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studySMART@GCU

studySMART@GCU. Literature Reviews. studySMART@GCU. Today’s Session. Defining search terms and finding resources Evaluating resources The stages of a literature review. studySMART@GCU. Literature reviews.

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studySMART@GCU

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  1. studySMART@GCU Literature Reviews

  2. studySMART@GCU Today’s Session • Defining search terms and finding resources • Evaluating resources • The stages of a literature review

  3. studySMART@GCU Literature reviews • NMCH subject librarians: Marion Kelt, Elizabeth Crawford and Joe Fodey - nmchhscliaison@gcal.ac.uk • Library workshops • Online guides and library induction • Link to online catalogue and databases

  4. studySMART@GCU Making the most of resources NMCHstudySMART@gcal.ac.uk

  5. studySMART@GCU Making the most of resources NMCHstudySMART@gcal.ac.uk

  6. studySMART@GCU Making the most of resources NMCHstudySMART@gcal.ac.uk

  7. studySMART@GCU Making the most of resources NMCHstudySMART@gcal.ac.uk

  8. studySMART@GCU Making the most of resources NMCHstudySMART@gcal.ac.uk

  9. studySMART@GCU Making the most of resources NMCHstudySMART@gcal.ac.uk

  10. studySMART@GCU Literature reviews • Defining search terms • A key academic skill is choosing the terms you will use when searching for information/research/papers. • Must not be too narrow or you will find very little. • Must not be too broad or you will find too much. • Must take account of synonyms, expressions used in other countries. • Think about which words really express what you are trying to find.

  11. studySMART@GCU Literature reviews • Defining search terms • Be logical, methodical and consistent with your search terms. • Make a note of the terms you used and the places you searched so you can show you were thorough.

  12. studySMART@GCU Literature reviews • Defining search terms • What terms might you use for the following: • An investigation into communication with families of children admitted to hospital. • An essay on the role of nurses in promoting dental care. • A presentation on evidence based practice within learning disability nursing.

  13. studySMART@GCU Literature reviews • Critical evaluation of literature • Summarise and outline complex material. • Evaluate a text – is it accurate, authoritative and convincing? • Gauge a text’s importance or significance.

  14. studySMART@GCU Literature reviews • Critical evaluation of literature • Compare and contrast different texts. • Synthesise information from several texts. • Apply concepts or principles in one text to other texts. • Analyse the way a text achieves its effects. • Critically examine a text’s reasoning. • See, studySMART Critical Reading Questions

  15. studySMART@GCU Literature reviews Critical discussion of a research paper image from www.deadirect.co.uk

  16. studySMART@GCU Literature reviews • Research Paper • Edgley, A., Timmons, S. & Crosbie, B. (2009) ‘Desperately Seeking Sociology: Nursing Student Perceptions of Sociology on Nursing Courses’, Nurse Education Today, Vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 16-23. • Background • Value of sociology to nurse education has been source of much debate. • This paper uses qualitative method (focus groups) to determine attitudes’ of students – previously unheard in the debate.

  17. studySMART@GCU Literature reviews • Research Paper • Method • 3 focus groups = 18 students • 1st year Diploma • 3rd year Diploma • 3rd year Degree • NB all students take sociology module in 1st year • Groups facilitated by researcher rather than teaching staff. • Analysis of qualitative date to generate categories, themes, patterns

  18. studySMART@GCU Literature reviews • Research Paper • Results • Initial recall of sociology was ‘patchy’ but did have awareness of multiculturalism etc. • Sociology becomes more meaningful to students once they have more placement experience – difficult for 1st years to see relevance. • Priority initially given to clinical and biological knowledge (and bio-medical model). • Students saw biological knowledge as unchanging but sociology was not fixed (society dynamic) .

  19. studySMART@GCU Literature reviews • Research Paper • Results • Community placements led to greater emphasis on sociological models. • Students concerned with overcoming ‘risk’ – desire for clearly defined model. Uncertainty involved in sociology caused anxiety. • Conclusions • All saw purpose of sociology in programme (although with variations). • Problem was in finding ‘reliable knowledge’ to inform practice.

  20. studySMART@GCU Literature reviews Any thoughts? Clearly defined research problem? Empirical evidence? Appropriate research methods? Limitations discussed?

  21. studySMART@GCU Literature reviews • What is a literature review? • A critical synthesis of research on a particular topic. • A presentation and discussion of the key theories, findings, developments and limitations of research. • Might be part of a dissertation or thesis. • Could be a stand alone piece of assessment.

  22. studySMART@GCU Literature reviews A ‘good’ literature review….. ….. is a synthesis of available research….. is a critical evaluation….. has appropriate breadth and depth….. has clarity and conciseness….. uses rigorous and consistent methods A ‘poor’ literature review is….. …..an annotated bibliography….. confined to description….. narrow and shallow….. confusing and longwinded….. constructed in an arbitrary way Taken from http://www.qmu.ac.uk/psych/RTrek/study_notes/web/sn9.htm

  23. studySMART@GCU Literature reviews • It should contain: • Evidence of wide, up-to-date reading. • 2. Discussion of underlying theories with supporting evidence. • 3. Critical analysis of research: identification of strengths, weaknesses and omissions. • 4. Discussion of the potential implications of the research. • Logical structure and organisation of material

  24. studySMART@GCU Literature reviews • The stages • Define question and search terms. • Search for literature. • Sort and prioritise retrieved literature. • Critical reading of literature (including comparisons). • Organise content into structure. • Write review (plan, 1st draft, 2nd draft… editing and proof-reading of final draft)

  25. studySMART@GCU Literature reviews • Top Tips • Find models in your area. Have a look for other literature reviews to see how they organised the material • 2. Construct an abstract or working statement and amend it as you go. • This can act as your essay title or question. It will help keep you focused on the task. • 3. Read the easier papers first. You will find the more difficult texts easier to understand once you have a good grasp of the topic. • 4. Keep a brief diary of your progress. This will help you remember search terms, databases etc and should help you stay logical and consistent

  26. studySMART@GCU Literature reviews Top Tips 5. Decide on a bibliographic filing system straight away. Will you use Refworks? Will you use a card filing system? 6. Leave plenty of time for writing up and follow the usual rules for academic writing (i.e. introduce the topic well, provide evidence, include an intro, main body, conclusion…) . 7. If lots of your paragraphs start with an author’s name this may be a bad sign. You are likely to be simply describing the research rather than analysing and comparing it to others. 8. Don’t forget to look at lots of different sources – policy, professional guidelines etc

  27. studySMART@GCU Literature reviews Activity Have a look at the two extracts of literature reviews you have been given. Are either of them good examples of a literature review? Why? Why not? Is there anything the author’s have done well or poorly? Is the research critiqued? Are the aims of the research discussed? Is there any synthesis?

  28. studySMART@GCU Vic Boyd Stephanie McKendry Academic Development Tutors NMCH

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