LITERATURE REVIEW

A review of related literature is the process of collecting, selecting, and reading books, journals, reports,
abstracts, and other reference materials. The following information may be collected:

1. Background knowledge about the problem and associated ideas.

2. Theories that give details of the presence of the problem and certain variables that is connected to the problem.

3. Data that prove the occurrence and gravity of the problem

4. Detailed and broad results of related studies

5. Gaps and recommendations for additional study specified in related studies The significance and rationale of
related literature and studies is to find out the similarities and differences between the past and present studies, to get
ideas into the critical and controversial aspects of the problem. It helps recognize and define a research problem. It
gives the researcher a background analysis aspect, which have been studied. It guides the researcher on what to do
on the mechanism of the research methods; this also provides the thoughts to advance with the study until its
conclusion. It avoids redundant duplication of a study. Moreover, reading extensively will enrich your background
knowledge on your research topic that will enable you to establish a good groundwork or course of your research
endeavor.

Criteria in Selecting, Citing, and Synthesizing Related Literature

Here are questions to guide you in this endeavor of selecting, citing, and synthesizing related literature.
What is your prior knowledge about your research topic?
What do you have to critically say about your prior knowledge on the topic?
What do you want to know more about your topic?
Did anyone do a similar research as yours?
What does your research have that other researches do not?
Who are these authors who have works which has more or less same ideas as yours?
Exposed to a wide source of facts and conditioned by a limited timeframe during the conduct of study, it is necessary
that you have a guided approach in reading or reviewing various literature works that are related to your research
topic. Here are some points to consider in an effective literature review:

Step 1: Search for the Literature

There are many sources of information available such as the Internet, books, peer-reviewed articles in journals,
publications, unpublished works like theses and dissertations (detailed and comprehensive accounts of a research
work submitted for a higher degree at a university), conference proceedings (brief summaries of research work
presented at conferences),books, leaflets, posters, blogs, and other library materials offline and online. Some
websites might give valuable information such as Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter, and the likes but they are not as
dependable as other sources of knowledge since it can be edited and considered not a scholarly article (Baraceros,
2016). Therefore, there is a need to carefully evaluate online sources as to accuracy and veracity of information.
Furthermore, the following are key points in searching literature:

1. In gathering sources, have focus, a clearly indicated scope and purpose of the review.

2. Isolate and centre your research on key themes or issues related to your own research interests.

3. Choose articles which are closely related to your research interest.

4. Choose studies conducted by experts and authorities in that same field of knowledge with your study.

5. Peer-reviewed materials are much preferable than general sources of ideas.

Step 2: Reading and Citing Source of Material

In reviewing related literature, you come up with ideas borrowed from someone else; therefore, it is but polite,
honesty, and courtesy to learn to acknowledge other people’s intellectual rights and to avoid plagiarism. The following
are three terms to express recognition of author’s ownership of borrowed ideas (Sharp, 2012).

1. Acknowledgment. It identifies individuals who have contributed to the making of the manuscript, written at the start
of the paper.

What Is It?
2. References or Bibliography. A whole list of literary materials including all books, journal, theses, and dissertations
along with other sources mentioned above. References are arranged alphabetically in some papers or in order of
sequence as it comes out in the paper. This holds the summary of the information of all of your sources. Information
needed in making the referencing list involves the following:

a. Author’s name
b. Date of the publication of the source.
c. Page number where you found the information.
d. Publisher
e. Place of Publishing
f. Volume
g. Edition
h. Other relevant information –date of access

Example of References

Baptista, P. Benefits to Teaching Hydroponics in the Classroom. August 15, 2014. http://blog.zipgrow.com/teaching-
hydroponics-in-the-classroom/

Benton,J.J.2004.Hydroponics. A practical guide for the soiless grower.2nd Edition,CRC press pp.35-150.

Brechner, M. Floating Hydroponics: A Guide to Student Experiments Growing Plants without Soil. Cornell University.
http://csip.cornell.edu.

Divina, J. C. 2015. Lettuce Production Guide.Department of Agriculture. Bureau of Plant Industry-National Crop
Research and Development Center. Retrievedfromhttp://bpi.da.gov.ph/bpi/images/Production_guide/pdf/Lettuce.pdf.
Accessed 12/7/2018

3. Citation, or In-text-citation. Referring author within the main body of the text. Citations can be done by paraphrasing,
summarizing, or through quotations. It can be written in the beginning of a text, between the text, or at the last part of
the paragraph. Examples are shown:

Sanchez (2015) found out building food systems that are more sustainable, resilient and responsive …

A study by Chojnacka (2012) revealed that extracts derived from algae contain such components as polysaccharides

This planting system is a sustainable alternative that reduces dependence on water and fertilizer and requires less
space (Alshrouf, 2017), making it ideal in urban places.

Productivity is declining as the country is facing a burgeoning population of more than a hundred million, where
majority of Filipinos are suffering from malnutrition (Briones, et al, 2017).

There are three basic methods of referencing the author referred in your paper. These are the APA (American
Psychological Association), MLA (Modern Language Association), and the Chicago Manual Style. In this module, we
will be focusing on the two most commonly used styles of referencing. Moreover, between the two, APA is the most
frequently used within the social sciences in citing various sources. The following table shows examples of MLA and
APA styles of referencing:

Features in writing

APA System
MLA System
Author’s name
Carreon, J.B.
Carreon, Janice B.
Title of the reading material
Phenombased learning: the new approach
Phenombased Learning: The New Approach; or
Phenombased Learning: The New Approach
Copyright date
Carreon, J.B. 2019. Phenombased learning: the new approach. EduTech Journal. Wordstar Press Inc. Manila,
Philippines
Carreon, Janice B. Phenombased Learning: The New Approach. EduTech Journal. Wordstar Press.2016. Manila,
Philippines

Step 3: Creating or synthesizing your review of related literature

Developing your review of related literature by gathering ideas from other researches can be done by some patterns
or techniques like paraphrasing, quoting, and summarizing it. In doing so, you may either change the arrangement of
ideas, structures of language by using synonyms, changing format of words by comparison-contrast, chronological
order, passive-active sentences, inductive-deductive order, or by fusing opinions with the author’s ideas. In quoting, a
part of an author’s words are repeated in writing but the page number of copied text should be written, ideas must be
essential and quoted judiciously, meaning with full understanding. Summarizing is a shortened version of the original
text expressed in your own language, picking only the most important details of the text. Paraphrasing on the other
hand permits you to explain the idea in your own words.

Ethical Standards in Writing

“In every problem, there is a simple and plausible solution’, an adage once says. Here are some tips to minimize
problems in conducting research:

1. Ensure available funds and budget for study to be conducted.

2. Team members should know their assigned tasks well.
3. Identify respondents ahead of time and maintain a list of contact lines and addresses to easily follow them up.
4. Draft a clear and reliable timeline of activities
5. Reproduce copies of essential documents always.
6. Ask for permits always before conducting any activity.
7. Conduct ocular inspection of research or sampling site ahead of time.
8. Always send emails, communications and appointments beforehand.
9. Have a clear written agreement with all participating persons, agencies, and areas.
10. Bear in mind the objectives of the study and be flexible in adjusting to present conditions when necessary.
Scientific misconduct might arise when ethical standards are not followed such as the following: 1. Plagiarism. This
refers to fraudulent acts that entail claiming another person’s ideas, work or publication violating intellectual property
rights by stealing and dishonesty. This usually happens in scientific publications.

2. Fabrication of data. It involves producing data without an actual experimentation or altering data in recording with
the intent to fit them to desired results.

3. Falsification of data. Entails faulty gathering of data due to negligence and carelessness which lead to errors in
measurement or instrument use. Error may also be caused by inappropriate application of treatment to the subjects
and poor data recording.

4. Non-publication of data. In contrast with fabrication and falsification, this involves choosing not to include data
because they do not conform to the well-established body of knowledge or are unsupportive of the research
hypothesis. Only the results that do not reject the hypothesis are reported and published.

To avoid such encounters and to ensure ethical standards are followed, ethics review committees usually require
research studies to undergo review proceedings by submission of pertinent documents that will verify the truthfulness
of data, information, and paper presented. The following are some of these:

1. Checklist for Adult Sponsors which includes parents’ consent and advisers consent.

What Is It?

2. Student Checklist which tell learners information, consent and ensure student safety.

3. Human Participant’s Form which provides information for description, recruitment, protection of privacy, and
informed consent process.

4. For scientific researches: Research Institution and Qualified Scientists Form, Human Participants form, Vertebrate
Animals Form, Potentially Hazardous Biological Agents Form, and Hazardous Chemical Activities Form.

5. Research Plan which discusses in summary the rationale, hypotheses, methods, risk and safety, data analysis, and
references or bibliography.

6. Risk Assessment Form which evaluates the extent of hazards posed by the conduct of research. It includes
assessing safety of respondents, or sampling locale, or in the events of scientific studies, the biosafety hazards like
methods of disposing chemical and biological agents, drug dosages, and delicate instrument use.

7. Research Abstract which is not more than 250 words that clearly and concisely state the purpose, procedures, data
collected, and conclusions of the research.

8. Research Logbook with start and end dates, pictures, documentations, notes during the course of research that
shows detailed and accurate processes.