Review Of Related Literature

It involves a process of identifying, locating, organizing, and

analyzing information about a research topic. Conducting a
literature review is essential because it prevents duplication of
studies and helps avoid problems that others have encountered. It
would be wasteful for a researcher to begin working on a study
without knowing what others have already done. Literature review
also provides valuable information about how to measure the
research variables involved and what research designs will be most
useful.

Literature serves the following functions in the research process:

 It provides information about past research studies related

to the intended investigation, preventing the duplication of
research undertakings.
 It presents gaps in the field of study. Gaps may either be
areas in the body of knowledge that are not explored yet or
parts where research studies yielded inconclusive results.
 It affords confidence and authority to the researchers since
reviewing the literature can provide them all possible
constructs and perspectives of the present study.
 It gives information about the methods used in similar
studies, including the characteristics of the samples, the
sampling techniques or the process of selecting the
research participants, the variables considered, the kinds
of data gathered, and the type of analysis and
interpretation done on the collected data.
 It enumerates findings from previous studies that may
support those of the present study.
  It provides ideas on how implications may be drawn out of
the analysis and interpretation of data.

A literature review is a comprehensive summary of previous

research on a topic. The literature review surveys scholarly
articles, books, and other sources relevant to a particular
area of research. The review should enumerate, describe,
summarize, objectively evaluate and clarify this previous
research.  It should give a theoretical base for the research and
help you (the author) determine the nature of your research.  The
literature review acknowledges the work of previous researchers,
and in so doing, assures the reader that your work has been well
conceived.  It is assumed that by mentioning a previous work in
the field of study, that the author has read, evaluated, and
assimiliated that work into the work at hand.
A literature review creates a "landscape" for the reader, giving her
or him a full understanding of the developments in the field.  This
landscape informs the reader that the author has indeed
assimilated all (or the vast majority of) previous, significant works
in the field into her or his research. 
 "In writing the literature review, the purpose is to convey to the
reader what knowledge and ideas have been established on a
topic, and what their strengths and weaknesses are. The literature
review must be defined by a guiding concept (eg. your research
objective, the problem or issue you are discussing, or your
argumentative thesis). It is not just a descriptive list of the material
available, or a set of summaries
Generation of useful research questions or projects/activities
for the discipline
They are meant to be illustrative, in order to help people who are working or considering
working in these disciplines get a sense of what some attempts to approach them from a
longtermist perspective might look like. They also represent projects that we think would be
useful to pursue from a longtermist perspective.

These lists are not meant to be exhaustive; nor are they meant to express a
considered view on what we think the most valuable questions and projects in
each area are.

We’ve categorised the entries by discipline, though even if you’re already a

researcher in one discipline we’d encourage you to consider questions and
projects from others as well. Working at the intersection of two fields, and
using the tools from one to tackle questions from another, can be good ways
to increase your impact, as these interfaces are often more neglected.

There is some overlap between the disciplines listed below, and some
repetition of questions that seemed like particularly good examples of
research in more than one field.

Importance

It not only surveys what research has been done in the past on your topic, but it also
appraises, encapsulates, compares and contrasts, and correlates various scholarly
books, research articles, and other relevant sources that are directly related to your
current research. Given the fundamental nature of providing one, your research paper
will be not considered seriously if it is lacking one at the beginning of your paper.

The purpose of a literature review is to:

 Provide foundation of knowledge on topic

  Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication and give credit to other
researchers
 Identify inconstancies: gaps in research, conflicts in previous studies, open
questions left from other research
 Identify need for additional research (justifying your research)
 Identify the relationship of works in context of its contribution to the topic and to
other works
 Place your own research within the context of existing literature making a case
for why further study is needed

Instrument used:

Instrumentation
In research, to make observations for various variables, that is, the
primary data that are collected, recorded, analyzed and interpreted
special tools are developed. These tools are referred to as instruments
and the systematic procedure for the selection and development of
these tools is known as instrumentation (Pangaro and Shea, 2015).
Instrumentation includes all those measures which are used during the
research to collect data. The quality of research depends to a large
extent on the quality of the research instrument. The more efficient
the research instrument, the more authentic the research becomes.
The two most common instruments used in nutritional research include
questionnaires (surveys, interviews) and experimental …show more
content…
It can be referred to as the ability of a research design to provide
an adequate test of a hypothesis. For example, a researcher decides
that a particular medication prevents the development of heart disease
as the participants who took the medication developed lower rates of
heart disease than did those who never took the medication. This
interpretation of the study’s results can be correct, if the study has high
internal validity for which the researcher would have to perform an
experimental study which should contain an experimental as well as a
control group. …show more content…
Over the course of time participants naturally change. This may
bring about changes in the participants during the experiment
which is not because of the treatment.

Testing
The third threat to the internal validity is ‘testing’. Taking a test
generally affects subsequent testing; thus, participants’ performance at
the end of the study may differ from an initial testing, not because of
treatment but because they are familiar with the measure.

When do I use a hypothesis?

It is appropriate to use a hypothesis when you are testing a theory. Your immediate answer to this may be 'I'm
not testing a theory'; however, remember that our definition of theory is very broad - 'an idea about how things
relate to each other'. If you have an expectation of how your research question will be answered (the outcome)
then it is fair to say you have a theory in mind. If you ask of your research question 'What is the expected
outcome?' and have an answer, you can ask why? What is my thinking behind this prediction? This is essentially
the theory that you will be testing.

If you are not able to predict the answer to your question then your approach is not one of theory testing and
you should not proceed with developing hypotheses to test. Your research questions remain as such. This will be
the case if your research is descriptive or exploratory in nature.

Developing a hypothesis from a research question

Our definition of a hypothesis stresses that it can be tested. To meet this criterion the hypothesis must be
operationalised - that is the concepts employed in the hypothesis must be measurable.

Developing hypotheses requires that you identify one character, variable or descriptor of a sampling unit that
causes, affects, or has an influence on, another character, variable or descriptor of the same or other sampling
units. The character, variable or descriptor that affects other variables or sampling units is called
the independent variable. The character, variable or descriptor which is affected by the independent variable
Developing a strong testable
is called the dependent variable or response variable.

hypothesis has few advantages, it compels us to think intensely and

specifically about the outcomes of a study. Consequently, it enables us to
understand the implication of the question and the different variables
involved in the study. Furthermore, it helps us to make precise predictions
based on prior research. Hence, forming a hypothesis would be of great
value to the research. 

Note that although for the purposes of research methodology some variables may be called 'dependent' when
investigating their relationship with other 'independent' variables, this does not imply the existence of a causal
(as compared with associative) relationship unless strict rules of research design are followed. This issue is
discussed in more detail later in the module.

Importance of a Testable Hypothesis

To devise and perform an experiment using scientific method, you need
to make sure that your hypothesis is testable. To be considered testable,
some essential criteria must be met:

1. There must be a possibility to prove that the hypothesis is true.

2. There must be a possibility to prove that the hypothesis is false.
3. The results of the hypothesis must be reproducible.

Metodologu

Correct choice of research methodology helps in determining the success

and overall quality of your research study and its documentation.
Furthermore, becoming familiar with the research methods used by an
area of study allows you to understand it more effectively.

Research Tip: You have likely narrowed your topic too severely if you cannot
easily find resources. FROM NARROWED TOPIC TO QUESTION Once you determine a
topic that you believe to be both interesting and relevant, you’ll be ready
to begin the process of searching out specific sources and collecting
information. However, you want to avoid simply reporting information, and the
best way to do this is to ask questions, to find a purpose for your research.
While it is true that you may learn much from seeking out and reporting
information, you will nonetheless only be reporting information. IB considers
this kind of writing unsuitable for the extended essay. Rather, candidates are
expected to examine a problem or issue in depth, adding both analysis and
evaluation. If you cannot generate questions worth asking about your topic,
then you will be unable to offer any significant answers that might change how
you or your readers think about your topic. “Questions are critical because
the starting point of good research is always what you do not know or
understand but feel you must” (Booth, 1995, p. 39). Having a good set of
questions will keep you from getting off track as you search for information.
1. Ask the standard factual questions involving who, what, when, and where.
Answers to these questions will provide you and your reader with the necessary
background information needed to understand your topic. First off, you should
just write out your questions and not worry about answering them. Just ask the
questions. 2. Ask interpretive or analytical questions about your topic. These
questions will be generated from your information gathering—reading widely on
a topic of interest. These are questions that result from your own analysis,
critical thinking and wonder.

Link: guide to developing a research question.pdf (wsfcs.k12.nc.us)

Empirical research  is based on observed and measured phenomena and derives knowledge from
actual experience rather than from theory or belief.  

How do you know if a study is empirical? Read the subheadings within  the article, book, or
report and look for a description of the research "methodology."  Ask yourself: Could I recreate this
study and test these results?

Key characteristics to look for:

 Specific research questions  to be answered

 Definition of the population, behavior, or phenomena being studied
 Description of the  process used to study this population or phenomena, including selection
criteria, controls, and testing  instruments (such as surveys)

Another hint: some scholarly journals use a specific layout, called the "IMRaD" format, to
communicate empirical research findings. Such articles typically have 4 components:
  Introduction: sometimes called "literature review" --  what is currently known about the
topic -- usually includes a theoretical framework and/or discussion of previous studies
 Methodology: sometimes called "research design" --  how to recreate the study -- usually
describes the population,  research process, and analytical tools
 Results: sometimes called "findings"  -- what was learned through the study --
usually appears as statistical data or as substantial quotations from research participants
 Discussion: sometimes called "conclusion" or "implications" -- why the study is important
-- usually describes how the research results influence professional practices or future
studies

(1) How Library Stuff Works - Refining Your Research Question - YouTube

Refinig question
Whether its to broad or narrrow, orb its been answered

Broad- huge amount of inforrmation

Narrow-little info

A research gap is, simply, a topic or area for which missing or insufficient

information limits the ability to reach a conclusion for a question. It should
not be confused with a research question, however. For example, if we ask
the research question of what the healthiest diet for humans is, we would
find many studies and possible answers to this question. On the other
hand, if we were to ask the research question of what are the effects of
antidepressants on pregnant women, we would not find much-existing
data. This is a research gap. When we identify a research gap, we identify
a direction for potentially new and exciting research.