4 Literature Review in Qualitative Research

In this chapter, we will explore the process and approach qualitative researchers adopt when digging into literature to situate their qualitative research project. A key challenge for a qualitative researcher is to determine how much to know before jumping into the exploration of a phenomenon. Knowing too much about the phenomenon can lead to bias and preconceived notions which may hinder open exploration of the phenomenon. In this chapter, we will learn the meaning and purpose of conducting literature review, and the process and organization of literature review for your qualitative study.

Charting the Seas of Knowledge

Before embarking on your journey,

Gaze upon the ocean’s expanse—

Trace the paths already sailed,

Mark the trails still veiled in mystery,

And note the routes where others now navigate.

From these currents of discovery,

Choose your course,

A path uniquely yours to explore,

In pursuit of deeper understanding.

Review the maps,

Synthesize the tides,

And let the wisdom of past and present

Guide your voyage toward new horizons.

In the previous chapter, we covered how to write the purpose statement and research questions in qualitative research. Once you have identified your research topic and framed your purpose statement and research questions, the next step is to dive into existing literature on the research topic. In this chapter, we will learn the meaning and purpose of conducting literature review, process and organization of literature review for your study.

What is Literature Review

Before we jump into the significance and the process of literature review, let’s talk about what literature is and why we review it. Starting with the word “literature”, for some, literature may bring to mind stories− narratives, shared experiences, and expressions captured through words—whether in novels, poems, or essays. However, in the context of research, literature refers to all the existing knowledge. It includes all studies that have been done up to now and the knowledge created from those studies. So, when we mention literature here, we are talking about existing studies and what we currently know about a research topic.

Let’s understand this with an example. Let’s say I am a researcher wanting to study effective teaching skills. If my topic is to explore effective teaching strategies in a school setting, literature related to this topic includes what is known through scientific investigations about teaching strategies and effective teaching skills. As a researcher, before conducting my own study, I want to understand what is already known.

Now, the term “review” refers to examining literature to identify patterns and gaps in the existing knowledge. So, the term, “Literature Review,” thus refers to the process of exploring existing studies to understand the current state of knowledge on a topic.

Significance of Literature Review

Conducting a literature review is a critical first step for researchers. Before planning and executing a new study, researchers must explore what is already known on their topic. This review helps prevent unnecessary repetition of existing studies and avoids generating knowledge that is already widely known and accepted. The literature review identifies what has been established in the field and highlights gaps in knowledge that a new study can address. This focus on identifying knowledge gaps is one of the primary reasons literature reviews are essential.

Beyond identifying knowledge gaps, a literature review also positions or situates a study within the larger body of research. By understanding what has already been explored and what remains unknown, researchers can plan their study with purpose, offering a clear rationale for why it is important and relevant.

Literature reviews also reveal the foundational theories and frameworks connected to the topic. Understanding these theories deepens the researcher’s grasp of the subject and provides guidance for structuring the study. These frameworks can inform research design, including choices about data collection and analysis. Additionally, theories identified in the literature review can shape how researchers interpret findings, adding layers of insight and context.

A literature review also serves as context and background for the consumers of the study. This background information enhances understanding and supports more accurate interpretations of the study’s findings. By offering a comprehensive overview of prior research, a literature review clarifies the study’s focus and its contribution to the field.

A literature review also refines research questions and hypotheses. By examining what is already known and what limitations exist, researchers can tailor their questions to address specific gaps, ensuring that their study is both original and relevant.

Moreover, a well-constructed literature review underscores the significance of the study. This is especially important when seeking funding, as funders need to understand the value and potential impact of the research. A comprehensive literature review shows how the study will advance knowledge, contribute to the field, and have practical implications.

In summary, a literature review is essential for identifying knowledge gaps, positioning the study within the broader research landscape, refining research questions, understanding theoretical frameworks, and establishing the study’s significance. These elements collectively underscore the value and necessity of a literature review in research.

Literature Review Informs and Refine Research Questions

In qualitative research, framing your research questions and purpose statement are not distinct. Literature review informs and refines your purpose statement and research questions. As a doctoral student or a novice researcher, when you start reflecting on some possible research topic for your dissertation/thesis, you start with framing a broader purpose statement for a possible future study. This purpose statement can further lead to framing some research questions that you want to explore for your study.

The next step is to dive into literature and explore existing studies on the topic. As you gain knowledge about the past and existing work on the topic, you gain a better understanding of the topic in terms of what is already known and what a future study should explore to generate new knowledge. Therefore, as you conduct literature review, your purpose statement and research questions are further refined.

Searching for Literature

An essential part of the literature review process is knowing how and where to search for articles. For novice researchers, such as doctoral or master’s students, understanding the process of finding relevant literature is crucial to building a strong foundation for their study. Here, we’ll go through the steps and resources that can help streamline this process.

To begin, you need a clear idea of your research topic, even if it’s a broad one. For example, if you are pursuing a doctoral program in educational leadership, you may be interested in researching the leadership development process among student-athletes. From this broader area, you can generate specific keywords to guide your search. Possible keywords in this example might include “leadership development,” “student-athletes,” and “leadership.” Keywords are your starting point—they help you focus your search on studies that align closely with your topic.

Once you have a set of keywords, your next step is to access a research database. Research databases are repositories where articles from peer-reviewed journals worldwide are indexed, often by keywords, making it easier to locate relevant studies. Some widely used databases include: Scopus, PsycINFO (Specialized for psychology), ProQuest and ERIC (Educational Resource Information Center) which is commonly used in educational research.

Most university libraries provide access to these databases, so if you are a student, you may likely have access through your library’s portal. After logging into the database, enter your keywords to retrieve a list of relevant articles. This will typically yield a substantial number of results, sometimes even hundreds.

To determine the relevance of each article quickly, start by reading the abstract. An abstract is a brief summary (usually 50-200 words) located at the beginning of a research article, outlining the study’s key points and findings. Reading abstracts allows you to screen articles efficiently without reading each one in full, saving significant time and effort.

Another valuable database for researchers is Google Scholar. While it’s a free and accessible platform, Google Scholar may not provide full access to all articles. However, abstracts are usually available, so you can still assess an article’s relevance. Google Scholar also allows you to see a list of articles that have cited a particular study, which can lead you to more recent research that builds on relevant findings.

An additional method for finding relevant literature is to search within specific journals that focus on your research field. For example, if your area is educational leadership, identify leading journals in this field. Many journals have a “search within this journal” feature on their websites, allowing you to search directly with your keywords and find articles highly specific to your topic.

If you find a particularly relevant article, consider looking up articles that have cited it. This approach can help you discover newer studies related to your topic since recent studies often build on previous research. Many databases and Google Scholar provide a “cited by” feature, allowing you to track articles that reference the one you’ve selected.

By following these strategies, you can conduct a more thorough and efficient literature search. Start by generating keywords, search using databases, read abstracts to determine relevance, explore Google Scholar for cited articles, and search within specific journals. These techniques will provide you access to and select studies relevant to your research topic.

Process of Literature Review in Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research

The literature review process plays a foundational role in both quantitative and qualitative research, yet it unfolds differently within each approach. Let’s explore how the literature review functions in each type of research and the key differences that distinguish them.

Literature Review in Quantitative Research

In quantitative research, the literature review is extensive and conducted at the outset of the study. The primary goal is to thoroughly examine existing studies to understand the theories, findings, and patterns related to the topic. By reviewing prior research comprehensively, the researcher identifies knowledge gaps, frames research questions, and formulates hypotheses for testing.

Once the literature review is complete, the researcher designs an experimental or quasi-experimental study, collects data, and applies statistical analysis to test the hypotheses. This process is highly systematic, moving from literature review to building hypothesis, research design, data collection, analysis, and finally, interpretation of results. In quantitative research, the literature review serves as the foundation for the study’s entire design, aligning the research questions and hypotheses with what is already known.

An important aspect of quantitative research is the emphasis on objectivity. Researchers aim to maintain a neutral, detached stance throughout the study, striving to ensure that their observations, measurements, and analyses are free from personal bias. This objective approach is rooted in the positivist philosophy, which posits that reality is singular and can be understood through unbiased, empirical measurement. The researcher’s role, therefore, is to remain an objective observer, maintaining distance from participants to preserve this neutrality.

Literature Review in Qualitative Research

In contrast, qualitative research treats the literature review differently, emphasizing an open, exploratory approach for conducting research. Qualitative research is often based on the assumption that complete objectivity is not possible, as researchers are engaged with their participants and the phenomena they are studying. This engagement means that the researcher’s knowledge and experiences inevitably shape their interpretation.

In qualitative research, researchers use themselves as a tool in the research process while engaging with their research participants. Therefore, to minimize personal biases while data collection and data analysis, qualitative researchers typically conduct only a preliminary literature review at the beginning of the study. The purpose of this initial review is to gain a basic understanding of the topic without becoming overly familiar with it. Conducting a comprehensive literature review upfront could lead to biases and preconceived notions that may narrow the researcher’s perspective, potentially limiting the depth and openness required to capture the essence of the phenomenon being studied.

In qualitative traditions such as phenomenology, grounded theory, and narrative inquiry, the researcher’s goal is to enter the field with an open mind, avoiding any rigid frameworks or preconceived ideas that might shape the data collection process. By conducting only a preliminary literature review, the researcher can approach the phenomenon with fresh eyes, minimizing the risk of bias and allowing for a more genuine exploration.

After data collection, qualitative researchers engage in a more thorough literature review to interpret their findings within the context of existing research. At this stage, the literature review helps the researcher understand the data through various theoretical frameworks as well as existing knowledge in the field, enriching the analysis and providing a deeper contextual understanding.

Key Differences: Quantitative vs. Qualitative Literature Reviews

 

• Purpose of the Literature Review

  • In quantitative research, the literature review primarily serves to identify knowledge gaps, frame research questions, and establish hypotheses based on existing knowledge.
  • In qualitative research, the preliminary review provides background but intentionally leaves room for open-ended inquiry. The later, comprehensive review is intended to inform data analysis by connecting findings to existing theories and perspectives.

   

 

In essence, the literature review in quantitative research is structured and definitive, setting up a pathway from known knowledge to hypothesis testing. In qualitative research, it is more flexible, with an exploratory, open-ended approach that evolves with the study. This difference highlights the contrasting philosophies of each methodology: while quantitative research seeks to confirm or challenge hypotheses within a framework of objectivity, qualitative research aims to explore and understand complex human experiences with interpretive openness.

Each approach has its own strengths, and understanding these distinctions helps researchers align their literature review practices with the unique goals and philosophies of their chosen research design.

Organizing Literature

As literature reviews require extensive searching and reviewing of existing research studies, organizing these articles becomes a challenging task, especially for novice researchers. Efficiently organizing selected articles not only simplifies navigation but also makes it easier to cite sources accurately when needed. With the advancement of technological tools, researchers now have access to a variety of tools designed specifically to help manage and organize their references. Some popular tools include:

Reference Management Software

These tools streamline the process of saving, organizing, and citing sources in various formats, making it easier to manage bibliographies and references.

Excel: Excel can be a powerful, versatile tool for organizing articles during the literature review process. Researchers can create a custom spreadsheet to catalog articles, using columns to track essential information such as the title, author(s), publication year, journal, keywords, research objectives, methodology, key findings, and any personal notes or observations. This structured approach allows for easy filtering and sorting based on criteria like publication date or research focus, helping researchers quickly access relevant articles. Excel also supports color coding, conditional formatting, and hyperlinking to PDFs or online sources, making it a practical, low-cost solution for managing large volumes of literature systematically. For novice researchers, Excel offers a straightforward, adaptable way to organize references without the need for specialized software.

Zotero: A free, open-source tool that allows researchers to collect, organize, cite, and share research. With a browser extension, Zotero makes it easy to save references and PDFs directly from the web, and it includes robust tagging and note-taking features that aid in organizing and categorizing sources by themes, tags, or research questions.

Mendeley: This free tool not only stores, organizes, and annotates PDFs but also has a social networking feature, enabling researchers to connect with others in similar fields, share findings, and join research groups. Mendeley also includes a citation plugin for Microsoft Word, facilitating seamless in-text citations and reference list generation.

EndNote: A premium reference management software known for its comprehensive organizational features, EndNote enables researchers to create and manage extensive bibliographies, add in-text citations, and insert references into Word documents. EndNote also supports online backup and sharing, making collaborative projects easier.

Refworks: A web-based reference management tool popular among students and educators, RefWorks is particularly user-friendly for first-time researchers. It integrates with Microsoft Word for creating in-text citations and bibliographies, making it an accessible tool for managing references throughout the research process.

In addition to these tools, there are other helpful resources for managing and organizing literature, such as PDF and annotation managers like Adobe Acrobat Reader or PDF Expert, which allow researchers to annotate and highlight texts directly on PDFs. For researchers who prefer a visual approach, tools like MindMeister for mind mapping or VOSviewer for creating bibliometric networks can help visualize connections between articles. These tools collectively simplify the literature review process, enabling researchers to build, maintain, and access a well-organized repository of research studies that can be readily referenced when writing and citing their work.

Literature Review is not Summarizing Studies but Synthesizing Existing Literature

An effective literature review goes beyond summarizing studies; it synthesizes findings. Rather than listing individual study results, synthesis involves identifying patterns, themes, and limitations in the findings across multiple studies. Researchers look beyond “what each study found” to consider the implications, limitations, and contributions of these findings to the broader knowledge base. This process of synthesis is essential for identifying broader patterns and shaping an understanding of the topic.

Another crucial element of a literature review is assessing the quality of sources. Peer-reviewed research articles are generally the highest quality sources and should be prioritized. Books may also be included, though cautiously, as they are not peer-reviewed. Other sources, like blog posts or news articles, should be evaluated carefully before inclusion to maintain the credibility of the review

Time to Practice

References

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Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2024). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Aldine Publishing.

Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE Publications.

Maxwell, J. A. (2013). Qualitative research design: An interactive approach (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.

Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2015). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Moustakas, C. (1994). Phenomenological research methods. SAGE Publications.

Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.