REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Review of Literature: Simple Explanation

A Review of Literature (ROL) is a summary and analysis of existing research on a particular topic. It helps researchers understand what has already been studied, identify gaps, and establish a foundation for new research.

Purpose of a Literature Review

1. Understand Existing Knowledge – Summarizes previous studies.
2. Identify Research Gaps – Finds unanswered questions.
3. Support Research Objectives – Provides a theoretical basis.
4. Avoid Duplication – Ensures originality.
5. Develop a Research Framework – Helps in designing studies.

Types of Literature Review

1. Narrative Review – Provides a broad summary of a topic.
2. Systematic Review – Analyzes studies with a structured method.
3. Meta-Analysis – Combines statistical data from multiple studies.
4. Scoping Review – Identifies key concepts and research gaps.

Review of Literature: Sources, Reference System, and Software

1. Sources of Literature Review

When conducting a literature review, researchers rely on various sources to gather relevant information. These sources include:

• Primary Sources: Original research articles, case studies, theses, dissertations, and conference papers.
• Secondary Sources: Review articles, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, textbooks, and reports summarizing research findings.
• Tertiary Sources: Encyclopedias, handbooks, indexes, and bibliographies that help in locating primary and secondary sources.
• Grey Literature: Unpublished or non-commercial research such as government reports, white papers, institutional documents, and preprints.
• Online Databases & Journals: PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, and ScienceDirect.

2. Reference Systems in Literature Review

There are several referencing styles used in academic writing. The most common ones are:

• APA (American Psychological Association): Common in social sciences and psychology. (Example: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the book. Publisher.)
• MLA (Modern Language Association): Used in humanities and literature. (Example: Author Last Name, First Name. Title of the Book. Publisher, Year.)
• Harvard Referencing: Widely used across disciplines. (Example: Author(s), Year. Title of book. Edition. Place: Publisher.)
• Chicago Style: Preferred in history and business studies. Uses footnotes or in-text citations.
• Vancouver Style: Used in medical and health sciences. Follows a numbered citation format.

3. Software for Literature Review

To manage and organize references efficiently, researchers use various tools and software:

• Zotero: A free reference management tool that allows easy collection, citation, and organization of sources.
• Mendeley: Helps in reference management and academic collaboration, offering a built-in PDF reader and annotation tools.
• EndNote: A powerful reference manager with advanced features for handling large amounts of citations and bibliographies.
• RefWorks: A cloud-based reference manager, mainly used by institutions with paid subscriptions.
• Rayyan: Used for systematic reviews, facilitating screening and organization of literature.
• NVivo: Useful for qualitative data analysis, helping in coding and categorization of themes in literature.

Using these tools ensures that references are properly cited, literature is systematically reviewed, and research is organized efficiently.