The Literature Review

The literature review is important for research success because it allows us to acquire an understanding of the topic we have selected, of what has already been done on it, the way in which it has been researched, and what the key issues are. That way, in our written project, we will be able to show: first, that we understand previous research in our topic; second, that we have understood the main theories in the subject area; and third, that we comprehend the main criticisms that have been made of work on the topic (Hart 1998, cited in Bell 2006, p.99). Besides, as explained in Bell (2006), the review is a part of our academic development, of becoming an expert in a field. Furthermore, we should also bear in mind that reviews are important

Besides, they also explain that the importance of theory is to help the investigator summarize previous information and guide his future course of action. Sometimes the formulation of a theory may indicate missing ideas or links and the kinds of additional data required for the researching that is being carried out. Thus, a theory (understood as the current state of knowledge in a subject derived from the published literature) is an essential tool of research in stimulating the advancement of knowledge still further.

2. Explain the difference between theory-first and theory-after research. Which approach will you follow in your own research project? Justify your

Theory first was a term introduced by Wolcott (1992, cited in Bell 2006, p.101) and is the terminology researchers use when they refer to the current state of knowledge in a subject derived from the published theory (as mentioned in exercise 1). In theory-first research, researchers start with a theory, deduce hypotheses from it, and design a study to test these hypotheses. This is theory verification. In theory-after research, however, we do not start with a theory. Instead, the aim is to end up with a theory, developed systematically from the data we have collected. This is theory generation (Punch 1998, cited in Bell 2006, p. 101). Moreover, care has to be taken before embarking on a theory-after approach, for it requires the collection of a great deal of data which is inevitably well beyond the time scale and scope of most small