Reviewing the literature has two phases. The first phase includes identifying all the relevant published
material in the problem area and reading that part of it with which we are not thoroughly familiar. The
second phase of the review of literature involves writing this foundation of ideas into a section of the
research report. For the researcher, it establishes the background in the field. For the readers, it
provides a summary of thinking and research necessary for them to understand the study (ibid).

2. Need of Review of Literature

The review of literature is essential due to the following:

• One of the early steps in planning a research work is to review a research done
previously in the particular area of interest.
• It is very essential for every researcher to be up-to-date in his/her information about the
literature related to his/her own problem already done by others.
• It avoids the replication of the study of findings to take an advantage from similar or
related literature.
• It provides as source of problem of study.

3. Objectives of Review of Literature

The review of literature serves the following purposes in conducting research work:
• It provides theories, ideas, explanations or hypotheses which may prove useful in the
formulation of a new problem.
• It avoids replication when it indicates whether the evidence already available solves the
problem adequately without requiring further investigation.
• It provides the sources for hypothesis. The researcher can formulate research hypothesis
on the basis of available studies.
• It suggests method, procedure, sources of data appropriate to the solution of the problem.
• The conclusions drawn in the related studies may be significantly compared and maybe
used as the subject for the findings of the study.
• Literature in one’s area of activity is good avenue towards making oneself.

4. Sources of Literature

There are various sources of literature which may be used for this purpose. Examples of these are:
• Books and textbooks material;
• Periodicals;
• Abstracts;
• Encyclopedias;
• Handbooks and Guides;
• Special Dictionaries;
• Dissertations and Theses; and
• The Internet.

5. The Functions of Literature

There are four functions of review of literature:

1. The conceptual frame of reference for the contemplated research.
2. An understanding of the status of research in problem area.
3. Clues to the research approach, method, instrumentation, and data analysis.
4. Probability of success and significance of findings.

6. How to Conduct the Review of Literature

To conduct the review of literature, the researcher should go through these stages:
 Stage 1: Try to gain some impression of what the source is about; what a question or questions
the author is trying to answer; how the source is structured, and whether, in fact, the questions
tackled and the answers put forward are relevant to your needs.
Stage 2: If you decide that the source is relevant to your research subject, then you must
formulate the question or questions you anticipate will be answered in the source. This enables
you to locate the required information and will save you time and effort as you cannot afford to go
reading aimlessly through the source. At this stage, you must adopt an active and analytical
attitude.

Stage 3: After formulating the main question or questions that you anticipate the source will
answer, you must review the source to look for answer for your questions. This involves locating
the parts of the source where your questions are dealt with. You must then look for the answers
or conclusions that the author has drawn, and also at how the author arrived at them.

Stage 4: Supposing that you have extracted the relevant information from the written report, you
must now record your data in note form, so that later you can retrieve it and use it easily at the
appropriate stage (Walliman, 2001).

7. Some Hints for the Review of Literature

Some miscellaneous hints are provided here on how to review the literature. These concern mainly:
• To realize that reviewing the literature is essentially the library phase of the project, and
so we must become thoroughly conversant not only with the way in which libraries in
general function, classify, and catalogue, but also with the way in which the specific
library in which we work does these things.
• To recognize that there are only two criteria for good bibliographic research; accuracy and
consistency. Therefore, from the very beginning of the review of literature, it is sound
practice to begin recording the essential information accurately and exactly in the same
way.
• To copy direct quotations and note the page number of the book or journal on which it
appears because this will be needed in referring to the quotation.

8. Precautions in Library Use

The following precautions are to be taken in the use of library for review of literature:
• Avoid intellectual dishonesty.
• Guard against being conditioned by the view point of an earlier researcher and the
temptation of blindly following his/her procedure.
• Merely listing of previous studies without reviewing them or giving their characteristics is
not enough.

• It is always helpful to arrange the previous studies in chronological order so that the
growth of the field is clearly known to the researcher as well as to the readers.
• A researcher should have a good grasp of library procedures which will help him/her to
locate books and references needed by him/her without wasting most of time and energy.
This process can be classified into two categories:
(a) Preliminary Reading: For the bird's eye view of the whole thing.
(b) Critical Thinking: The references and material which seem useful as a result of
preliminary reading are noted down and are read critically and serious evaluation
of the available data and information.

9. Reporting Review of Literature

Generally, the review of literature is reported in the second chapter of the dissertation. The following
procedure should be followed in reporting it:
• the research should go through collected research studies of the field;
 • the researcher should try to relate the collected research studies with his/her own study;
and
• at the end, the researcher should show that his/her study is a derivation from the other
studies.

The reporting review of literature makes the research study very specific and up-to-date. It is an
essential part in writing a dissertation.

Additional Sources:
A literature review compiles and evaluates the research available on a certain topic or issue that you
are researching and writing about. Because lit review formats vary greatly, be sure to read your
professor’s instructions first and defer to them. A typical writing process for a literature review follows
these steps:

Use your research question as a guide for research. Once you have completed the bulk of your
research, compile the topic and the research results into one coherent thesis statement.
Literature Review Strategies The following are brief descriptions of techniques that you might use in
your literature review. Choose the approaches that are the most pertinent to your rhetorical situation.
Defer to your professor’s instructions.

Sample Literature Review (Short Version) Thesis Statement: Service-learning programs implemented
in American undergraduate universities since 2000 have not only proven beneficial for the individuals
or organizations being served but also for the participating students by offering opportunities for
academic, emotional, and social growth.
A literature review is a survey of everything that has been written about a particular topic, theory, or
research question. It may provide the background for larger work, or it may stand on its own. Much
more than a simple list of sources, an effective literature review analyzes and synthesizes information
about key themes or issues.

Why write a literature review?

1. To discover what has been written about a topic already
2. To determine what each source contributes to the topic
3. To understand the relationship between the various contributions, identify and (if possible) resolve
contradictions, and determine gaps or unanswered questions

What is involved in writing a literature review?

1. Research – to discover what has been written about the topic
2. Critical Appraisal – to evaluate the literature, determine the relationship between the sources and
ascertain what has been done already and what still needs to be done
3. Writing – to explain what you have found

Steps to writing an effective literature review:

1. Gathering sources
 Focus your topic: A literature review aims to cover all of the research on a given topic. If
the topic is too large, there will be too much material to cover it adequately.
 Read with a purpose: Although you will need to briefly summarize sources, a good
literature review requires that you isolate key themes or issues related to your own
research interests.

2. Evaluating sources
 For each book or article consider:
 Credentials: Is the author an expert?
 Argument/Evidence: Does the evidence support the conclusion? Is the argument
or evidence complete?
 When comparing sources, consider:
 Conclusions: Does all research arrive at the same conclusion or are there differing
opinions? What evidence or reasoning are the differences based on?
 Gaps or omissions: What questions are raised by the literature?

Writing a Literature Review

1. Introduction

The introduction should identify your topic, some discussion of the significance of that topic and
a thesis statement that outlines what conclusion you will draw from your analysis and synthesis
of the literature. If your literature review is part of a larger work, explain the importance of the
review to your research question.

2. Body

In the body, discuss and assess the research according to specific organizational principles (see
examples below), rather than addressing each source separately. Most, if not all, paragraphs
should discuss more than one source. Avoid addressing your sources alphabetically as this
does not assist in developing the themes or key issues central to your review.

3. Organizing Principles

4. Conclusion

The conclusion should provide a summary of YOUR findings from the literature review. Explain
what your analysis of the material leads you to conclude about the overall state of the literature,
what it provides and where it is lacking. You can also provide suggestions for future research or
explain how your future research will fill the gaps in the existing body of work on that topic.
In-text Citation

1. Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is great because it allows you to use your own words and your own voice.  It
demonstrates that you truly understand what the author is saying. Word of caution: Avoid changing the
author's meaning and/or plagiarizing the author.  Looking up certain words within the thesaurus is not
paraphrasing.  It is also important to cite the author while paraphrasing.
Here is an example of paraphrasing:
Original citation:
"With rates of childhood obesity climbing over the last decade, some parents and policy-makers have
thought to consider whether the availability of endless soda and junk food in school vending machines
might be contributing to the problem—and if banning those foods in schools might help solve it" (Price,
2012).
Paraphrase:
Price discusses the possibility that the availability of unhealthy, sugary snacks and drinks in school
vending machines has contributed to the rising epidemic of obesity in children.  In an effort to eliminate
the source of the problem, some of have proposed implementing a ban (2012).
2. Direct Quotes
Direct quotations are sometimes necessary to truly convey the author's meaning to the reader. 
When directly quoting an author(s), 
(a) the quote must be relevant to your argument,
(b) it needs to smoothly transition between what comes first and move to what comes
later,
(c), it must fit logically and make grammatical sense, and
(d) it should be no longer than absolutely necessary.
When reproducing an author's word directly, it is extremely important to quote and cite.  Direct
quotations with citation prevent plagiarism and gives the author credit for his/her work. The
parenthetical cite should always contain the author's surname, the publication year of the work,
and the page citation or paragraph number (for nonpaginated material).
Direct quotations can vary in length.  Quotes fewer than 40 words should be incorporated into
the text of the paragraph.  Quotes comprised of 40 or more words, need to be formatted in block
quotes.

Author and quote separated

Bell and Shank (2007) identify that "[a]t least one survey identified library instruction as the type of
collaboration mentioned most frequently by librarians" (p.67).

Article retrieved online

Price (2012) notes "[t]he results aren't huge, but apparently these laws have a real—and positive—
effect on students' health" (para.4).

Author and quote together

"Design is designed in many ways.  By one definition it is the conscious examination of objects and
processes to determine how they can be made better" (Bell & Shank, 2007, p. 23).

Article retrieved online

"The books, sold in the United States, share a piece of a foreign culture, while profits are put back into
the country the story came from" (Anthony, 2012, para. 2).

3. Long, block quotes (40 words or more):

Formatting rules:
• Indent the block quote five spaces or half an inch.
• Do not use quotation marks.
 • Double space the quote unless your school has a rule about single spacing block
quotes.
• Do not include any additional lines or spaces before or after the block quote.
• Notice that in block quotes, the period goes before the parentheses, not after.

Example:

Michelli (2007) uses the coffee chain, Starbucks, as example on how to become extraordinary. 
He discusses in detail various principles he discovered during his research on the renowned
company.  One of the principles focuses on "making it your own."  He writes,
Like most companies, Starbucks has wrestled with ways to invite its partners to
fully engage their passions and talents every day in every interaction at work.  
Simultaneously, the leadership has to ensure that individual partners' differences
are blending into a generally uniform experience for customers.  Finding a balance
between these two important, yet sometimes divergent, leadership responsibilities
can be awkward.  Yet through its principle of Make It Your Own, Starbucks has
succeeded in creating a unique model that encourages partners at all levels to
pour their creative energy and dedication into everything they do. (p. 20)
This principle does not only apply to businesses; it can be part of anyone's personal beliefs.

More details on in-text-citation:

 http://info.wartburg.edu/Portals/0/Pathways/WRSL/APAin-textcitations.pdf
 https://www.ltu.se/cms_fs/1.78649!/file/APA_6th_ed.pdf
 https://www.eiu.edu/edadmin/pdf/9%2027%202010%20American%20Psychological
%20Association%20Guide%20Revised.pdf

Group Members 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Research Adviser
Research Title
Instructor: Mc Kerwin Niño M. Acdal, LPT, MATSPED
Activity 5 Chapter 2- The Review of Related Literature and Studies

Chapter 1 THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

  Introduction
 Body
 Related legal bases
 Related literature
 Related studies
 Synthesis/Summary
 Conclusion

FORMAT
- Arial, 12, double space
- 8.5 x 11 bond paper size
- Left Margin: 1.5
- Top, Bottom, and Right Margins: 1
- In text citation and Reference List – APA Style 6 th Edition

SAMPLES
 https://www.slideshare.net/DayanaVillanueva4/thesis-chapter-1-to-5
 https://www.academia.edu/29189358/Chapter_1_3_research_proposal
 https://www.slideshare.net/kemakamal/chapter-1-research-proposal
 https://www.slideshare.net/Azreen5520/draft-rp-issues-faced-by-teacher-about-it
 https://www.slideshare.net/jennilynbalbalosa/chapters-1-5
 http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/5729/16/CHAPTER1_21march13.pdf
SAMPLE: Letter of Request for an Adviser

March 7, 2018

DR. KERSTIN GF A. PEDROZA

Professor
College of Science and Technology Education
University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines
Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City

Dear Ma’am,

Greetings!

I am Mc Kerwin Niňo M. Acdal, a Master of Arts in Teaching Special Education student in the
university. I am currently writing my thesis proposal as a requirement in the graduate school
program.

In line with this, I would like to request you to serve as my external adviser for my study entitled,
“Teachers’ Acceptability and Use of Accommodations for Students with Special Needs in the
General Education Classrooms”. I believe that your unbounded knowledge and scholarly
insights are valuable and I am certain they will greatly enrich my study.

I look forward to your favorable response on the matter.

May God bless you and your family even more!

Thank you very much!

Respectfully yours,

MC KERWIN NIŇO M. ACDAL, LPT

MA-T-SPED
Strictly follow the format below:
1.Set the filename of the document as the subject and the
activity number.
e.g. SNEd 16-Activity 2.doc

2. Send your output at kerwinacdal1990@gmail.com

3.In the subject email line, type the subject and your full
name.
e.g. PEd 11- Juan A. dela Cruz

Thank you!
-Sir Niño-