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Education

Education Research

Collect Primary Data

Collect Secondary Data

Categories of Data Based Upon Who Collects It

Primary Data                                                        

It is collected by the investigator himself/ herself to answer specific questions.      

It is gathered directly from first-hand sources.                                                                                                                                

Example:

 Field Research: surveys, observation, experimentation 

Secondary Data

It is previously obtained information that is being reused, usually in a different context.

 It is gathered by someone else for another purpose                                                                             

Example:

Desk Research: data obtained from previously published materials, such as censuses, government publications, and company reports.

Alberta

Canada

International

Writing a Literature Review - Step by Step

 

     1. Ensure that your topic is manageable. A topic that is too broad or too narrow will be difficult to review.

           - Be flexible about your topic. Pick a topic that is interesting to you!

     2. Search for literature. Read the title and abstract to assess if the content matches your topic.

          - Store (save, email, print, etc.) any relevant articles and keep them in one location.

          - Ideally, you will find the most current research on the topic.

     3. Read each article carefully. Re-read the title and abstract. Read the "discussion" or "findings/results" or "conclusion" section first.

          - Take notes or summarize the key findings in each article.

     4. Compare each article, assessing similarities, differences, and gaps in the research as related to your topic.

     5. Connect the literature to your research purposes.

          -  How does this review inform your professional practice? 

          -  How do the ideas in these articles inform my practice and help me become a better teacher?

Scholarly Sources

 

The literature review should include at least 6-8 scholarly journal articles.

A scholarly journal article:

  • is written by an identifiable author(s) with appropriate credentials (the author is an expert in the field)
  • includes a reference list/bibliography/works cited page
  • provides an in-depth treatment of the topic (at least 5-7 pages long, up to 20+ pages)
  • is academic and aimed at researchers (not the general public)
  • does not usually include photos or advertising
  • may be identified in library databases as "scholarly", "peer-reviewed", or "research articles"

In some cases, appropriate research might be found on a website. The website should meet most of the above features for a scholarly article.