How To Do A Literature Review

1. How To Do A Literature Review Dr. Anne Davis Nov.17, 2005

2. Why research? • Intellectual curiosity Research is fun and exciting. • Professional value Basis of knowledge • Benefit to patient Pain research for my knees

3. The reason why we review the literature • To build on what has been done • To see where your research fits in that body of knowledge • To learn from problems of earlier author • To see what they recommended for further research

4. Literature Review • Source for Research Ideas---also from other sources, i.e. clinical, teaching, etc. • Find out what is already known—intellectual curiosity–who,what,why,how ? What research topic does interest you ? 3. Conceptual Framework—not every study has this stated. (Polit & Humgler: Nursing Research)

5. Literature Review (Cont.) • Get more understanding on methodology. How do I go about finding out what I want to know? Use of developed tools. 5. Discover any problems with sampling. What type of sample?

6. Literature Review (Cont.) • See how to organize the literature Review section for your own study. Several possible problems---- • Much literature – my call to Kennedy Library of Bioethics… asked for end of live ethics. Librarian said TOO MUCH!! And I said I want this for Japan…… narrower down considerably in English.

7. Literature Review (Cont.) • Too little literature • Literature in another culture. Student in Taiwan using research conducted in USA

8. Literature Review (Cont.) • Sources Library is one of the most important places in the life of a student. Think of all the ideas found there.(1)Books(2)Journals(3)Index-international Nursing Index—journal index mostly Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Nursing studies Index (4) Computer Searches---depends on what your library has. Use of key words –index Medicus-Medline Other people—RNs, teachers, students

9. Literature Review • Source (4) Computer Searches---depends on what your library has. Use of key words –index Medicus-Medline Other people—RNs、teachers、students

10. Read widely on your topic in • several appropriate fields of study • Begin to know names of those • who have written extensively • on the topic

11. How far back you will read? • Depending on topic • It will be determined bya. what is availableb. nature of the topic if SARS cannot go back very far

12. Possible Problems • Too much literature • Very little literature • Use of literature from another culture or use of research tools from another country when they have not been tested for fit with Taiwan culture For example: Nursing Diagnosis

13. How to critique the article or book? If research • Statement of research problem or question • Methodology-use of measurements • Review of literature • Sample and setting • Findings • Discussion of findings • Conclusions/recommendations

14. How to critique the article or book? If qualitative research • plausible If not research but a polemical essay • Does it seem logical given what you know about the subject? • Does it seem biased? • What references does the author use?

15. Example－End of Life Ethics • Culture in general • Definition of the self • The role of the family and what is meant by “family” • Gender roles in family－decision making Who usually makes what sort of decisions Role of elderly in family Is respect for elderly strong or not? What does respect mean? • Death rituals • The meaning of death

16. Influences • Religion • Cultural influences • Language • Notions of obligations, rights • Whose name is mentioned many times • What have they written on this topic • Any research on dying or death in Japan written in English • Any of this about ethical issues

17. I read health care ethics, anthropology, • psychiatry, psychology, nursing, sociology, • medicine, fiction. • I read and critiqued with my western • Knowledge as my point of reference • I sought out clarification from Japanese • colleagues re some of these ideas

18. Any Questions?