Deck 3: Review of the Related Literature

Question 1

Describe three benefits of conducting a thorough review of existing literature before writing a research proposal.

Answer 1

Benefits noted might include -Determining whether the question of interest has already been addressed in some fashion -Discovering new insights, perspectives, approaches, or methodologies that are relevant to the research proposal -Becoming informed about related work done by others -Discovering valuable sources of data -Aiding interpretation of findings -Avoiding the pitfalls encountered by others doing similar research

Question 2

If an important recent research article that you want to include in your literature review is not owned by your library, you might:

A)cite it anyway for the benefit of the reader.
B)obtain it by asking the library to recall the reference.
C)obtain it through an online document delivery service.
D)decide to make do without it.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Jane wants to search for information about the variety of attention disorders that are seen in childhood.Which of the following sets of keywords would best get Jane started on an effective and efficient search?

A)"attention disorders"
B)"ADHD," "ADD," and "children"
C)"disorders" and "children"
D)"attention disorders" and "children"

Answer 3

D

Question 4

If a researcher has completed a thorough search of the World Wide Web:

A)the literature search can be concluded.
B)it may also be fruitful to search an electronic database.
C)it may also be fruitful to search the Internet.
D)he/she will find largely redundant information on an electronic database.

Question 5

Kirby is conducting a literature review in preparation for his study of "expectations regarding the sharing of financial and practical responsibilities among married and cohabiting couples in which both partners are between the ages of 20 and 29." Conducting a keyword search on "couples" and "responsibility," Kirby has generated a lengthy list of research articles.He decides to shorten the list of potential articles by eliminating all articles that were not published in prestigious research journals.He will include all the remaining articles in his literature review.What is your opinion of Kirby's approach to selecting articles for the literature review? Explain.

Question 6

A well-written literature review:

A)avoids evaluation or critique of the literature reviewed, so as not to bias the opinion of the reader.
B)emphasizes critique and synthesis of the work of others that is related to your own research problem.
C)avoids summarizing the work of others so that details of the original work are not lost in the reviewing process.
D)emphasizes detailed reporting of each piece of research included in the literature review.

Question 7

If an important reference you want to include in your literature review is checked out to another library patron, you might:

A)obtain it through interlibrary loan.
B)obtain it by asking the library to recall the reference.
C)obtain it through an online document delivery service.
D)decide to make do without it.

Question 8

If an important book that you want to include in your literature review is not owned by your library, your best move would probably be to:

A)obtain it through interlibrary loan.
B)obtain it by asking the library to recall the reference.
C)obtain it through an online document delivery service.
D)cite it anyway for the benefit of the reader.

Question 9

A well-structured literature review:

A)contains highly detailed descriptions of each work chosen for inclusion in the review.
B)begins with those studies most closely related to the research problem, then opens up to a broader perspective.
C)begins with broad/general information, then narrows the focus to those studies most closely related to the research problem.
D)contains general summaries of each work chosen for inclusion in the review.

Question 10

If you want to find statistics on health care spending broken down by state, ______ will probably be your best resource.

A)the library catalog
B)government publications
C)an online database
D)the reference lists of important papers in your area

Question 11

If you want to find information about books available in your local library, ______ will probably be your best resource.

A)the library catalog
B)government publications
C)an online database
D)the World Wide Web

Question 12

The main purpose of the review of the literature is to:

A)acknowledge the work of others by listing their findings prior to proposing your own project.
B)show how your study is superior to other work done in the area.
C)publicly demonstrate your mastery of the research literature in your area.
D)show how your study is related to, and extends, other work in the area.

Question 13

Generally speaking, the best time to begin the literature review associated with a specific research project is:

A)after the research problem has been clearly articulated.
B)after the data have been collected, but before they are analyzed.
C)based on personal preference; there is no single best time.
D)before or during the formulation of the research problem.

Question 14

______ is an example of an electronic database.

A)Altavista
B)Books in Print
C)ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center)
D)Humanities Index

Question 15

You are reading a literature review written by a novice researcher in your field.You notice that the researcher seems to have relied heavily on the World Wide Web in preparing the literature review.Your hunch is supported when you glance at the reference page and find a long list of Internet addresses.What goes through your mind regarding the quality and adequacy of the literature review in this situation?

Question 16

Typically, the literature review should:

A)include few or no works more than five years old to avoid having the work become prematurely obsolete.
B)be limited to work coming out of the very best labs and universities in the country.
C)give a broad overview of the area, without getting bogged down in the details of particular studies or theoretical perspectives.
D)emphasize how the studies being reviewed are related to the research problem under consideration.

Question 17

If you want to conduct a keyword or author search of research reports published in professional journals, ______ will probably be your best resource.

A)the library catalog
B)government publications
C)an online database
D)the World Wide Web

Question 18

The review of the literature can be curtailed when:

A)you are no longer encountering new ideas or information.
B)all of the work done by top researchers in the area has been reviewed.
C)all published work related to a topic has been reviewed.
D)two to four weeks have been devoted to the search.

Question 19

______ is an example of a search engine.

A)Altavista
B)Books in Print
C)ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center)
D)Humanities Index