The Literature Review; Six Steps to Success

by Lawrence A. Machi

• ISBN13: 9781452240886
• ISBN10: 1452240884
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-06-08
• Publisher: Corwin Pr

Summary

Untangle the literature review process! Written in user-friendly language, this resource offers master's and doctoral-level students in education and the social sciences a road map to developing and writing an effective literature review for a research project, thesis, or dissertation. The second edition has been updated with new tools and features to guide readers through the six-step process. Discover practical tools and advice for: Selecting a topic Searching the literature Developing arguments Surveying the literature Critiquing the literature Writing the literature review

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xiii
New to This Edition	p. xiii
Audience	p. xiv
Special Features and Text Organization	p. xiv
Acknowledgments	p. xvii
About the Authors	p. xix
Introduction	p. 1
Key Vocabulary	p. 1
The Purpose of a Literature Review	p. 2
The Literature Review Defined	p. 3
The Literature Review Process	p. 4
Select a Topic	p. 5
Search the Literature	p. 6
Develop the Argument	p. 6
Survey the Literature	p. 6
Critique the Literature	p. 6
Write the Review	p. 6
Inquiry: The Necessary Precondition	p. 7
Ethics	p. 8
Pack Wisely Before You Begin	p. 9
Tips	p. 10
Summary	p. 11
Checklist	p. 11
Step 1. Select a Topic	p. 13
Key Vocabulary	p. 14
Choose a Research Interest	p. 16
Exercises	p. 17
Researcher Bias	p. 18
Refine a Research Interest From a Personal Interest	p. 20
Specifying a Research Interest	p. 20
Focusing the Interest	p. 21
Selecting a Perspective	p. 22
Reflection: The Key to Interest Selection	p. 23
Use the Research Interest to Identify a Preliminary Research Topic	p. 25
Rules for Library Use	p. 29
Write the Preliminary Research Topic Statement	p. 31
Tips	p. 33
Summary	p. 33
Checklist	p. 35
Step 2. Search the Literature	p. 37
Key Vocabulary	p. 38
Select the Literature to Review	p. 39
Conduct a Literature Search	p. 40
Managing Your Data	p. 42
Scanning the Literature	p. 44
Skimming the Literature	p. 49
Mapping Your Materials	p. 51
Creating Subject Memoranda	p. 56
Refine Your Topic	p. 57
Tips	p. 59
Summary	p. 59
Checklist	p. 61
Step 3. Develop the Argument	p. 63
Key Vocabulary	p. 64
Building the Case for a Literature Review	p. 65
Arguments-the Basics	p. 66
Evaluating the Basic Parts of an Argument	p. 67
Understanding Claims	p. 70
Claims	p. 70
Claim Acceptability	p. 72
Building Evidence	p. 75
Data Versus Evidence	p. 75
Data Quality	p. 76
Data Relevance	p. 77
Qualifying the Claim	p. 78
Warrant-Logically Connecting the Evidence to the Claim	p. 79
Multiple Claims Arguments	p. 81
Tips	p. 83
Summary	p. 83
Checklist	p. 85
Step 4. Survey the Literature	p. 87
Key Vocabulary	p. 88
Assemble the Collected Data	p. 89
Cataloging the Data	p. 91
Organize the Information	p. 92
Arranging Information to Build Evidence	p. 92
Organizing the Information and Building Claims	p. 97
Analyze the Patterns of the Data	p. 99
Complex Reasoning	p. 100
Comparative Reasoning	p. 101
Building the Discovery Argument: An Example	p. 102
Mapping the Argument of Discovery	p. 104
Analyzing the Argument	p. 106
Tips	p. 107
Summary	p. 107
Checklist	p. 109
Step 5. Critique the Literature	p. 111
Key Vocabulary	p. 112
Implicative Reasoning	p. 113
The Two Arguments	p. 114
Argument Patterns	p. 116
Backing	p. 123
Fallacies	p. 129
The Case Is Everything	p. 131
Tips	p. 131
Summary	p. 131
Checklist	p. 133
Step 6. Write the Review	p. 135
Key Vocabulary	p. 136
The Writing Process: Overview	p. 136
Write to Understand	p. 139
Reviewing Notes and Memoranda	p. 139
Exploratory Writing	p. 140
Outlining	p. 142
Preliminary Drafting	p. 152
Write to Be Understood	p. 154
Writing the First Draft	p. 155
Working With the Second and Third Drafts	p. 158
Completing the Final Draft	p. 159
Style Manuals	p. 160
Tips on Writing	p. 161
Last Words	p. 161
Glossary	p. 163
References and Further Reading	p. 167
Index	p. 169
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