1. Background Research/Literature Review
Joyce Maru – Capacity Development Officer
Nicholas Ndiwa - Database Manager & Analyst RM Group
Francis Wanyoike – Research Technician
ILRI Graduate Fellows skills training
Nairobi 16th September 2013

2. Session Objectives
• Evaluate importance of literature review in the research
process
• Identify the components of a literature review process
• Identify and evaluate different information sources for
literature review
• Be able to use different sources of information, apply various
search techniques and organise retrieved information.
• Be able to apply appropriate citation and referencing in their
academic work
• Analyse and critic a literature review on a journal paper

3. Research Process
Project development implementation Communicating findings
? ? ?

4. Research Process
• Problem definition
• Literature review
• Objective & hypothesis
• Study design
• Sampling
• Data collection
• Data management
• Formal analysis
• Reporting
• Publication
• Data archiving or
publication
Project development implementation Communicating findings
Definition of problem
domain & how the
specific problem fits in
Identification of gaps,
appropriate methods &
theory
Research will approve or
disapprove the hypothesis
Research strategy to be
used, sample size,
sampling frame
 Sample selection
 Data collection tools
 Database development and
data cleaning
 Exploration, description,
modelling & interpretation
of statistical outputs
 Choice of reporting
media & format
 Advise on presentation
of results
 Data sharing media

5. Problem Identification
Research is a problem solving undertaking
Definition:. Is the identification of a
phenomenon to be studied

6. Problem Identification
Hierarchical and systematic
Problem
Existing gaps/emerging
problems
Hazard Levels
Topic
Priority consideration,
setting the scope
Scope
Subject and Geographical
Area
Professional background and
Institutional affiliation

7. Why Literature review?
What are the aims and objectives of literature review?
10 minutes group discussion exercise

8. Aim of your literature search
• To retrieve information of direct relevance to
your research
• To avoid being sidetracked or overloaded with
material of only peripheral interest

9. Purpose of a literature review
• To find out what other scholars are writing about your topic
• To learn methods and approaches that are appropriate for your study
• To learn appropriate theory to underpin your work
• To highlight gaps and under-researched areas, to identify current debates and
controversies
• To help focus your research and sharpen and refine your research questions
• To avoid reinventing the wheel, to demonstrate to your audience that your
contribution is new – different from everyone else’s
– Nobody will believe you unless you can demonstrate through the literature
review that you know what everyone else has done
• Demonstrate capability – Msc/PhD

10. Planning your literature search
• You should consider at an early stage some search
parameters, e.g.
– How far back will you look for material? 5-10 years is a common time
frame. Seminal or influential works are exceptional
– Do you plan to read material about a particular geographical region
only?
– What type of material do you want to trace? Books, journals, theses,
government reports, Internet resources?
– What language?

11. Types of information sources
• Secondary sources
– Bibliographies, indexes and abstracts that you can
use to help you to find the relevant
papers/documents
• Primary sources
– Full text of articles, books, government reports, etc.
that you need to read for your research project

12. Information sources: ILRI info-centre
• ILRI information services - information specialists to manage journal
subscriptions and provide reference and document delivery services.
• Visit ‘Mahider', http://cgspace.cgiar.org/handle/10568/3 the repository of
current research outputs; to check out multimedia resources published across
the Internet
• access ILRI journals and publications on this link:
http://ilriannouncements.wordpress.com/2012/03/29/accessing-journals-
scopus-and-other-info-resources-at-ilri/

13. Other sources for Literature Reviews
• Internet
– Use keyword searches in Google Scholar: http://scholar.google.com/
• Libraries, databases and subscriptions
– Look through the list of journals and browse the books on the shelves to
find relevant ones
• Grey literature- theses, project reports which are not yet in public
domain
• Others- expert opinions?

14. DISCUSSION: Strengths and weaknesses of different sources
• Books vs. journal articles vs. conference proceedings
vs. the Internet
• Which tend to be the best for
– Currency?
– Authority?
– Understandability?
• Academic papers are quality controlled – many are
rejected as being incorrect or uninteresting

15. Evaluating sources
• Is the source you are using respected in your field?
• Has the author’s name been cited by others, or have you seen it
listed in other bibliographic sources?
• Are vital points referenced for you to check?
• Are the references up to date with current development in your
field?

16. Structure of literature review
Research Topic
Specialist sub-area
Relevant
primary
research
Your research question

17. Literature search model
• Example: you may be researching the growth rate of Ndama
cattle in tsetse infested areas so the bulk of the literature will
be on the intersection of the three key areas
Tsetse infested area
Growth rate
Ndama Cattle

18. Literature search model
50%
10%
10% 10%
5%
5%
5%
Tsetse infested areas
Growth rate
Ndama cattle
5%
Specialist area

19. Structuring/Organizing Literature Review
Broad overview
/conceptual
research
Description of directly
related studies
The study role that
extends/adds to past studies
Trypanosomosis/live
stock/tsetse flies
Trypanotolerance/animal
health/productivity
Ndama cattle/tryps
tolerance/body weight

20. Structuring/organizing your literature review
• Try to follow a concept-by-concept approach in
presenting the literature review, not a study-
by-study approach.
• This means putting the emphasis on the
results of the study, not the author.

21. Structuring/organizing your literature review
Framing the review
APPROACH DEFINITION ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES
Dividing the literature into themes or
categories
Distinct themes from the
literature are discussed
Most popular approach. Allows integration
of theoretical and empirical (research)
literature. Care must be taken in ensuring
that the themes are clearly related to the
literature
Presenting the literature
chronologically
Literature divided into time
periods
Useful when examining the emergence of a
topic over a period to time
Exploring the theoretical and
methodological literature
Discussion of theoretical
literature followed by
exploration of methodological
literature that would give
some indication of why a
particular research design
might be appropriate for
investigating a topic
Useful when the body of literature is largely
theoretical with little or no empirical
literature. Can be used to identify the need
for qualitative studies
Examining theoretical literature and
empirical literature in two sections
Where the topic has both
theoretical and empirical
literature and each is
discussed separately
May tend to be a description rather than a
critical review
From Carnwell and Daly, 2001

22. Literature search techniques
• Keyword search
– To find topically relevant information from digital libraries, databases, or the
Internet
– Good in most cases
• Chaining
– Tracking references and citations to find articles relevant to a topic
– Good where the topic is very small
– Review papers are a type of chaining that offers important information on the
research topic
• Browsing
– To sift through collections of potentially relevant text
– Good where there are many relevant books/articles, but only a few can be
selected

23. SEARCH TECHNIQUES: Selecting keywords
• Organize your topic into subject groups or sets
• Analyze the keywords in each subject group or set to try
to find as many relevant search terms as possible
• Use a thesaurus which lists synonyms and related words,
to help you think of broader and narrower terms (and
alternative spellings).
• Some computer databases have an on-line subject
thesaurus which you can use to find additional terms
during your search

24. SEARCH TECHNIQUES: Boolean operators
• “AND”- or can
abbreviate as “& ”-
retrieves records with
all the separated words
• “OR”- is a more broader
option- either word
• “NOT”- records
retrieved do not contain
the word that follow it
• ()- parenthesis
– when combining the
Boolean searches
– Shows the order of
operation- as the ones
inside the brackets will
be done first
– Left to Right (if not
specified)
• (Trypanosomosis OR
Trypanosomosis) AND
impact AND Kenya

25. Selecting keywords: an example
• Set 1: Tolerant OR “less susceptible” OR “do not succumb”
OR “disease resistant” AND
• Set 2: trypanosomiasis OR trypanosomosis OR tsetse fly
AND
• Set 3: “body weight” OR “body conditions”

26. SEARCH TECHNIQUES: Wildcard symbols (*, ?)
• Truncation- expands a
word- Trypano*
• Use of an alternative
spelling
• Trypano* AND Kenya
• Could be
trypanosomiasis or
trypanosomosis or
trypanotolerance

27. Literature review - tips
• Ideally, the bulk of your reading should come early in the investigation
• In practice a number of activities are generally in progress at the same time and reading
may spill over into the data-collecting stage of your study
• You need to take care that reading does not take up more time than can be allowed,
but it is rarely possible to obtain copies of all books and articles at exactly the time you
need them, so there is inevitably some overlap
• Reading about your topic may give you ideas about approaches and methods which had
not occurred to you
• It may also give you ideas about how you might classify and present your own data
• Keep a record of keywords and methods used as they might be needed later
• It may help you to devise a theoretical or analytical framework

28. Literature review
• As you read, get into the habit of examining
– How authors classify their findings
– How they explore relationships between facts
– How facts and relationships are explained
• Methods used by other researchers may be unsuitable for your
purposes
• But they may give you ideas about how you might categorize
your own data, and ways in which you may be able to draw on
the work of other researchers to support or refute your own
arguments and conclusions

29. Critical review of literature
Title Author Year Full
reference
Study
Objective
Study
type
Methodology Key
finding
Recommend
ations
Propaga
ted
theory
Concept
ual
Uniquen
ess
Gaps/fla
ws/inco
nsistenci
es
Analytical framework aids in identification of issues,
theories, concepts and questions that will form the
basis of the literature review

30. Critical review of literature
• Only relevant works are mentioned
• Review is more than a list of ‘what I have read’
• Uses of references
– Justify and support your arguments
– Allow you to make comparisons with other research
– Express matters better than you could have done
– Demonstrate your familiarity with your field of research

31. Critical review of literature
• Abuses of references
– Impress your readers with the scope of your reading
– Litter your writing with names and quotations
– Replace the need for you to express your own
thoughts
– Misrepresent other authors

32. Monitor your progress
• The following should occur as you progress
– Increase in knowledge of the subject
– Increase in general knowledge of the specialist
topic
– Increase in your specialist vocabulary
– Increase in confidence that you can complete the
task

33. Handling of the retrieved information
• Organized system- folders, subfolders-
• Shared systems- DropBOX
https://www.dropbox.com/
• Referencing- EndNote
http://endnote.com/downloads/30-day-trial
• Mendeley http://www.mendeley.com/features/
• Remember to back up your work

34. Citations and references
• As you write up your research, you will use a citation to
indicate in your text the source of a piece of information
• A bibliography is a list of works that you have read or
consulted during the course of your research but have not
necessarily cited
• References give details of books, articles and any other
types of material that you have cited in your text

35. Referencing
• Referencing is a standardized method of acknowledging
sources of information and ideas that you have used in your
assignment in a way that uniquely identifies their source
• Direct quotations, facts and figures, as well as ideas and
theories, from both published and unpublished works must be
referenced
• There are many acceptable forms of referencing (e.g. Harvard
referencing style) (manual on Harvard referencing)

36. Practice Session
• You are among authors of a paper titled “FARMERS’
PERCEPTION ON TRYPANOSOMOSIS AND
TRYPANOTOLERANCE CHARACTER OF THE TAURIN
SHEKO”
• You have been tasked to carry out the literature
review for the paper
– Develop your literature search model
– List the key words
– Carry out a quick literature search and list 3 papers
that you think are relevant for the paper. Give a
justification for each selection

37. Recommended reading

38. Acknowledgment
1. ILRI Info-centre
2. Florence Mutua - ILRI
3. Tom Vandenbosch – RUFORUM (Regional Universities Forum for
Capacity Building)
4. Bridget McDermott - Reading University

39. The presentation has a Creative Commons licence. You are free to re-use or distribute this work, provided credit is given to ILRI.
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