Engineering Literature Review

11 Key excerpts on "Engineering Literature Review"

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  Research Methods in Information

  • Alison Jane Pickard(Author)
  • 2017(Publication Date)
  • Facet Publishing

    (Publisher)

  A literature review is a critical discussion of all significant, publicly available literature that contributes to the understanding of a subject. In order to produce a literature review you must carry out a search of all the appropriate bibliographic sources in order to ensure that no significant documents have been missed. From the retrieved literature you must record each item’s existence uniquely, appraise each item in terms of its contribution to the body of knowledge on the subject of the search, and synthesize all of the literature located into an account of the research on which your project is built. This will convey a sense of the research data available, the validity of the methods you used to gather that data, the currency of your findings, the ideas and theories which have been formulated by previous researchers, any gaps in current knowledge and the predicted contribution of your own impending work. A literature review is a written document that presents a logically argued case founded on a comprehensive understanding of the current state of knowledge about a topic of study. This case establishes a convincing thesis to answer a studies question. (Machi and McEvoy, 2009, 4) Machi and McEvoy define six steps in the literature review process: topic selection; literature search; developing an argument; literature survey; critique; write (Machi and McEvoy, 2009). I would argue that all of these stages can be covered by the four-stage approach presented here but I would also highly recommend referring to this text, as it provides an excellent guide to the literature review process. The ‘advanced’ literature review discussed by Machi and McEvoy is much more suited to a research project that consists entirely of a review of the current state of knowledge within a topic area rather than the literature review which usually precedes empirical data collection.

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  Qualitative Research in Education

  • Liz Atkins, Susan Wallace(Authors)
  • 2012(Publication Date)
  • SAGE Publications Ltd

    (Publisher)

  CHAPTER 4

  WRITING A LITERATURE REVIEW

  Summary

  The literature review is a key component of any research project. It familiarises the researcher with current knowledge in their field of interest, informs the methodology of the study and provides a framework for the analysis. It is a form of scholarship which is ‘a prerequisite for increased methodological sophistication and for improving the usefulness of education research’ (Boote and Beile, 2005: 3). This chapter explores ways in which a literature search can be conducted and, drawing on the questions most frequently raised by students, goes on to discuss how the literature should be analysed, synthesised and finally structured into a critical review. The chapter also includes guidance on referencing and citation, which, done correctly, is a critical part of developing a really good literature review.

  Key words used in this chapter: literature, critical, criticality, theoretical framework, referencing, citation .

  Introduction

  The literature review is a key component of most research projects, and is perhaps the part that many students initially find the most daunting. A part of that concern is focused on the nature of the description of the literature review – usually described as ‘critical literature review’ – and the requirement to ‘engage with the literature’. While these are skills which can be developed with practice over time, the expressions are bewildering to many students who want specific definitions of the terms and concrete advice on how to achieve the appropriate levels of engagement and criticality. It is difficult to give concrete advice, since guidance will differ according to the nature of the literature, the specific university requirements and the experience and writing ability of the individual, and the general advice given by most supervisors never quite manages to pre-empt all the queries and concerns felt by anxious students approaching a literature review for the first time. Many of these queries and concerns recur regularly and will be familiar to any tutor who has supervised students with research projects. This chapter has been structured around these frequently asked questions with detailed responses to each. The questions include the following:

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  Student Research and Report Writing

  From Topic Selection to the Complete Paper

  • Gabe T. Wang, Keumjae Park(Authors)
  • 2015(Publication Date)
  • Wiley-Blackwell

    (Publisher)

  When you read journal articles on your topic, you will find a section, usually in the beginning, describing theoretical frameworks and previous research findings about the research topic. This is the literature review section. The literature review section is the space where researchers show how their studies are connected to previous knowledge on the topic. The literature refers to all previous research done on a specific topic, including theoretical analyses and empirical research findings on the topic. Reviewing means you will read, summarize, assess, and synthesize the literature to build a foundation for your research. Reviewing the literature involves looking over published papers, reading, and evaluating them. It is more than merely summarizing the findings of previous research; it also involves critical reflection, grouping similar studies, and relating them to other groups of research. When writing literature review, you provide your readers with an organized overview of the existing studies on the topic and your critical evaluation of the state of the field of study. Ultimately, the purpose of reviewing the literature is to identify questions or areas in need of more research.

  One of the most challenging tasks in your literature review process is to decide what to include and what to exclude in your literature review. In order to write a good literature review, you need to pay attention to two things. First, you need a clear idea about your topic, your research questions, and the concepts included in your inquiry. Second, you will carefully skim through the abstracts and outlines of each reference, and select the studies you should include in your review. Ask whether a source is relevant and useful for your research questions. But this is much easier said than done. We suggest you include the following types of studies:

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  Research Methods For Business

  A Skill Building Approach

  • Uma Sekaran, Roger Bougie(Authors)
  • 2020(Publication Date)
  • Wiley

    (Publisher)

  A critical review of the literature has helped Emma, George and Jim (check Box 5.2) to become familiar with relevant knowledge related to the problem that they aim to solve. The examples in Box 5.2 illustrate that a critical review of the literature is vital in nearly all research projects, regardless of the type of study, but also that the specific functions of the literature review may vary per project. Indeed, familiarity with the literature on your subject area is beneficial in exploratory, descriptive and causal research. A literature review is helpful in both an academic (or fundamental) and a non-academic (or applied) context. In both cases, a good theoretical base will add rigor to the study. In sum, a critical review of the literature will spark many useful insights on your research topic; it will allow you to work in an expert manner, to make informed decisions and to benefit from existing knowledge in many different ways. Let us now turn to how you can approach the literature review. The first step of a literature review involves the identification of the various published and unpub-lished materials that are available on the topic of interest, and gaining access to these. HOW TO APPROACH THE LITERATURE REVIEW Emma is involved in a descriptive study that aims to describe how a major player in the pharmaceutical industry delivers valuable products to the market. A critical review of the liter-ature should help her to come up with a comprehensive over-view of the relevant perspectives on value, a guiding definition of value and an in-depth overview of frameworks, instruments and analytical tools (such as Michael Porter’s value chain) that will help her to describe how the organization can create value and competitive advantage. George’s fundamental research project is inductive and exploratory in nature.

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  Research Methods For Business

  A Skill Building Approach

  • Roger Bougie, Uma Sekaran(Authors)
  • 2021(Publication Date)
  • Wiley

    (Publisher)

  A critical review of the literature has helped Emma, George and Jim (check Box 5.2) to become familiar with relevant knowledge related to the problem that they aim to solve. The examples in Box 5.2 illustrate that a critical review of the literature is vital in nearly all research projects, regardless of the type of study, but also that the specific functions of the literature review may vary per project. Indeed, familiarity with the literature on your subject area is beneficial in exploratory, descriptive and causal research. A literature review is helpful in both an academic (or fundamental) and a non-academic (or applied) context. In both cases, a good theoretical base will add rigor to the study. In sum, a critical review of the literature will spark many useful insights on your research topic; it will allow you to work in an expert manner, to make informed decisions and to benefit from existing knowledge in many different ways. Let us now turn to how you can approach the literature review. The first step of a literature review involves the identification of the various published and unpub- lished materials that are available on the topic of interest, and gaining access to these. HOW TO APPROACH THE LITERATURE REVIEW Emma is involved in a descriptive study that aims to describe how a major player in the pharmaceutical industry delivers valuable products to the market. A critical review of the liter- ature should help her to come up with a comprehensive over- view of the relevant perspectives on value, a guiding definition of value and an in-depth overview of frameworks, instruments and analytical tools (such as Michael Porter’s value chain) that will help her to describe how the organization can create value and competitive advantage. George’s fundamental research project is inductive and exploratory in nature.

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  Research Methods for Business and Management

  a guide to writing your dissertation

  • Kevin D O'Gorman, Robert MacIntosh(Authors)
  • 2015(Publication Date)
  • Goodfellow Publishers

    (Publisher)

  3 The Literature Review Norin Arshed and Mike Danson Being able to establish what is known about a subject area, and by association what is not yet known, is an important skill for students, researchers and practicing managers alike. In academic circles this is referred to as reviewing literature, and allows you to understand the current state in a subject area, to relate this to the ongoing research, and to identify gaps in this knowledge. A literature review may resolve a debate, estab-lish the need for additional research, and define a topic of inquiry. This chapter concen-trates on establishing and understanding the purpose of the literature review and the steps involved in undertaking a comprehensive literature review. The purpose of the literature review The purpose of a literature review is simple: it is to educate oneself in the topic area and to understand the literature before shaping an argument or justification. A literature review is “an important chapter in the thesis, where its purpose is to provide the background to and justification for the research undertaken” (Bruce, 1994, p. 218). The writer “extracts and synthesises the main points, issues, findings and research methods which emerge from a critical review of the readings” (Nunan, 1992, p. 217) to build a “coherent argument which leads to the description of a proposed study” (Rudestam and Newton, 2007, p. 63). Over the years, numerous types of literature reviews have emerged, but the four main types are traditional or narrative, systematic, meta-analysis and meta-synthesis. The primary purpose of a traditional or narrative literature review is to analyse and summarise a body of literature. This is achieved by presenting a comprehensive background of the literature within the interested topic to highlight new research streams, identify gaps or recognise inconsistencies. This type of literature review can help in refining, focussing and shaping research questions as well as

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  Social Research Methods

  For Students and Scholars of Theology and Religious Studies

  • Joshua Iyadurai(Author)
  • 2023(Publication Date)
  • Marina Centre for interdisciplinary Studies in Religion

    (Publisher)

  A literature review enables you to understand the strengths and weaknesses of methodologies used in other studies, which will help you design your research. Exposure to several methodological approaches and perspectives helps you choose a suitable approach or a perspective for your research. You gain methodological insights about sample size, kind of samples, types of data, methods of data collection, and analysis from the literature. Reviewing the literature also prevents you from repeating the mistakes made by other scholars in their studies.

  In addition, a literature review helps you identify the components of your research topic. After reading several studies, you can narrow down the focus of your investigation by limiting the scope to examine a few aspects or components or variables. No research investigates every aspect of a problem; that is not feasible. You can make an informed choice of the areas or aspects to investigate in your research.

  At a later stage of your research, the literature review helps you interpret the findings of your research. By comparing your findings with the results of related studies, you establish the originality of your contribution to knowledge on a topic. The literature review is the context in which you present the significant contribution of your research. The advancement of knowledge by your research is established in the context of the existing knowledge.

  Steps in Reviewing Literature

  The process of reviewing literature includes the following steps: searching the literature, using SQ4R methods for reading, analyzing the literature, taking notes for research, and synthesizing the literature. This section discusses these steps and shows you how each step is guided by your research focus.

  Searching the Literature

  The first step you take in reviewing the literature is searching for relevant literature. When you have identified your topic based on your research interest, break the topic into several key terms or phrases for a literature search.

  The goal of the initial search is to build your working bibliography. To begin with, it is worth searching tertiary sources such as encyclopedias, subject dictionaries, handbooks, and textbooks for summaries and reviews of the secondary sources. This will provide you with the names of key authors and texts. Make a list of them to be consulted later.

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  Research, Evaluation and Audit

  Key steps in demonstrating your value

  • Maria J. Grant, Barbara Sen, Hannah Spring, Maria J. Grant, Barbara Sen, Hannah Spring(Authors)
  • 2014(Publication Date)
  • Facet Publishing

    (Publisher)

  A literature review can form part of a larger piece of work (e.g. a research proposal, or the introduction section of an academic paper or dissertation), be a piece of work in its own right (e.g. a book chapter or review paper) or a research methodology in its own right (e.g. a systematic review). The extent of how far literature reviews have developed in the library and information sector is demonstrated by Grant and Booth (2009). In a typology of reviews they used a framework to examine the methodology of reviews and identified 14 types of review. Key differences between three of the most common types of review can be seen in Table 6.1. Although there are many different types of review, their underlying purpose is the same, to set the project in context, justify the project approach and give credibility to the project findings. Before starting a literature review it is useful to read similar types of 82 PART 2 DOING RESEARCH, EVALUATION AND AUDIT Figure 6.1 Concept map defining topic prior to literature search reviews around the topic area or sector to get an understanding of the structure for your literature review. This is particularly important if you are thinking of submitting your work to a journal, in which case scan recent reviews within the journal you are thinking of submitting to. The journal may even provide guidelines for writing up the review. Critiquing your literature search Reviewing or critiquing your search strategy as well as the results retrieved is crucial in identifying errors that may impact on the accuracy of the search (McGowan, Sampson and Lefebvre, 2010) and result in the exclusion of MADEN REVIEWING THE LITERATURE 83 Table 6.1 Selection of commonly used review methodologies (taken from Grant and Booth, 2009, 91–108) Label Description Search Appraisal Synthesis Analysis Literature Review Generic term: published materials that provide examination of recent or current literature.

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  Empirical Research in Software Engineering

  Concepts, Analysis, and Applications

  • Ruchika Malhotra(Author)
  • 2016(Publication Date)
  • Chapman and Hall/CRC

    (Publisher)

  33 2 Systematic Literature Reviews Review of existing literature is an essential step before beginning any new research. Systematic reviews (SRs) synthesize the existing research work in such a manner that can be analyzed, assessed, and interpreted to draw meaningful conclusions. The aim of conducting an SR is to gather and interpret empirical evidence from the available research with respect to formed research questions. The benefit of conducting an SR is to summarize the existing trends in the available research, identify gaps in the current research, and provide future guidelines for conducting new research. The SRs also provide empirical evidence in sup-port or opposition of a given hypothesis. Hence, the author of the SR must make all the efforts to provide evidence that support or does not support a given research hypothesis. In this chapter, guidelines for conducting SRs are given for software engineering research-ers and practitioners. The steps to be followed while conducting an SR including planning, conducting and reporting phases are described. The existing high-quality reviews in the areas of software engineering are also presented in this chapter. 2.1 Basic Concepts SRs are better planned, more rigorous, and thoroughly analyzed as compared to surveys or literature reviews. In this section, we provide an overview of SRs and compare them with traditional surveys. 2.1.1 Survey versus SRs Literature survey is the process of summarizing, organizing, and documenting the exist-ing research to understand the research carried out in the field. On the other hand, an SR is the process of systematically and critically analyzing the information extracted from the existing research to answer the established research questions. The literature survey only provides the summary of the results of existing literature, whereas an SR opens avenues for new research as it provides future directions for researchers based on thorough analy-sis of existing literature.

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  Successful Dissertations

  The Complete Guide for Education, Childhood and Early Childhood Studies Students

  • Caron Carter(Author)
  • 2018(Publication Date)
  • Bloomsbury Academic

    (Publisher)

  From doing your literature review you should become knowledgeable in the topic area, not just in terms of facts but in terms of the methodological approaches commonly used in that particular field and the impact of previous studies on practice and policy. A literature review is not simply a sequence of short commentaries on each piece of literature that you have read as this would constitute more of a book catalogue or annotated bibliography rather than a literature review. Instead what you are trying to create is a themed discussion of your topic which sets the context and elaborates on key issues by drawing on the literature available. It should summarize the views of others in the field certainly; literature reviews do involve giving information and pulling together what the different sources say, but they do more than just this. A good literature review will also organize this information into themes or subtopics so that the content of different materials can be compared or considered together. A good literature review should raise relevant questions and place your own study within the wider context. This involves synthesizing the literature to develop a coherent discussion about the subject and identifying key debates and critical issues within the area. A good literature review will also critique some of the sources that it draws on in terms of their significance or their validity. In the majority of dissertations involving some firsthand data collection much of the literature review is completed before the data is gathered but in projects where a grounded-theory approach is used the literature review is carried out later on as part of the data (Punch, 2014). You may also be asked to produce a limited review of key literature as part of a research proposal to show that your research question has been informed by the literature and that you understand your topic.

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  Research Skills for Teachers

  From research question to research design

  • Beverley Moriarty(Author)
  • 2020(Publication Date)
  • Routledge

    (Publisher)

  4 Understanding and completing a literature review

  hThis chapter will help you to:

  • locate and read evidence-based research articles and other literature relating to your topic, problem, broad research question and draft research question/s
  • develop a conceptual framework, write a critical literature review and reassess your research questions.

  The ideal time to start working intensively on your literature review is after you decide on a topic and a problem and learn how to draft one or two research questions in your area of interest before making decisions about your research design and your methods of data collection. Your draft research question/s will guide your search for evidence-based research articles on your topic and what you find out from your literature review will help you to refine the focus of your study, your specific research question/s and how you wish to conduct your study.

  Research design The broad approach or framework employed to investigate or explore a topic or problem and the research question. Research designs can be quantitative (for example, experiments) or qualitative, or use mixed methods (combining quantitative and qualitative). Evidencebased research articles may explicitly identify the design used in the study–for example, a case study or a longitudinal study.

  Literature review The central purpose of a literature review is to find out what is already known about a specific area of interest and how we know (the design and methods used in previous studies), what still needs to be discovered and how the research builds on previous research or fits into part of a gap left by previous research. The literature review leads into the research question/s guiding the study.

  The central purpose of a literature review is to find out:

  • what is already known about your specific area of interest and how we know (the design and methods used in previous studies). This includes identifying the different approaches that have been used to investigate the topic of interest.

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