Essay on the Contribution of a Literature Review to a Research Project

Literature Review Contribution

Reflecting upon your experiences within the module and academic theory, critically evaluate the contribution of a literature review to a research project and discuss how qualitative and quantitative methodologies could impact upon research findings within that project.

Introduction

The literature review is an important component of every research project. To begin with, before a study is carried out, it is important to explore what other authors have written about the topic which the researcher is about to study. This gives researchers a better understanding about the topic and helps readers to better understand the context of the study that is reported or about to be carried out. The literature review section gives researchers the opportunity to provide a justification for the study which they are about to undertake. By writing about previously published material and studies conducted about the topic under analysis, it becomes easier for the researchers to help establish a rationale for the study in the minds of readers. Smart individuals can read what has been written about the topic in the literature review and discern what still has to be done to add to the existing body of knowledge on that topic. The literature review also gives the researcher an opportunity to state his/her case as to why the study is necessary based on the literature review. This essay will critically analyse the role of a literature review in academic research projects. It will also analyse the correlation between qualitative and quantitative data collection methods in research projects and they affect the findings of a study.

The Importance of Literature Review In Research Projects

The initial role of a literature review in research projects is to review that which has been researched in the past and published about the topic to be studied. Prior to the commencement of every study, it is important for researchers to start by analysing what other researchers have done. This includes previous studies on the topic and material which has been published about the topic. This acts as a guide to the researchers, who are able to avoid the mistakes made by previous teams that conducted similar studies. This allows the researchers the opportunity to identify and analyse relevant theories that can help to facilitate the understanding of the topic and concepts to be studied by the research project. After conducting the literature review, it becomes relatively easier for the researcher to adopt an appropriate research methodology that would take into account the strengths and weaknesses of previous studies in an attempt to ensure that the study leads to accurate findings. All the steps included in the research process should be aimed at helping the researcher to arrive at the right answers to the research questions so as to meet up with the objectives of the study as outlined in the introduction.

The literature review also gives researchers the opportunity to critique previously published literature on the topic to be analysed. This can be done by identifying the various arguments brought forward by the identified theories and then bringing out the weaknesses of the various arguments from other authors. The literature review also provides the opportunity to assess the value of research claims and design for the study to be conducted. The identification of weaknesses in previous research design helps to overcome these weaknesses in order to arrive at more accurate results. It is important to note that the methodology adopted by a particular study can affect the outcome of that study. It is therefore the role of the literature review to explain how previous studies conducted in the past were designed, and whether the research design actually affected the outcome of other studies that are analysed by the literature review. Once this critique is carried out by the researchers, it becomes relatively easier for them to avoid making similar mistakes that can lead to erroneous findings. Instead, the researcher now has the opportunity to identify the mistakes made by his predecessors who carried out similar studies in the past.

After analysing the previously published material by respectable sources in the literature review, researchers can identify literature gaps and determine where the gap lies. Literature gaps can guide a study and even help to modify the objectives of the study. If, for instance, a study was aimed at establishing the reasons why Chinese students perform poorly in business schools across the UK; the literature review would start by seeking to see what other authors have written about the performance of Chinese students here in the UK. Perhaps, in the course of carrying out a literature review, the researcher might find out that nothing has been written about Chinese students studying in the UK. It means there is a knowledge gap in this area. The researcher might then find it justifiable to carry out this study so as to ensure that it publishes some literature on the subject. This can be described as filling the knowledge gap. This function of the literature review might either identify areas that have not been written about, or those that have very sketchy material and hence find the need to research extensively in order to provide significant material on the literature. In such circumstances, the literature review helps to provide a justification for the study which the researcher is about to undertake.

To sum it up, the above functions of the literature review would help to guide the researchers to establish a rationale for the study. For instance, the rational for a study on the performance of Chinese students in business schools could be that there no material on the topic. This implies that researchers have not done enough on this topic. This is good justification to carry out the study in order to fill the knowledge gap that exists on this issue.

How Quantitative & Qualitative Data Collection Methods Affect Research Findings

There is a correlation between data collection methods and research findings. The manner in which data used for a study is collected can affect the nature of the data and subsequently the findings of the study. When data is collected in face-to-face interviews in quantitative studies, respondents might answer to the questions differently compared to what they would have done if they were allowed to answer in private. For instance, in 2006, the Virginia Commonwealth University medical school in the US was conducting a study on the average length of penis of some 150 male participants who took part in the study. They asked the men to measure their erected penis in private and report the length on a list that was circulated amongst the participants. At the end of the study, the researchers found out that the average length of erected penis was 18cm. A few weeks later, the researchers decided to change the data collection method. Instead of asking participants to measure their erected penis and give the results, the same participants were expected to measure their erected penis in front of a medical doctor. Some of the respondents declined to participate in the study and they were replaced by twenty three new volunteer participants. At the end of the study, the average erected penis of the 150 men was 13.8cm. This is a clear example of how data collection methods can influence the outcome of a study. Considering the above example, researchers ought to be able to decipher which data collection methods would enable them to collect accurate information.

In order to ensure that the data collected from a study is accurate; researchers need to be able to choose what data collection method is appropriate for the study. Otherwise, an inappropriate methodology can affect the findings of the research. In quantitative studies, researchers need to ensure that respondents understand the topic under study. If for instance, the aim of the study is to analyse the effects of the global credit crunch on financial markets. The questionnaires have to be designed in such a way that it ensures that respondents understand the questions as well as the topic they are writing about. The only way this can be achieved is by including test questions that would test the respondent's knowledge on the topic that is discussed. For example, a questionnaire for this topic should include test questions such as, "what is a credit crunch?" If the respondent defines a credit crunch correctly, then the researcher can be assured that the respondent knows what he or she is talking about. On the other hand, if the answer to this question is wrong, then the researcher can be able to tell that the respondent does not know what he or she is talking about. It is needless to include data gathered from such a respondent in the outcome of the study, otherwise the findings would be a misrepresentation of the reality. Data collection procedure is therefore an important component of quantitative and qualitative studies.

Some studies can be best carried out through qualitative studies; meanwhile others can be best done through quantitative studies. It is therefore important for the researchers to make the right choice of data collection method for the study. This is because the approach used by the researcher to collect data used for the study can affect the findings. For example, a study to establish the difficulties faced by Chinese students studying in British business schools can be easily carried out through a quantitative study. This is because it is easy to identify Chinese students on campus and administer questionnaires to these students. On the other hand, a study which aims to establish the reasons why the British government has chosen to increase tuition fees for international students could be best carried out through a qualitative study. The decision to increase school fees is made by policy makers, many of whom would be unwilling to participate in surveys. It is unlikely for a student to approach David Cameron with a questionnaire. This is not to say that no one has access to the Prime Minister. Instead of printing questionnaires to start tracking down government ministers, who are busy and very difficult to have access to, such a study could best be carried out using a qualitative study. The qualitative study will make use of secondary sources such a text books, media interviews and the government websites that have talked about this policy before. If the researcher insists on using questionnaires administered to sources other than the policy makers, chances are high that most of the answers they provide would be based on speculations since they are not in authority.

A simple choice of data collection medium can affect the outcome of the study. Data can be collected through telephone interviews, questionnaires mailed out to respondents or administered by the researcher face to face. Many respondents who are interviewed on telephone are eager to drop the line and continue with their private business. Some of them just respond without verifying what exactly they are saying. If interviewed on a later date, such respondents might provide different answers to the same questions. On the other hand, mailing out questionnaires to respondents would give them more time to answer the questions. The danger of using this data collection method is that some respondents might not post their questionnaires back to the researcher. This could affect the response rate and off course the findings of the study as the researcher might be unable to get as much responses as planned at the beginning of the study. Tracking down respondents to answer questionnaires at a busy street or garden is sometimes not easy because individuals are reluctant to participate in such exercises. It is therefore important to consider these factors before designing a study. These choices can affect the outcome of a study and for this reason; the researchers have to be smart enough to make the right choices.

We currently live in a world that is characterised by new information and communication technologies that have also provided a variety of options for social science researchers. Today, questionnaires can be administered through websites online. In order to choose whether it is appropriate to use an online questionnaire, the researchers must consider the population under study and their access and capability to complete online questionnaires. Meanwhile online questionnaires might work pretty well with the younger generation; many older people prefer to deal with papers instead of the internet. These are things that researchers need to consider before deciding on what data collection method to use. In spite of the guidelines outlined above and in the numerous publications that provide guides on how to conduct social science research, it is important to note that social science is different from pure science. There is no clear cut formula on how to conduct social science research. Instead, researchers are expected to make rational judgments with regards to what methodology to use. Even after selecting the data collection methods, other important decisions, such as what sources to use in qualitative research and which people to interview in quantitative research are up to the researcher to make. The underlying principle that should guide the decision of the researcher is the effect of his choice on the outcome of the study.

In conclusion, it is important to note that research design is an important part of any research project. The methodology adopted for a study must be designed to provide the most accurate findings. If a study cannot provide accurate findings, then it makes no sense to conduct the study in the first place. That is why it is important for researchers to carefully consider their choice of methodology in any study they conduct. The choice of a quantitative or qualitative study must be carefully considered by the researcher based on the nature of the study to be carried out. The population under study must be one that is knowledgeable about the topic and capable of providing accurate information in order to ensure that the findings of the study are trustworthy. The literature review is an important part of any research project as discussed above because it seeks to identify the errors made by previous studies so as to ensure that such mistakes are avoided. In addition to that, it identifies knowledge gaps and seeks to fill them. In this respect, the literature review creates an avenue to develop a rationale for the study. In research reports, the literature review helps to situate readers within the context of the study as readers who are not well informed about the topic under study might find it difficult to understand the methodology, findings and conclusions of a study without reading the literature review which gives a background snapshot of the topic to be studied.

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