Transcript Literature Review - University of Florida

Literature Review
Agenda
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What is a Literature Review?
Literature Review Components.
Key Databases.
Internet as a Source of Info.
What is a Literature Review?
• Comprehensive collection of information
based on a construct.
• Means of justifying a research question.
What’s The Point?
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The current knowledge base.
Support for the question.
Questions still unanswered.
Opportunity for ideas.
Never complete – only a snapshot.
How Do I Start?
• SPECIFY a topic of interest.
• Easier to induct than deduct.
• Ensures quality if using narrow focus.
Sources of Ideas
• Common Sense – does the early bird
truly get the worm?
• Observations – the role of “serendipity” –
Pavlov’s dogs.
• Theories – Descriptions of “facts” that
organize and explain phenomena.
• Also generates new knowledge additional hypotheses.
Sources of Ideas
• PAST RESEARCH – theory/hypothesis
generation based on past results.
Vocabulary
• Develop a listing of all words that could
represent your construct:
• “Cats” – cat, feline, kitten, Siamese, pets,
animals
• Also be sure to consider plural words and
alternate spellings.
• Orthopedic, orthopedics, orthopaedics
Where Do I Look?
• Learn your databases – Pub Med, Current
Contents Connect, Psych Info, etc.
• Learn your journals – Journal of Vocational
Rehabilitation, Journal of Applied
Rehabilitation Counseling, Journal of
Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation Counseling
Bulletin, Rehabilitation Education, RehabPro,
Rehabilitation Psychology, Journal of
Counseling and Development, etc.
Where To Look
• Meet your librarians.
• Attend the FREE library classes offered
throughout the semester.
• Ask the professors and Ph.D. students.
Using The Databases
• All databases are different in some shape
or form – most upgrade regularly.
• When first using, access the HELP or
GUIDE option.
What Details?
• Booleans – using the AND, OR, and NOT
functions.
• Truncation – using a portion of a word to
locate all similar words.
• Ex. – rehab*
• Be careful though….
• Ex. – ortho* could pick up orthopedics,
orthodontics, orthodox
More Details
• Nesting – the combination of Booleans
and truncation
• Example – (foot OR feet) AND diabet*
• Phrase Searching – using quotations to
find specific phrases – “functional impact
of disability”
How Much Info Is Good
Enough?
• Depending on your topic’s specificity, the
info you need to cover may vary.
• Attempt to find the most recent literature
available.
• Again, a lit review is never complete.
The Databases
• Focus on Pub Med and Current Contents
Connect (CCC).
• The number of databases that will
provide info specifically for your topic of
interest will vary on subject matter.
E-Journals
• Full-text articles via the library web site.
• HTML and PDF format – it is advisable
to select PDF format if given the option.
• Not every journal is available in full-text,
which means we still have to go to the
library sometimes.
• http://www.library.health.ufl.edu/
Pub Med
• Pub Med (formerly MedLine) – difficult
but comprehensive.
• Lots of bells and whistles.
• http://www.library.health.ufl.edu/
CCC
• Current Contents Connect – most up-todate.
• Also connected to Web of Science and the
Journal Citation Report.
• http://www.library.health.ufl.edu/
Reference Manager
• Not a database, but can be used while
searching Pub Med.
• Creation of reference pages by entering
each source in APA format for you.
• Unfortunately, the software is costly and
it’s best to find someone who has it
already.
• http://www.refman.com/
Accessing The Internet
Research Implications
Web Searching
• Using the Internet to educate/research.
• Five major issues need to be addressed
when using web sources for research.
Accuracy
• How valid is the information – was it
done by a professional in the field or by
someone with Netscape Composer?
Authority
• What are the author’s qualification for
providing the information?
Objectivity
• Was there bias and/or persuasion in the
information?
Currency
• Is the information still accurate or up-todate as it may (or may not say) it is?
Coverage
• Great info or does it scratch the surface
of the topic – is this good stuff or filler?
Web Site Reliability Resources
• When in doubt, use the following sites to
offer assistance in determining reliability:
• http://www2.widener.edu/wolfgrammemo
riallibrary/webevaluation/inform.htm
• http://info.wlu.ca/~wwwlib/libguides/inte
rnet/eval.html
Sounds Too Risky…
• Validity and reliability threats – seek
PEER-REVIEWED journal articles.
• Critiqued for weaknesses prior to
publishing – in theory provides best info.
• Consider journal rating.