Chapter 2, the Literature Review: Getting Started

Today, we begin to consider Chapter 2, the Literature Review. It often feels overwhelming to think about writing the literature review. Let's begin by checking the dissertation template and appropriate checklist (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods), available in the research center. These documents indicate that there are the following headings in chapter 2: Introduction, Literature Search Strategy, Theoretical Foundation, Conceptual Framework (as appropriate), Literature Review, and Summary and Conclusions. So I suggest starting by writing those in your draft.

 

Save the Introduction for later, since you are not sure where you are going yet. The search strategy means in which database did you look for articles, and what terms did you enter, to do so. Keep track of those as you go. I suggest starting with an outline; list the theories you have found in the literature that are relevant to your study. If there are philosophical or theoretical concepts list those. Next, let's start on an outline of the major part of the chapter, the literature review.

The best way to start the literature review is to think of the broadest category of your variables and work down to the most narrow. Let's say that you are interested in older adults and their opinion of their health care provider (one of my own research interests). You would want to start with aging and the elderly, providing demographics, what constitutes "elderly," and discussing the importance of the age group. Then move to elderly and health care, showing why this is an important topic. Next, the elderly and their health care provider. Since this is the most narrow category and the key area of interest, you will want to discuss this in more depth. Particularly addressing how this area has been examined methodologically. This study is a mixed method one, so you will administer some surveys as well as interview participants. So next, you will discuss each of the survey instruments, examining their previous use with the age group, and in the context of health care. If anyone has examined the relationship of the surveys with health care providers, you will want to include this too. 

Here is the starting outline for the chapter, and my notes: 

A. Introduction

B. Search Strategy

C. Theories

             1. Theory A

             2. Theory B

D. Concepts/ philosophy (if appropriate)

             1. Info on mixed methods, philosophy behind it

E. Literature Review

1. Aging and the elderly, include demographics

2. Elderly and health care, why do we care about topic?

3. Elderly and their health care provider

                        a. Include methods used previously

b. Previous findings

c. What is missing from previous research?

d. What does my study add?

4. Survey instruments

a. Survey A

                                        1. Used with my age group?

                                        2. Used in health care research?

                                        3. Used in health care providers research?

b. Survey B

                                        1. Used with my age group?

                                        2. Used in health care research?

                                        3. Used in health care providers research

F. Summary and Conclusions 

You will refine this as you search the literature and bring in related areas; but to begin the chapter you now have some direction. Pick a topic and start writing about it. Use your research journal to keep track of your starting outline and any notes to yourself as you go. I am a big fan of track changes and including comments to myself as I write (e.g., "find more about this topic," or "check Smith et al. paper- did they say this too?"). 

I have a tendency to find interesting but tangential literature that can lead me far from my topic; the outline keeps bringing me back to task. Think of it as a map of where you are planning to go. 

I recommend adding in your references as you go, otherwise, you will spend several long frustrating hours later trying to track them down. Prevent plagiarism by never copying into your paper. Instead, read the passage you are interested in, and restate it in your own words (including your own old papers). You want to avoid quotes, saying it in your own words is always better. 

Next time, we'll consider the lonely task of writing, structuring your time, and getting help. 

 

If you would like to see how the study outlined above looks in journal form (shorter literature review than for a dissertation) see: 

Stadtlander, L., Giles, M., Sickel, A., Brooks, E., Brown, C., Cormell, M., Ewing, L., Hart, D., Koons, D., Olson, C., Parker, P., Semenova, V., & Stoneking, S. (2013). Independent Living Oldest-Old and Their Primary Health Provider: A Mixed Method Examination of the Influence of Patient Personality Characteristics. Journal of Applied Gerontology. (Available in Walden Library's Psychology/ Sage database)