PRACTICAL RESEARCH 1

Quarter 3
Module 4: Writing the Review of Related Literature

Lesson 1: Relevant Literature Sources for Qualitative Research

Literature Review

A literature review is the process of collecting and synthesizing information from multiple sources. The gathered
information for the literature review serves multiple purposes and can be utilized in different parts of the study. This
can serve as an overall guide to refine the research questions and objectives of the study, and as a reference for the
methodology and discussion of the results of the study.

Types of Literature Sources

Primary Sources 

Primary sources are references that contain information, which were observed or witnessed firsthand by the author.
Primary sources should be prioritized when searching for references for a literature review because they usually
contain more advanced information. There are different types of primary sources: journal articles, video and audio
recordings, survey data, and statistical data. 

Journal articles are scholarly articles compiled in peer-reviewed journals that were classified according to the field of
study. These are considered as the top choice for primary sources in terms of validity and credibility. Video and audio
recordings are primary sources that are commonly used in qualitative research. These media recordings capture and
document firsthand the phenomena that the researcher seeks to observe further. Unlike peer-reviewed journal
articles, video and audio recordings are considered raw data because the recordings per se have not been subjected
to data analysis. However, these recordings are still considered relevant primary sources because of their ability to
store firsthand observations, which can be used as the basis for data analysis. Survey data are the outputs of surveys
conducted by surveying bodies that may be government institutions, nongovernmental organizations, private
groups, or even individuals. Survey data are obtained from a chosen sample using definite survey instruments or
questionnaires. Statistical data are compilation of numerical data. Survey data can be a part of statistical data.
Statistical data are subjected to statistical tests to be used for analysis and interpretation.

Secondary Sources 

Secondary sources are references that contain information based on primary sources. Secondary sources may be the
interpretation, review, or analysis of information found in primary sources. Common examples of secondary sources
include the following: scientific review articles, news or magazine articles, and textbooks. A scientific review article
contains a summary and a review of previous and current findings on a particular topic. News or magazine articles
are useful for both qualitative and quantitative research studies. At present, news or magazine articles can be
accessed in print and online. Textbooks are materials containing information from highly specific subjects to broader
fields. Textbooks are considered as secondary sources because most of the contents of textbooks are compiled by
the authors from published reference books on a particular topic.

Lesson 2: Citing Literature Sources

Citing Literature Sources 

Giving proper acknowledgment to authors of an original work is an obligation of a researcher. Practicing academic
honesty in research can be done with proper citation of sources. It is also important to take note that there are
different citation styles suited for a certain discipline. 

Purpose of Citing Literature Sources  

As a researcher, you must always uphold integrity in your work. This is why it is important to give credit to the
scholars who made a significant contribution to the field of research. Below are some of the main reasons why
researchers must cite sources accordingly: 
  To give credit to other writers and researchers. Different ideas come from different researchers who
contributed to the field and the topic of your interest. Citing these researchers, who exerted time and effort,
demonstrates respect for their work. 
 To support evidence in the researcher’s argument. Citing researchers in your field makes your research
work credible. It makes your work more persuasive when it is backed by evidence coming from experts in
your field who have already done empirical studies on the subject. 
 To easily locate sources about a certain topic. Proper citations help other researchers who study the same
topic of interest to locate related sources easily. It helps the researcher to save time and keep track of these
sources for future use.   

Citation Style Guides 

There are different style guides in citing literature sources, and each has its own set of rules and guidelines. The most
common style guides are the following: 

 The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA)

 The Modern Language Association Style (MLA)
 The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) 
Style Guide Discipline
Lesson 3: Summarizing Literature Sources APA Psychology, Education, Social Sciences
MLA Humanities 
CMOS Business, History, Fine Arts