Transcript Locating and Reviewing Related Literature

Educational Research:
Fundamentals for the Consumer
Sixth Edition
Woolfolk / Perry
Child and Adolescent Development
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Locating and Reviewing
Related Literature
Chapter 3
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
Discussion Topics

General and specific purposes for
reviewing the literature

Steps to review related literature

Internet searches

Writing a review of literature
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
3
The Purposes of a Review

General purpose - to relate previous
research to the current problem being
investigated
• Provide contextual understanding
• Contribute to the overall evaluation of the
credibility of the research
• Indicate whether the nature of the research
is targeted to the reader’s needs
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4
The Purposes of a Review

Specific purposes
• Refine the problem
 Identify specific ways in which others have defined the
general problem
 Identify delimitations related to the problem
 Identify operational definitions of the variables in the
problem
• Establishing the Conceptual or Theoretical
Orientation
• Develop the significance of the research


Establish the importance of the current study in the
context of what is known at this time
Integrate the results of the study within the broader
context of what is known at this time
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
5
The Purposes of a Review

Specific purposes
• Identify specific methods for conducting the
research


Identify appropriate sampling strategies, instruments,
and procedures
Identify appropriate designs to use when conducting
the research
• Identify contradictory findings
 Uncover studies or theories that contradict one
another
 Identify reasons for the contradictions
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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The Purposes of a Review

Specific purposes
• Develop specific research hypotheses
 Prior studies contribute to understanding likely
outcomes of the current investigation
 Prior studies identify relevant theories or the research
related to them which can serve as the basis for
specific hypotheses
• Learn new information
 Relevant information to the current study
 New information or ideas unrelated to the current
study but of interest to the researcher
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Steps for Conducting a Review

Step 1 – Select a Topic and Key Terms
• General or specific
• Identify key terms
• Utilize the ERIC Thesaurus for searching
• Identify other databases for your topic
• Start your search with general terms first
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
8
Steps for Conducting a Review

Step 2 – Identify Database and Access
Software
• Identify the keyword descriptors using the ERIC
Thesaurus
• PsycINFO database
• For psychological research consult the Thesaurus of
Psychological Index Terms available in most libraries
or through the American Psychological Association
(APA)
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Steps for Conducting a Review

Step 3 – Conduct Search
• Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC)



ERIC – a federally funded information network that is
designed to provide access to education literature
(www.eric.gov.ed)
Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE) abstracts of articles compiled from approximately
1000 educational journals and periodicals
Resources in Education (RIE) - abstracts of research
reports not published in journals (e.g., conference
papers; project reports; federal, state, and local
agency documents; etc.)
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
10
Steps for Conducting a Review

Step 3 – Conduct Search
• PsycINFO



PsycINFO is an online APA database of psychological
literature available in most libraries or on a cost basis
Abstracts of articles from approximately 1800 journals
as well as books, book chapters, dissertations, reports,
and other documents
Educational emphasis is on human development,
learning motivation, teaching methods, and teacher
effects
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
11
Steps for Conducting a Review

Step 4 – Identify the source as Primary
or Secondary
• Primary sources are articles that report
original research


Referred journals
Non-referred journals
• ERIC searches
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
12
Steps for Conducting a Review

Step 4 – Identify the Source as Primary
or Secondary
• Secondary sources are those that
summarize or discuss original research



Books
Encyclopedias
Reviews
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
13
Steps for Conducting a Review

Step 5 – Summarize and analyze the primary
source information
• Record notes electronically, or using index cards
 Identify bibliographic information
 Summarize the research problem
 Identify all variables, subjects, and instruments
 Describe the procedures
 Summarize the results and conclusions
 Record important quotes, weaknesses of the study,
relevance to the current problem, etc.
 Code each article with your overall judgment of it
 Note the major focus of each article
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
14
Internet Strengths &
Weaknesses

General issues
• Plethora of information available on the Internet
• Quality concerns

Comparing ERIC and the Internet
• Database indexing
 ERIC indexes over 1000 journals and maintains a
common database of all entries
 The Internet indexes each journal and entry separately
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
15
Strengths and Weaknesses

Comparing ERIC and the Internet
• Database organization
 ERIC offers a set of standardized subject headings that
can be used to search the database efficiently and
effectively
 The Internet offers no consistency in the use of
vocabulary by which databases are constructed or
searched
• Quality control
 ERIC entries are all reviewed and have met high
standards for quality
 The Internet information is not reviewed for quality
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
16
Strengths and Weaknesses

Comparing ERIC and the Internet
• Currency of information


ERIC contains material that is somewhat dated
due to the submission, review, and database
entry process
The Internet materials tend to be more current
• Text availability


ERIC contains abstracts and bibliographic
information
The Internet contains full-text of articles
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
17
Strengths and Weaknesses

Comparing ERIC and the Internet
• Access
 ERIC indexes journals mostly relevant to educational
research in the United States
 The Internet provides access to research being
conducted world-wide
• Availability of other information
 ERIC contains research-based information only
 The Internet provides many other types of information
(e.g., statistical databases, organization information,
e-mail, etc.)
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
18
Internet Search Strategies

Three search mechanisms
• Subject directories
• Search engines
• Meta-search engines
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
19
Internet Search Strategies

Subject directories
• A subject directory is an online service that reviews
and categorizes information on the web
• Assets and limitations
 Websites are reviewed and categorized using common
standards, thus increasing the likelihood of a good hit.
 The number of reviewed websites is small given the
exponential growth of websites, thus a comprehensive
search is unlikely.
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
20
Internet Search Strategies

Subject directories
• Types of questions relevant for subject
directories




Which states have educational research
associations?
Where would I contact the department of
education in each state?
Where would I find a regional educational lab?
How many journals are published online?
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
21
Internet Search Strategies

Subject directories
• Yahoo!
• WWW Virtual Library
• KidsClick
• Educator’s Reference Desk
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
22
Internet Search Strategies

Search engines
• A service that categorizes websites by
automated indexing of key terms in the
website



Search language
Special search features
Relevancy of hits
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
23
Internet Search Strategies

Search engines
• Assets and limitations




Large numbers of websites are automatically
searched
Ability to use search logic and options (e.g.,
words, phrases, case sensitivity, Boolean logic,
etc.)
Idiosyncratic nature of the indexing process
Little if any consistency in database quality, size,
and type across search engines
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
24
Internet Search Strategies

Search engines
• Types of questions




Does Allyn and Bacon maintain a web site for
McMillan’s text?
What are the standardized tests given to eighth
grade students in specific states?
In any information available on constructivist
learning theory?
What are the most recent articles written in a
specific electronic journal?
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
25
Internet Search Strategies

Search engines
• Google
• Alta Vista
• AllTheWeb
• Wisenut
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
26
Internet Search Strategies

Meta-search engines
• A search engine that submits your search to several
search engines
• Assets and limitations



Useful to search multiple search engines due to the lack of
consistency across individual search engines
Unique search language of each search engine make
“meta” searches difficult
No meta-search engine includes all the major search
engines
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
27
Internet Search Strategies

Meta-search engines
• Types of research questions


Are there many web pages addressing experimental
research designs?
Does the web have any information on the historical
report entitled “A Nation At Risk”?
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
28
Internet Search Strategies

Meta Search Engines
• Dogpile
• MetaCrawler
• Fazzle
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
29
Educational Research Sites





US Department of Education (DOE)
State Education Agencies
National Research Centers
Regional Educational Labs
Electronic journals
• Electronic Journals in Education
• Electronic Journals and Newsletters
• Education Line
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
30
Scholar Communication
Strategies




E-mail and Social Networking
Newsgroups and Blogs
Listservs
Associations, Organizations, and
University Websites
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
31
Citing Internet Resources

General formats
• See examples 3.6 to 3.11 on page 81.


American Psychological Association. How
to Cite Information from the World Wide
Web
Research Navigator™ - see the Citing
Your Sources section
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
32
Evaluating Internet
Information

Criteria
• Who is the author?
• What reputation and qualifications does the
•
•
•
•
author have?
Is the information objectively presented?
Are the facts or statistics verifiable?
Is there a bibliography?
Is the information current?
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
33
Writing a Review of Literature

Quantitative reviews
• Group studies by topic
• Write the review in three sections
 Provide a brief summary of the major articles
 Analyze the studies
 Integrate in the discussion how the reviewed studies
are relevant to the current research
• Avoid long quotations
• Establish the length of the review depending on the
type of study, the intent to publish the research,
and the topic
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
34
Writing a Review of Literature

Qualitative reviews
• The purpose of a qualitative review is to introduce the
purpose and the very general questions of the study



Provides direction
Does not limit, constrain, or predict results of the study (i.e.,
a discovery orientation)
Allows participant’s views to emerge
• Begins with an initial, preliminary review
• Continues with supplemental reviews as the study
progresses


Provides understanding of the results
Provides meaningful analogies, scholarly language, for
synthesizing, or additional conceptual frameworks within
which the results become meaningful
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
35
Evaluation Criteria





Does the review cover previous research
adequately?
Does the review cover the actual findings
from other studies?
Is the review current?
Does the review summarize and analyze
previous studies?
Is the review organized logically by topic, not
author?
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
36
Evaluation Criteria





Does the review briefly summarize minor
studies and discuss major studies in detail?
Is the review of major studies related
explicitly to the current research problem?
Does the review provide a logical basis for the
hypothesis?
Does the review establish a theoretical
framework for the study?
Does the review help to establish the
significance of the research?
McMillan
Educational Research: Fundamentals for the Consumer, 6e
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
37