Educational Research Design Module (Week 3)
The following is a reflection on the Tuesday morning class that took place on 2nd May 2017 from 10:00 to 13:00 using Gibbs Reflective Cycle.
Description
THIS WEEK: Literature Review
NOTES: from today’s class…
4 Groups
1-What are the purposes of a Literature Review? (GROUP 1)
2-What academic criteria should be used to assess a Review? (GROUP 2)
3-In your experience, what makes for a weak Review? (GROUP 3)
4-Draw up a set of self-assessment criteria (Have I) (GROUP 4)
GROUP 2 (ME)
Relevance
Coherence
Sequential – reviewing the arguments/analysing in sequence, e.g. under themes
Evolution – historical context
Referenced
Up to date
Accuracy
LECTURER (JOHN)
Collect sources using an established methodology: what is included and what is not (boundaries)
Identify the most seminal of sources
Organise these sources into themes
Compare and contrast findings
Identify conflicts between and within
Assess the significance /status of a source relevant to your study and in its own right (e.g. it’s methodology)
Build on and apply sources used
Demonstrate own contribution to knowledge/professional practice. Make sure you bring your point of view.
GROUP 1
To find evidence to support your work
To evidence opposing ideas
To show context and background
To highlight a gap in knowledge
LECTURER (JOHN)
To set topic in its academic context – origins, significance and (historical) development of same
To identify what is known as well as gaps
To identify seminal and other studies
To identify opposing views
To compare, classify and summarise
To show how personally influencing certain resources have been: best practices
To assess status/significance of sources
To identify perspectives on research methods
To help assess own knowledge contribution
Is it a small scale or a large scale study? (Nonetheless, however…words to be used)
“Two major studies have informed my thinking”
Classify the literature and then present it that way in your review.
Status of journal (ejournal versus paper journal)
What are the key journals?
High impact journals.
– Studies in Higher Education
– Assessment for (and?) Learning
GROUP 2 (ME)
Relevance
Coherence
Sequential – reviewing the arguments/analysing in sequence, e.g. under themes
Evolution – historical context
Referenced
Up to date
Accuracy
LECTURER (JOHN)
Collect sources using an established methodology: what is included and what is not (boundaries)
Identify the most seminal of sources
Organise these sources into themes
Compare and contrast findings
Identify conflicts between and within
Assess the significance /status of a source relevant to your study and in its own right (e.g. it’s methodology)
Build on and apply sources used
Demonstrate own contribution to knowledge/professional practice. Make sure you bring your point of view.
GROUP 3
Irrelevance
Sources not reliable
Scope – should be balanced, not biased, demonstrate both arguments
Up-to-date, current
Values of writers, context of their work, acknowledged (could be an ideological framing on something); if it’s historical especially. Also, funding source.
Bad literature review will sit outside on its own from the rest of the work
LECTURER (JOHN)
The review is descriptive: ‘he says, she says’: no synthesis (bring the 3 people saying the same thing together).
Methods and findings are accepted rather than critiqued: lacks evaluation
Findings are mostly randomly discussed/presented: lacks thematic classification
N.B. Findings are not internalised/applied (this is for the end of the review…which will be a bridge to the next section ‘Methodology’)
It is unclear how the review was constructed
Referencing is inconsistent and or inaccurate
GROUP 4
Have I clarified the objectives and goals of the literature review (in a particular context)
Has it defined the context of the research question?
Is the state of the art displayed clearly? (“Current thinking is exemplified by…..”)
Reviewed all the relevant research?
Demonstrated knowledge of the area?
Contextualised the research question?
Found supporting and opposing literature?
Linked the literature to my purpose in research? Linked to the findings of my research (Year 2!)?
Tested assumptions/intended/unintended outcomes?
LECTURER (JOHN)
Explain how and where literature was found?
Establish boundaries?
Clarify purposes of review?
Identify themes as well as shared and opposing views within?
Synthesise these resources? ‘All leading writers in the field have identified….. (Taylor, 2014; Jones, 2015; Yin, 2016).
Reveal source as influencing?
Extrapolate only what is most salient to own study?
Note: Good research is based on testing assumptions or hypotheses. My intended outcomes were….. and my unintended outcomes were…..
Note: Chronology may an idea.
Note: Scope – last 5 years or last 10 years etc excluding seminal works
Book: How to get a PhD – Estelle Phillips and Pew?
All good research questions have words like ‘fewer’, ‘different’, ‘more slowly’