Slide 3.

Chapter 3

Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 7e © Pearson Education Limited 2016
Slide 3.2

1. understand the importance and purpose of the

critical literature review to their research project;
2. be able to adopt a critical perspective in their
reading;
3. know what they need to include when writing their
critical review;
4. be able to search terms and undertake online
literature searches;
5. be able to evaluate the relevance and sufficiency of
the literature found;
6. be able to reference the literature found accurately;
7. understand what is meant by plagiarism;
8. be able to apply the knowledge, skills and
understanding gained to their own research project.

Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 7e © Pearson Education Limited 2016
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1. Helps to generate and refine your research idea

and draft the research proposal

2. CRITICAL REVIEW provides the context &

theoretical framework for your research

3. To place the research findings within the wider

body of knowledge and forms part of discussion
chapter

Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 7e © Pearson Education Limited 2016
Slide 3.4

When planning a
literature search
students need to:
 have clearly defined research
question(s) and objectives;
 define the parameters of
their search;
 generate search terms;
 discuss their ideas as widely
as possible.
Students’ literature
search is likely to be
undertaken using a
variety of approaches in
tandem.
 searching using online
databases and search engines;
 following up references in
articles they have already read;
 scanning and browsing books
and journals in the library

Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 7e © Pearson Education Limited 2016
Slide 3.5

If you think the

concepts,
theories,
arguments
or empirical
research findings
reported and
discussed
In article are
unclear, biased
or inconsistent
with other work,
you need to
justify why

Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 7e © Pearson Education Limited 2016
Slide 3.6

Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 7e © Pearson Education Limited 2016
Slide 3.7

• Critique & Synthesise representative literature

Integrative Review on a topic to generate new framework

Historical • Examines the evolution of research on a

Review particular topic over a period of time

Theoretical • Examines body of theory that has

Review accumulated in regards to issue, concept etc

Methodological • Focuses on research approaches, strategies,

Review data collection or analysis procedures

Systematic • Uses a comprehensive pre-panned strategy

for locating, critically appraising, analysing and
Review synthesising existing research

Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 7e © Pearson Education Limited 2016
Slide 3.8

1. Why am I reading this?

2. What is the author is trying to do in writing this?
3. What is the writer saying that is relevant to what I want to
find out
4. How convincing is what the author is saying?
5. What use can I make of the reading?

1. Key academic theories within your chosen area of research

that are pertinent to your research questions
2. Demonstrate your knowledge of your chosen area is up to
date
3. Enable those reading your work to find the original
publications which you cite through clear complete
referencing

Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 7e © Pearson Education Limited 2016
Slide 3.9

1. Start at general level before narrowing it down to your

specific research questions & objectives
2. Brief overview of key ideas & themes
3. Summarise; compare & contrast the research of the key
authors
4. Narrow down to highlight previous research work most
relevant to your own research
5. Provide a detailed account of the findings of this
research & show how they are related
6. Highlight those aspects where your own research will
provide fresh insights
7. Lead the reader into subsequent sections of your work,
which explore these issues.

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Slide 3.10

Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 7e © Pearson Education Limited 2016
Slide 3.11

Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 7e © Pearson Education Limited 2016
 Sources of Literature Review
• To scan and search the literature effectively, you need to
know how to find “GOLD” among millions of books and
journal articles.
• The sources of literature search:
1. Papers published in refereed journals (SCOPUS Cited
Please)
2. Master’s & doctoral theses
3. books (academic)
4. government, industry or occasional reports
5. Non-refereed journals, conference papers and
undergraduate project paper, working papers
6. Magazines, pamphlets and newspaper clippings (must be
avoided)
• As the rule, peer-reviewed journal publications
are of higher quality.
• for the academic dissertation, the main source should be
journal.
•This is because the most up to date research & debates
only found in the journals.

• In an academic research, no newspaper cuttings or

magazines citations are allowed in literature review
chapter/section.
•This is because, newspaper & magazines reports they are
not subjected to rigorous peer review.
 Answer: depends on how many major studies have
been completed on the topic.

 If you only report one or two sources, readers may

suspect that you haven’t put enough effort into
searching the literature.

 You don’t want to miss a major study, since you may

look careless and may weaken
the rationale for your research
Slide 3.15

1. Defining the parameters of your search

2. Generating your search terms
3. Search online databases and search engine
4. Criteria you intend to use to select the relevant &
5. useful studies from all the items you find

Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 7e © Pearson Education Limited 2016
Slide 3.16

The identification of SEARCH TERMS is the most important part of planning

your research for relevant literature

Useful
SEARCH TERMS
are the basic
Techniques
terms that
describe your  Discussion
Research  Initial readings,
questions(s), and dictionaries,
objectives and
will be used to encyclopaedias,
search the handbooks
tertiary literature  Brainstorming
 Relevance Tree

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Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 7e © Pearson Education Limited 2016
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Box 3.11 Focus on student research – Searching using online databases

Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 7e © Pearson Education Limited 2016
Slide 3.19

 ABI/Inform
 Blackwell Synergy
 EBSCOhost business source
premier
 Ecolit
 Emerald
 Ingenta Journals
 PROQUEST
 Science Direct
 Springer
 ProQuest Digital
Dissertations

Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 7e © Pearson Education Limited 2016
Slide 3.20

Obtaining
Just get your LR: Evaluating
Library Assessing Relevance
Online Catalogue Assessing Value
Inter-Library Loan Assessing Sufficiency

Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 7e © Pearson Education Limited 2016
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Referencing
style

Bibliographic Details

ISBN
DOI
CLASS NO Brief Summary of Content
QUOTATION

Supplementary Information

Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 7e © Pearson Education Limited 2016
Slide 3.22

Figure 3.3 Flow diagram for reporting Systematic Review

Source: Developed from Moher et al. 2009

Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 7e © Pearson Education Limited 2016
Slide 3.23

SYNTHESIS
MATRIX

Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 7e © Pearson Education Limited 2016
Slide 3.24

The result
of
comparing
2 or more
contrasting
ideas

To synthesize is to…

 Compare and Contrast

 Critically evaluate
 Interpret To synthesize is to combine two or
more elements to form a new
whole. In the literature review, the
“elements” are the findings of the
literature you gather and read; the
“new whole” is the conclusion you
draw from those findings.
Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 7e © Pearson Education Limited 2016
Slide 3.25

Because a literature review is

NOT a summary of different
sources, it can be very difficult
to keep your research organized.

One way to help in organizing

literature reviews is the
synthesis matrix.

The synthesis matrix is a chart

that allows a researcher to sort
and categorize the different
arguments presented on an
issue. Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 7e © Pearson Education Limited 2016
Slide 3.26

CONSTRUCT Perceived Value

Author Date/Year Main Methodology Findings Remarks

Constructs

Author/ Theory Main Methodology Findings Remarks

Date Constructs /Industry/
Sample

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Topic:

Main Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source 4

Idea
A
B

Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 7e © Pearson Education Limited 2016
Slide 3.28

Research Area xyz

Paper Type Empirical/Conceptual
Industry Financial Industry
Sample Organisation/Customer/Employees

Author/ Theory Main Methodology Findings Remarks

Date Constructs (Implication/
Future
Research)

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Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 7e © Pearson Education Limited 2016
Slide 3.30

A Summary of Selected Studies on Tourist

Experience

Authors/ Industry No of The Dimensions Types of

Year Dimensions Study
Cohen Hotel 5 Experimental; Conceptual
(1979) Industry Experiential
Recreational
Diversional
Existential
Otto & Service 6 Hedonic Empirical
Ritchie Industry Interactive; Novelty,
(1995) Comfort, Safety,
Stimulation
Pine & Service 4 Entertainment; Conceptual
Gilmore Industry Education; Esthetics
(1998) and Escapism

Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 7e © Pearson Education Limited 2016
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Conceptualisation of Attitude

No Authors Conceptualisation
1 Ajzen & Fishbein Actions as a response to the given
(1969) objects
2 Ramdhani et al (2012) Cognitive, Affective, Conative
3 Curras Perez et al Favorable and unfavorable
(2102) tendencies because of beliefs and
other factors such as motivation
and perceived risks.
4 Chung et al (2012) Favorable or Unfavorable
5 Lee & Goudeu (2013) Cognition, Affect and Behaviour

Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 7e © Pearson Education Limited 2016
Slide 3.32

Classifications of Memory

Author Classification Definitions Examples

x Procedural Encoding, Storing Skills required for
and Retrieving the riding a bicycle
procedures that
underlie motor,
verbal…
y Semantic Memory of General Disneys’ icon is
Knowledge of the Mickey Mouse
world
X and Y Episodic Memory of First Day of class at
personally University
experience events

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Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 7e © Pearson Education Limited 2016