Advance Literary-

Cultural Research
Methodology

Literature
Review

Rukhsana Qamar
SUBJECT NAME:
Advance Literary-Cultural Research
Methodology
ASSIGNMENT TOPIC:
Literature Review
SUBMITTED TO:
DR.Bushra Naz
SUBMITTED BY:
RUKHSANA QAMAR
ROLL-NO-28
M.Phil English literature
What is Research?
Research is "creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge”. It
involves the collection, organization, and analysis of information to increase understanding of a
topic or issue. A research project may be an expansion on past work in the field. To test the
validity of instruments, procedures, or experiments, research may replicate elements of prior
projects or the project as a whole.
Research has been defined in a number of different ways, and while there are similarities, there
does not appear to be a single, all-encompassing definition that is embraced by all who engage
in it.
 One definition of research is used by the OECD, "Any creative systematic activity
undertaken in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man,
culture and society, and the use of this knowledge to devise new applications."
 Another definition of research is given by John W.Creswell, who states that "research is
a process of steps used to collect and analyze information to increase our understanding
of a topic or issue". It consists of three steps: pose a question, collect data to answer the
question, and present an answer to the question.
The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines research in more detail as "studious inquiry or
examination; especially : investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and
interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts, or
practical application of such new or revised theories or laws”.

Function of Research:
 It obtains the scientist knowledge about all educational problems. It also helps in

obtaining specific knowledge about the subjects involved in the study.

 In action research, the researchers are teachers, curriculum workers, principals,

supervisors or others whose main task is to help, provide good learning experiences for

pupils.

 In it, a person tries to enable him to realize his purposes more effectively. For example:

A teacher conducts his teaching more effectively. An administrator, in the education

department performs his action to improve his administrative behavior.

  Action research is a procedure which tries to keep problem solving in close contact with

reality at every stage.

 In educational system it conduits for the progress of the technique of teaching.

 It strengthens and emphasizes the work of the teacher.

 It has a great utility of creating new interest and new confidence in the ability of the

individual teacher.

 Action research provides practical utility. For class-room teacher, he applies his own

observations into his class-room practices to make the observed problems solved.

Minor problems in the classroom can be solved by applying the teachers’ intelligence.

 Action research brings changes in the teachers. It makes them co-operative and active

in facing the situation easily. It also happens to bring about changes in the behavior,

attitude and teaching performance.

The place of literature review in research:

Literature review is an important part of research study. It gives an understanding of the
existing knowledge reviewing the literature is a time consuming activity which will give you
deeper understanding of any research topic without literature review one cannot start
research. It will provide a synthesis of the issues, trends and concepts surrounding your
research .It is an important duty of a researcher is to match his/her findings with others, for
this purpose literature review play an essential role.

Literature review functions:

 It provide theoretical background to your study.
 It creates a link between your findings and the existing knowledge.
 It will help you to contribute in your profession. The literature review can help in four
ways.
1. It will clear your concept.
2. It will improve your methodology.
3. It will expand your knowledge in your research area.
4. It will help you to contextualise your findings
Bring clarity and focus to your research
problem:
Literature review involves a paradox you cannot start research without knowing the problem
on which you are going to research. To select the problem it is important to review the
literature. The second importance of literature review is that it will help you to better
understanding of your research problem. It will enable you to focus on your study in those
areas where there are gaps.

Improving your research methodology:

If you will review any literature on a specific area of interest so it will help you to understand
the techniques and methodologies better. This will increase your confidence in the
methodology you plan to use and will equip you to defend its use.

Broadening your knowledge base in your

research area:
When you are planning to start research it is essential that you must have adequate knowledge
about your topic by reviewing literature anyone can enhance his or her knowledge because
reading will broad your knowledge, to a researcher it is important that he/she must be master
in his/her field of interest when you start research project you are expected to be skillful in your
area of research a thorough study of literature enable you to fulfill this demand another
important reason for literature review is that it helps you to judge that how can be your
findings fit into the previous knowledge.

Enabling you to contextualize your findings:

When you write question for you research it is easy to find their answers as compare to
examining them with other’s findings. It is important that one have sufficient knowledge about
previous research work. The literature review will help you to create new knowledge in a
particular area of research. The literature review will enable you to know and to compare your
finding with those of others and answer these question. It is important to place your answer in
the context of what is already known in your field of enquiry.

How to review the literature:

If you don’t have a research problem than simply read the literature. Writes some important
points or issues and then ask to yourself that what you want to find out about that particular
piece of literature .If you already have a research problem then read and review literature
according to that specific problem. If you will review literature without checking your specific
area of interest than surely it will become the cause of wasting time and resources. There are
four steps in conducting literature review.
1. Searching for the existing literature in your area of study.
2. Reviewing the selected literature.
3. Developing theoretical frame work.
4. Developing a conceptual frame work.
The skill required for these tasks are different. Developing theoretical and conceptual frame
work are more difficult than the others task.

Searching for the existing literature:

Make sure that you have crystal clear idea about the problem you are going to investigate so
that you can search effectively according to your particular field of interest while searching next
step is to insert bibliography. There are three sources that you can use to prepare a
bibliography.
 Book.
 Journals.
 Internet.

Books:
Books are the valid source of any bibliography they have their merits and demerits. The merit is
that the material published in books is usually important and of good quality. The main demerit
is that the material presents in book is not up to date. The best way to search a book is that to
look up the library. You can concern your librarian to you to find the best subject heading
according to your area, book preview index can also help you to search books of your interest
you must use key words look through the titles seems appropriate to your topics. You should
check the book content as well because sometime the content do not provide complete
information according to your topic. It is important that you should examine the content before
taking out its print. When you select 10-15 books appropriately than examine the bibliography
if a book has been referenced by a number of authors. You should include it in your reading list
that you think is essential for reading. Borrow these books and examine their content too
double check to make sure that they really are relevant to your topic. An annoted bibliography
contains a brief abstract of the aspects covered in a book and you can add your own notes of its
relevance. You should be careful to keep track of references for this you can prepare your own
card index or you can use a computer program such as endnotes or pro-cite.

Journals:
Although books are the good source of collecting information but journal are provide the most
up to date information you need to read journals that one which related to your topic so that
you can write up to data information. You should select journals as many as you possibly can
although it depends on the topic, certain fields have more journals than others. Along with
books you need to make a list of journals to check the literature relevant to your study. There
are many ways you can use such as
 Locate the hard copies of the journals that are appropriate to your study.
 Look at citation or abstract indices to identify and/or read the abstracts of such articles.
 Search electronic database.
Once you select journals according to your topic make a list of those you want to study check if
there is article relevant to your research. There are several sources designed to make your
search for journals easier and these can save your time.
 Indices of journals (e.g. Humanities index).
 Abstracts of article.
 Citation indices(e.g. social citation index)
Each of these are avaible in print or accessible through the internet. There are electronic
database in many disciplines. These are helpful in asking bibliography for example most
libraries have electronic database

Internet:
Almost every academic discipline and professional field, the internet has become an important
tool finding published literature. The most commonly used are Google and yahoo. Searching
through internet is very similar to searching by using an electronic catalogue it is based on key
word select the most appropriate key words.

Reviewing the selected literature:

Once you select several books and articles which are useful for your research the next step is to
read them and note themes, issues which are helpful for your study unless you design a
theoretical frame work. keep in your mind that you may need to add more themes as you go
along you should examine them by following aspects.
  Whether the knowledge relevant to your theoretical frame work has been confirm
beyond doubt.
 Note the theories out forward the criticisms of these and their basis, the methodologies
adopted (Study design, sample size and its characterics, measurement procedures etc.)
and the critics of them.
 Notes where there are significant differences of opinion among researchers and give
your opinion about the validity of these differences.
 Ascertain the areas in which little or nothing is know the gaps that exist in the body of
knowledge.

Developing a theoretical frame work:

Examining the literature can be a never ending task but as you have limited time it is important
to reviewing the literature according to your main themes. You will come to know that
literature deals with a number of aspects that have direct or indirect bearing on your research
topic use these aspects as a basis for have to review the literature and then to develop
theoretical frame work.

Developing a conceptual frame work:

Conceptual frame work is connected with the theoretical frame work. Theoretical frame work
deals with theories and issues while conceptual frame work describe the aspects according to
your theoretical frame work.

Writing about the literature reviewed:

On the stage you have to write about the literature you have reviewd.Two main function of
reviewing literature.
1. To provide theoretical background of your study and
2. To enable you to contextualize you’re finding in relation the existing body of knowledge.
Your literature should reflect those two main purposes to achieve this goal you should identify
and describe theories which are relevant to your field and specify the gaps in existing
knowledge. To achieve the second purpose you should integrate the result from your study by
comparing them with others finding according to your area of enquiry at this stage of the
search process only the first purposes can be fullfill.You can only take steps to achieve the
second function when you have analysed your data and are in the process of writing about your
finding. Your writing should be thematic that must be based on main themes these theme
setup should follow a logical progression various arguments should be substantiated with
specific quotations and citations from the literature and should adherence to an acceptable
academic referencing style.