Topic 2A - Do you have what it takes to write an effective literature review?
My Thoughts about Writing Literature Reviews
To answer the titular question, "do you have what it takes to write an effective literature review?" one needs to stop guessing and start doing!
Whether or not you can write a good or effective literature review is not decided before writing one in the first place.
To better inform me on how I need to stop conjecturing and to start practicing I took a look at the preamble of the fourth edition of Machi & McEvoy's classic; "The Literature Review: Six Steps to Success". I can't wait to see if the book as interesting as it sounds!
To start, I picked up the text, which immediately discusses how even if literature review is a complex project, it can be split up into smaller steps. As the title, preface, and introduction suggest, I'm going to go on a journey through six of these steps.
The text book considers the novice wishing to learn and offers practical guidance for the “first timer” to be successful. As a first timer, I would be prudent to follow the guidance of the text. I know that this book will be useful for every stage of the process but as I sit at the beginning and look up at the project ahead I am most attentive to the initial stage, the one that requires me to argue and define a problem needing original research.
This step does not come easily and will be the first big step I will need to make. To define a problem that is narrow enough and deep enough to facilitate an entire review is a daunting task for someone who is not great at making decisions. However, for everything that follows, this is the foundational step and the one I should get the most excited about. I have a chance to research a question that I really want to know the answer to.
The preface of the text concludes by explaining the three choices to a researcher who is starting a literature review. I could "plunge blindly" into the project, which I suspect will end up take considerably more time and effort than if I "play roulette with" youtube videos and forums and even more time than the best of all choices; "The researcher can proceed in an organized fashion using a book such as this one as a guide." I am glad to have this text book and this course as a guide and I am ready to get started.
So, in honor of the ride I'm about to go on:
Hop on in, buckle up, and follow the road. This gif best represents my thoughts and feelings about this journey because I know that an effective literature review is, when done well, a timely process that requires careful attention to the process just as much as to the literature itself. With two toddlers in the house, time and attention do not come cheap, and there will be a cost. I am glad to have my booklight.
To answer the titular question, "do you have what it takes to write an effective literature review?" one needs to stop guessing and start doing!
Whether or not you can write a good or effective literature review is not decided before writing one in the first place.
To better inform me on how I need to stop conjecturing and to start practicing I took a look at the preamble of the fourth edition of Machi & McEvoy's classic; "The Literature Review: Six Steps to Success". I can't wait to see if the book as interesting as it sounds!
To start, I picked up the text, which immediately discusses how even if literature review is a complex project, it can be split up into smaller steps. As the title, preface, and introduction suggest, I'm going to go on a journey through six of these steps.
The text book considers the novice wishing to learn and offers practical guidance for the “first timer” to be successful. As a first timer, I would be prudent to follow the guidance of the text. I know that this book will be useful for every stage of the process but as I sit at the beginning and look up at the project ahead I am most attentive to the initial stage, the one that requires me to argue and define a problem needing original research.
This step does not come easily and will be the first big step I will need to make. To define a problem that is narrow enough and deep enough to facilitate an entire review is a daunting task for someone who is not great at making decisions. However, for everything that follows, this is the foundational step and the one I should get the most excited about. I have a chance to research a question that I really want to know the answer to.
The preface of the text concludes by explaining the three choices to a researcher who is starting a literature review. I could "plunge blindly" into the project, which I suspect will end up take considerably more time and effort than if I "play roulette with" youtube videos and forums and even more time than the best of all choices; "The researcher can proceed in an organized fashion using a book such as this one as a guide." I am glad to have this text book and this course as a guide and I am ready to get started.
So, in honor of the ride I'm about to go on:
Hop on in, buckle up, and follow the road. This gif best represents my thoughts and feelings about this journey because I know that an effective literature review is, when done well, a timely process that requires careful attention to the process just as much as to the literature itself. With two toddlers in the house, time and attention do not come cheap, and there will be a cost. I am glad to have my booklight.
I think you will find the book helpful. It is actually written for people who are doing a doctoral dissertation.
ReplyDeleteOne of the "chicken or egg" issues with their process is that it is often difficult to arrive at a good question till one has read widely on a topic. If you are not informed about your subject, you are likely going to be addressing a question that has already been settled.
You picked a very interesting subject which is going to help you understand students at your school and the issues they face with ADHD.