4 Slide Lit review

• A literature review is a body of text that aims to review the critical points of current knowledge on a particular topic.

• A literature review may constitute an essential chapter of a thesis or dissertation, or may be a self-contained review of writings on a subject. In either case, its purpose is to:

• Place each work in the context of its contribution to the understanding of the subject under review.

• Describe the relationship of each work to the others under consideration.

• Identify new ways to interpret, and shed light on any gaps in, previous research.

• Most often associated with science-oriented literature, such as a thesis, the literature review usually precedes a research proposal, methodology and results section.

• To learn what one knows and do not know

• To understand the subject matter better

• To identify and highlight the important variables

• To document significant findings from earlier research that will serve as the foundation of the new research

• To resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory previous studies

• To Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication of effort

• To develop hypotheses

• To point the way forward for further research

• To convince the reader that the researcher is knowledgeable about the problem area

• Components: development of the literature review requires four stages:

  • Problem formulation—which topic or field is being examined and what are its component issues?

  • Literature search—finding materials relevant to the subject being explored

  • Data evaluation—determining which literature makes a significant contribution to the understanding of the topic

  • Analysis and interpretation—discussing the findings and conclusions of pertinent literature

  • An overview of the subject, issue or theory under consideration, along with the objectives of the literature review

  • Division of works under review into categories (e.g. those in support of a particular position, those against, and those offering alternative theses entirely)

  • Explanation of how each work is similar to and how it varies from the others.

  • Conclusions as to which pieces are best considered in their argument, are most convincing of their opinions, and make the greatest contribution to the understanding and development of their area of research

• Its' ultimate goal of literature review is to bring the reader up to date with current literature on a topic and forms the basis for another goal, such as the justification for future research in the area.

• It is a vital chapter in a thesis/report

5 Slide Data collection

A conceptual definition is an element of the scientific research process, in which a specific concept is defined as a measurable occurrence.

It is mostly used in fields of business, management, philosophy and psychology.

Examples of ideas that are often conceptually defined include intelligence, knowledge, tolerance, and preference

Concepts can be used to define a research scope or topic

A concept can be used to create a hypothesis

A hypothesis is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon.

a hypothesis is a provisional idea whose merit is to be evaluated.

A hypothesis requires more work by the researcher in order to either confirm or disprove it.

Hypothesis Quick Tutorial:

Take this hypothesis as an example:

someone who enters a new country and observes only white sheep, might form the hypothesis that all sheep in that country are white.

Using the same concept now, develop a hypothesis of your own now.

Quick Quote:

"... a hypothesis is a statement whose truth is temporarily assumed, whose meaning is beyond all doubt. ..." - Albert Einstein

Data collected specifically for a purpose from the actual site of occurrence of events or environment.

New data gathered to help solve the problem at hand.

Sources may include questionnaires, interviews and focus groups.

Data collection method is designed according to need and aware of the assumptions made

Primary Data Collection tools:

• Questionnaire

• Interviews

• Focus group studies

• Observation

• Experiment

Data exist at the start of research and don’t have to be collected from the environment (are in existence prior to the beginning of the study).

• Data that has already been assembled, having been collected for some other purpose.

Data gathered from existing sources such as documents, records, or specimens that have been collected for non-research purposes .

Data collected and designed by others thus lack of knowledge about the limitations and assumptions made earlier.

Sources include:

• Books

• Text books

• Reference books

• General knowledge

Academic sources published or unpublished

• Journals

• Research Papers

• From other researchers/organization

Government Sources

• Census reports (‘banci’)

• Trade publications

Importance of primary data

• Current data

• To compare with the past

• New incidences

• To answer specific problems

• Focused research work

Importance of secondary data

• For a quick and cost effective research

• Need for data from past/occurred incidences

• Limited access and confidentiality

• For a preliminary work

• feasibility

• Readily available information