The Literature Review: Six Steps to Success

by Machi, Lawrence Anthony; Mcevoy, Brenda T.

• ISBN13: 9781412961349
• ISBN10: 1412961343
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-07-10
• Publisher: Corwin Pr

Summary

"Machi and McEvoy have crafted a guide that is absolutely elegant in its simplicity. The writers take the reader from the simple to the complex in an extremely well-written, logical sequence of bite-sized steps. This is the most useful guide to writing a literature review available anywhere." -Leonard O. Pellicer, Distinguished Professor Emeritus University of South Carolina A clear, understandable six-step method for a straightforward literature review process! Written in user-friendly language, this compact reference offers master's and doctoral-level students in education and the social sciences a roadmap to developing and writing an effective literature review for a research project, thesis, or dissertation. Organized around a comprehensive and detailed six-step developmental model, the book provides guided exercises, graphics, charts, and examples from the everyday experiences of researchers. Both novice and experienced graduate students will find invaluable assistance for: Selecting a topic Searching the literature Developing arguments Surveying the literature Critiquing the literature Writing the literature reviewWith additional tips, checklists, and summaries tucked into each chapter, this guide provides clear, focused direction for composing a first-rate literature review.

Author Biography

Lawrence A. Machi is a professor in the Department of Organizational Leadership at the University of La Verne, in La Verne, California.

Table of Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

The Literature Review Process: Getting Started

The Purpose of a Literature Review

The Literature Review Definition

The Literature Review Process

Inquiry: The Necessary Precondition

Pack Wisely Before You Begin

Tips

Summary

Checklist

Selecting the Topic: Everyday Interest to Research Interest

Introduction: Selecting a Research Topic

Choosing a Research Interest

Exercises

Researcher Bias

Specifying a Research Interest

Focusing the Interest

Selecting a Vantage Point

Reflection: The Key to Interest Selection

From Research Interest to Research Topic

Accessing the Research Conversation: Formalizing the Research Topic

Tips

Summary

Checklist

Searching the Literature: Tasks and Tools

Introduction: Searching the Literature

Discovering the Literature to Review

Conducting a Literature Search

Previewing the Data: Scanning the Literature

Using the Internet

Managing Your Data

Selecting the Data: Skimming the Literature

Mapping: An Overview

Mapping by Core Concept

Mapping by Author Contribution

Refining the Topic

Expanding the Topic

Tips

Summary

Checklist

Developing the Argument: Making the Case for the Literature Review

Introduction: Arguments and the Literature Review

Building the Case for the Literature Review

Arguments

Evaluating the Basic Parts of an Argument

Claims

Types of Claims

Acceptability of Claims

Data Versus Evidence

Data Quality

Data Relevance

Qualifying the Claim

Warranting: Building the Rationale for the Argument

Multiple Claims Arguments

Tips

Summary

Checklist

Doing the Literature Survey: Building the Argument of Discovery

Introduction: The Next Steps

The Survey of the Literature

Assembly

Assembling the Data

Recording the Data

Synthesis

Synthesizing the Information, Building Evidence

Integrating the Data, Building Claims

Reasoning Patterns

Analyzing, Building the Argument of Discovery

Complex Reasoning

Divergent Reasoning

Comparative Reasoning

Building the Discovery Argument: An Example

Mapping the Argument of Discovery

Analyzing the Argument

Tips

Summary

Checklist

The Literature Critique: Interpreting the Research

The Literature Critique

Implicative Reasoning: The Literature Critique

The Two Arguments

Argument Patterns

Backing

Fallacies

The Case Is Everything

Tips

Summary

Checklist

Writing the Review: Write, Audit, Edit

The Writing Process: An Overview

Writing to Understand: An Overview

Exploratory Writing: Creating Writing Readiness

Exploratory Writing: The Literature Review

Outlining: An Overview

Some Common Outlining Mistakes

Outlining the Literature Review

The Introduction to the Literature Review

The Body of the Literature Review

The Background of the Study

The Thesis Argument

The Summation of the Literature Review

Auditing and Editing the Outline

Tips on Writing

Drafts

The Preliminary Draft: An Overview

The Preliminary Draft: The Write

Tips on Writing the Early Drafts

Style Manuals and Author's Guides

Preliminary Draft: The Audit

Preliminary Draft: The Edit

Writing to Be Understood

The First Draft

The First Draft Audit: The Outside Review

The Second and Third Drafts: Polishing the Work

The Second Draft and Beyond: Writing the Polished Work

The Polished Draft Audit: The Referred Review

The Final Tip

Summary References In

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