[SH – PR2 / Practical Research 2]

1
[Learning from Others and Reviewing the Literature]

Learning from Others and Reviewing the

Literature

Several reasons are behind your choice of a particular topic to research on. Your
curiosity or familiarity about an animate creature or inanimate object its
functionally inspire you to discover more about such person or thing. Whatever
experience or background knowledge you have about your chosen topic becomes
valuable believable only as regards your acts of proving the validity or truthfulness
of your claims about your topic, if these ideas of yours are related to what the world
or other people already know or have already discovered or done about your
chosen topic. Aligning your thinking with other people’s ideas displayed legally
and professionally in varied literary works lends credibility to whatever ideas you
have about your research study. (Baraceros, 2017)

At the end of the topic the students should be able to:

1. Discuss the criteria in selecting, citing, and synthesizing related literature;
2. Discuss the ethical standards in writing related literature;
3. Discuss the formulation of conceptual framework; and
4. Discuss the definition of terms as used in the study

The Criteria in Selecting, Citing, and Synthesizing Related Literature

Systematic review of related literature happens through the following
sequential steps:
1. Clarifying the research questions;
2. Planning the research based on your understanding of the
research questions;
3. Searching for literature;
4. Listing criteria for considering the values of written works;
5. Evaluating the quality of previous research studies; and
6. Summarizing the various forms of knowledge collected.
Obtaining results of the review of related literature by means of systematic
review that takes place in a step-by-step method is a scientific way of
conducting a re-examination of reading materials that have close connection
with your research. Adopting a systematic review of related literature
prevents you from being bias in dealing with the varied form of literature.
The adherence of systematic review to scientific method makes it the apt

Course
review of related literature method for quantitative research that likewise
follows the scientific method of looking into the truthfulness of something
(Babbie, 2013; Russel, 2013; Jesson, 2011)
All reading materials related to your research that you intend to review or
re-examine offer you concepts, ideas, or information belonging to other
people. Having honesty, respect, or courtesy to the owners of these varied
forms of knowledge as well as gratefulness for their valuable contribution to
the field, you see to it that the names of these idea owners or authors appear
in the appropriate sections of your research paper (Baraceros, 2017)
Other people’s ideas incorporated in the central section or main body of your
paper are to be cited or referred to the true owners of borrowed ideas.
Referring to authors within the main body of the paper is called Citation or
In-text Citation; at the end of the paper, it is called Bibliography or
References. The two most commonly used referencing styles are the MLA
(Modern Language Association) and the APA (American Psychological
Association). The following shows you how these two referencing styles
differ in some aspects.
1. Writing the Author’s name
APA System – full surname first, then followed by initials of first and
middle name
MLA System – full surname first, followed by full first name, and optional
initial of the middle name
2. Writing the title of the Reading Material
APA System – Italicized title with only the beginning word capitalized
(exception: capital for every proper noun)
MLA System - underlined or italicized title with all content words
capitalized
3. Writing the copyright date
APA System – written the author’s name
MLA System – written after the publisher’s name
 [SH – PR2 / Practical Research 2]
3
[Learning from Others and Reviewing the

The Ethical Standards in Writing Related Literature

There are lots of reasons why researchers conduct literature reviews, so
here we will focus only on issues relation to research ethics. It is ethical
practice to consider how your research can best build upon work that has
already been done. Research literature can be used, for example, to develop
arguments about what needs to be studied, and why. After exploring existing
studies, you might even decide that a research question has already been
answered - and so it could be unethical to research the issue again.
In a systematic review, the findings of existing studies themselves become
raw data for analysis and interpretation. Reports of research studies vary in
how much detail they provide, and so study authors sometimes also act as
sources of information about the detail of existing research.
One reason why ethics is an important consideration in systematic and
literature reviews is that it may not always be possible for the reviewer to
identify the procedures - for example around consent - that were used to
ensure ethical practice in the study being reviewed.

The Formulation of Conceptual Framework

Coming up with a conceptual framework requires reading and understanding

theories that explain relationships between things. A comprehensive
understanding of the research issue, therefore, can be achieved through an
exhaustive review of literature.

Since research or thesis writing involves the explanation of complex

phenomena, there is a need to simplify or reduce the complexity of the
phenomena into measurable items called variables. Only a portion of the
phenomena can be explained at a time.

A conceptual framework is a bit like a recipe or a blueprint. It provides an

outline of how you plan to conduct the research for your thesis, but it goes
further than that by also positioning your work within the larger field of
research. Writing a conceptual framework can not only help to guide your
thesis to ensure that your research stays on track, but it also helps to
guide fellow researchers or advisers who are analysing your thesis.
(http://education.seattlepi.com/make-conceptual-framework-thesis-
7029.html)

1. This consists of concepts that are placed with a logical and sequential
design.

2. Represents less formal structure and used for studies in which

existing theory is inapplicable or insufficient

Course
 3. Based on specific concepts and prepositions

4. Derived from empirical observation and intuition

5. May deduce theories from a conceptual framework

The Definition of Terms Used in the Study

General Guidelines in Writing the Definition of Terms

1. This section should have introductory statement.

2. Terms or variables are enlisted and arranged alphabetically written in

bold capital letter lower case.

3. Each variable is given a definition written immediately after each term

in sentence form and on hanging indentions. Operational definitions are
necessary.

In order to come up with a definition of terms, the student must identify his
interest areas. The student may start by examining his childhood and the way
he was brought out to search for significant events that may have had a
strong influence on him in the formative years. This may aid him in
discovering his bias on a particular subject or it may aid him in determining a
core conflict or a central life question. This question or conflict can help the
student to determine his bias on that particular subject and give birth to the
area in which he wants to specify his definition of terms. A life question or
core conflict can easily be turned into a set of questions merely by submitting
it to a series of inquiries. The student may continually ask himself why this is
important to him. As he asks questions about his core conflict(s) or life
question, a mere reformulation of the syntax can turn them into definition of
terms.
 [SH – PR2 / Practical Research 2]
5
[Learning from Others and Reviewing the

Glossary

Citing – is an abbreviated alphanumeric expression embedded in the body of

an intellectual work that denotes an entry in the bibliographic references
section of the work for the purpose of acknowledging the relevance of the
works of others to the topic of discussion at the spot where the citation
appears.
Selecting - is the process of highlighting text or picking an object. For
example, a user may select text to copy, cut, or move that text to an alternate
location or select a file they want to view. If something is selected, you can
deselect text or another object by clicking somewhere else on the screen.
Synthesizing - involves merging new information with existing knowledge to
create an original idea, see a new perspective, or form a new line of thinking
to achieve insight. Synthesizing is the most complex of comprehension
strategies.
References

Baraceros, Esther L. (2017), Practical Research 2, Rex Book Store, Inc., First
Edition
Baraceros, Esther L. (2017), Practical Research 1, Rex Book Store, Inc., First
Edition
Sarno, Emerlita G. (2010), Tips and Techniques in Writing Research, Rex
Book Store, Inc.

Course