Research Methods in health care
Emir7
Review20of20the20Literature211.pptxReviewing of the Literature
The Research Topic
Identify a topic to study
Decide whether it is practical and useful to undertake
Draft a title (will change as your search continues)
Should be straightforward, uncomplicated
Brief, avoid unnecessary words
Not more than 12 words
The Research Topic
A topic can be a question
Ex. What effect does cellphone use have on sleep in children?
Focus on the key variables in the question
Reflect on the topic and decide whether it can and should be researched (Think!! Read!! Read!! Read!!)
Ask yourself these questions. Will my research…
add to the body of knowledge?
Replicate other studies?
Represent unrepresented groups?
Address social justice?
Transform ideas and beliefs of the researcher?
Other Things to Consider
Consider interest groups
Location (regional, national)
Personal Goals
Time, obtaining a future position, advancing towards a degree
The Literature Review
After establishing your topic search for related literature
Why the Lit. Review
Shares the results of other studies
Relates the study to larger on-going studies or past studies
Provides a framework for establishing the importance of your study (Significance of the Study)
Benchmark for comparing the results of your study with others (Chapter 5 – Discussion)
The Use of the Literature
The literature Review can assume various forms, so it’s best to seek the advice of your advisor.
It can be organized in different ways:
Provide a summary of major studies of the research problem; Have the latest findings
Develop a detailed outline of the topic and potential references that will be used in your study; Have the latest findings
The Use of the Literature
The Lit. Review can take several forms:
Integrate what others have done
Criticize previous scholarly works
Build bridges between related topics
Identify central issues in the field
Most thesis and dissertations use all except, criticize previous scholarly works
The Use of the Literature
In Qualitative research
Use literature in a manner consistent with the assumptions of learning from the participants, because the study is exploratory.
The researcher listens to the participants and builds and understanding.
The use of qualitative research varies considerably:
In Ethnographical studies, literature on cultural concepts or a critical theory is used early as an orienting framework.
In Grounded Theories, Case studies, and Phenomenological Studies, literature is less often used to set the stage of the study.
Additionally, the researcher can search journal articles
The researcher may incorporate the literature in the final section to compare and contrast the results.
The Use of the Literature
In Quantitative Studies
Substantial amount of literature needed at the beginning to provide direction through deductive reasoning for the research question and hypothesis
The literature is used to introduce the problem or describe the existing literature
It can be used to introduce theory and how it relates to your research
At the end, the researcher makes comparison of similar results of existing research
The Use of the Literature
In Mixed Method Studies
The researcher uses qualitative or quantitative approach to the literature, depending on the type of strategy used and the relative weight given to each in the study.
Steps in Conducting a Literature Review
There is no single way to conduct a Literature Review.
Recommendations:
Use key words to search in academic library.
Use computerized databases such as EBSCO (Academic Search Premier, Medline, CINAHL, Health Science: Nursing/Academic Edition), ProQuest (Social Science Journals), Web of Science, etc.
Initially, try to locate about 50 articles, websites, and books related to your study
Skim through and decide which ones are applicable to your research
Develop a literature map by grouping of the literature
Draft summaries of the relevant articles;
DON’T FORGET TO REFERENCE EACH SOURCE
Assemble the literature into themes or concepts.
End the Lit. Review with a summary of the major themes and suggest how your particular study adds to the literature and address gaps. You should also introduce Chapter 3
A Priority for Selecting Literature Material
Start with a broad synthesis of the literature
Next, review scholarly journal articles. Start with the most recent articles, then work backwards in time. Follow up on references at the end of the articles
Search books related to the topic
Look at conference papers (American Public Health Association [APHA]) – usually have latest research developments
The Internet also provides useful information for Lit. Reviews, such as online journals
A Literature Map of the Research
A literature map is a useful tool for organizing and summarizing the Lit. Review
They are organized in different ways
Consider major headings and subheadings to put on the map
Consider a fully develop map with at least 100 studies.
See Figure 2.1 for example
Abstracting Studies
An abstract is a brief summary of the major sections of the literature that enables the reader to understand basic features of the article.
Points to Consider:
Mention the problem being addressed
State the central purpose or focus of the study
Briefly state information about the sample, population or subjects
Review key results/findings that relate to the proposed study
If it is a critique or methods review, point out technical and methodical flaws in the study
Reading Research Reports
Typical Contents of a Research Article
Preliminary Info
Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
References
Appendix (if needed)
Preliminary Information
Title
Length should be 15 words or less
Author(s) information
Authors email and organizational affiliation
Acknowledgements
May be found at the beginning or at the end of an article. It includes persons who assisted with the research.
Abstract
May be as short as 150 to 200 words
Succinct summary of research study
Not required by all journals
Introduction Section
Typically contains 2 primary elements:
Background information
Acquaints reader with foundation and rationale for conducting study
Statement of purpose
May also include research hypothesis (less common today)
Helps the reader understand why the study was conducted
Methods Section
Usually contains info about
Research participants
Instrumentation
Inventories, tests, questionnaires, interview schedules, observational reports
Procedures
Data collection procedures
Experimental treatments
Data analysis procedures
Methodology and procedures are usually described in detail
Results Section
That section of a research report in which the researcher reports the results of the data collection efforts as well as the outcomes of the data analysis
Usually includes consideration information from the various statistical techniques
Indicate whether the null hypothesis (H0) was rejected or not
Would not include discussion or interpretation of results
Discussion Section
That section of a research report that contains an explanation of the results
Interpretation of the findings, culminating with the conclusions
Conclusions should relate back to research problem
Provides implications for professional practice and recommendations for future research
Functions of Discussion Section
Summarize the results
Interpret the results
Offer conclusions
Theorize
Provide recommendations
Suggest future research
References & Appendices
Listing of all books, articles, or other sources cited by the author
Format varies according to specific journal
Astute readers should carefully peruse the list of references
Appendices are rare in published articles
Questionnaires
Tabular information
Special materials or illustrations
