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"Machi and McEvoy have crafted a guide that is absolutely elegant in its simplicity. The writers take the reader from the simple to the complex in an extremely well-written, logical sequence of bite-sized steps. This is the most useful guide to writing a literature review available anywhere." --Leonard O. Pellicer, Distinguished Professor Emeritus University of South Carolina A clear, understandable six-step method for a straightforward literature review process! Written in user-friendly language, this compact reference offers master′s and doctoral-level students in education and the social sciences a roadmap to developing and writing an effective literature review for a research project, thesis, or dissertation. Organized around a comprehensive and detailed six-step developmental model, the book provides guided exercises, graphics, charts, and examples from the everyday experiences of researchers. Both novice and experienced graduate students will find invaluable assistance for:

Selecting a topic Searching the literature Developing arguments Surveying the literature Critiquing the literature Writing the literature review

With additional tips, checklists, and summaries tucked into each chapter, this guide provides clear, focused direction for composing a first-rate literature review.

Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• About the Authors
• 1 The Literature Review Process: Getting Started
• The Purpose of a Literature Review
• The Literature Review Definition
• The Literature Review Process
• Inquiry: The Necessary Precondition
• Pack Wisely Before You Begin
• Tips
• Summary
• Checklist
• 2 Selecting the Topic: Everyday Interest to Research Interest
• Introduction: Selecting a Research Topic
• Step 1 Choosing a Research Interest
• Exercises
• Researcher Bias
• Step 2 Specifying a Research Interest
• Focusing the Interest
• Selecting a Vantage Point
• Reflection: The Key to Interest Selection
• Step 3 From Research Interest to Research Topic
• Accessing the Research Conversation: Formalizing the Research Topic
• Tips
• Summary
• Checklist
• 3 Searching the Literature: Tasks and Tools
• Introduction: Searching the Literature
• Discovering the Literature to Review
• Conducting a Literature Search
• Previewing the Data: Scanning the Literature
• Using the Internet
• Managing Your Data
• Selecting the Data: Skimming the Literature
• Mapping: An Overview
• Mapping by Core Concept
• Mapping by Author Contribution
• Refining the Topic
• Expanding the Topic
• Tips
• Summary
• Checklist
• 4 Developing the Argument: Making the Case for the Literature Review
• Introduction: Arguments and the Literature Review
• Building the Case for the Literature Review
• Arguments
• Evaluating the Basic Parts of an Argument
• Claims
• Types of Claims
• Acceptability of Claims
• Data Versus Evidence
• Data Quality
• Data Relevance
• Qualifying the Claim
• Warranting: Building the Rationale for the Argument
• Multiple Claims Arguments
• Tips
• Summary
• Checklist
• 5 Doing the Literature Survey: Building the Argument of Discovery
• Introduction: The Next Steps
• The Survey of the Literature
• Stage 1 Assembly
• Assembling the Data
• Recording the Data
• Stage 2 Synthesis
• Synthesizing the Information, Building Evidence
• Integrating the Data, Building Claims
• Reasoning Patterns
• Stage 3 Analyzing, Building the Argument of Discovery
• Complex Reasoning
• Divergent Reasoning
• Comparative Reasoning
• Building the Discovery Argument: An Example
• Mapping the Argument of Discovery
• Analyzing the Argument
• Tips
• Summary
• Checklist
• 6 The Literature Critique: Interpreting the Research
• The Literature Critique
• Implicative Reasoning: The Literature Critique
• The Two Arguments
• Argument Patterns
• Backing
• Fallacies
• The Case Is Everything
• Tips
• Summary
• Checklist
• 7 Writing the Review: Write, Audit, Edit
• The Writing Process: An Overview
• Writing to Understand: An Overview
• Exploratory Writing: Creating Writing Readiness
• Exploratory Writing: The Literature Review
• Outlining: An Overview
• Some Common Outlining Mistakes
• Outlining the Literature Review
• The Introduction to the Literature Review
• The Body of the Literature Review
• The Background of the Study
• The Thesis Argument
• The Summation of the Literature Review
• Auditing and Editing the Outline
• Tips on Writing
• Drafts
• The Preliminary Draft: An Overview
• The Preliminary Draft: The Write
• Tips on Writing the Early Drafts
• Style Manuals and Author's Guides
• Preliminary Draft: The Audit
• Preliminary Draft: The Edit
• Writing to Be Understood
• The First Draft
• The First Draft Audit: The Outside Review
• The Second and Third Drafts: Polishing the Work
• The Second Draft and Beyond: Writing the Polished Work
• The Polished Draft Audit: The Referred Review
• The Final Tip
• Summary
• References
• Index

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

Lawrence A. Machi is a Professor Emeritus of Organizational Leadership at the University of La Verne, in La Verne, California. He holds an MA in curriculum development and an Ed.D. in organizational leadership. He has taught research methods and design and has chaired doctoral dissertation research in addition to teaching classes in organizational development. He has extensive experience in higher education, and prior to his tenure at La Verne, he taught in schools of education at the University of San Francisco, St. Mary's College of California, and Sonoma State University. Dr. Machi has served as a Fulbright Specialist and recently completed his third assignment in Taiwan at National Chung Cheng University, where he currently serves as a visiting professor.

With K-12 experience as well, he has worked as a secondary teacher and served as a school administrator in both secondary and elementary school districts in northern California. He has occupied the roles of vice principal, principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent, frequently consulting with many ­California school districts and non-profit organizations. His specialties are in the areas of organizational leadership, finance, negotiations, organizational development, and strategic thinking.

Brenda T. McEvoy taught high school English, history, and science for 36 years. Research skills were always part of her curriculum. For eight years, she worked for the California State Department of Education, leading groups of educators in improving their ability to edit and assess student writing. She has also served as a mentor for beginning English and history teachers. Participation in the California Writing Project extended her knowledge of writing and the difficulties students face when producing a major assignment. She has worked as an editor for several books, focusing on helping writers create work that is clear and logical.