Instructor's note: much of the following discussion relies on two texts: fink, arlene. Conducting a literature review provides a researcher with an overview and evaluation of available resources on a specific topic. While many people understand the difference between over and under generalization, they still create research questions that violate these principles. An additional difficulty occurs when a researcher revises the question during the research process.

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Let's consider a simple research question: why do readers refuse to read texts? although this question seems like a resolvable issue, consider what has been left out:

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For instance, a tutorial text supports a specific audience and purpose so too do genre such as reference manuals, comic books, novels, newspapers, and annual reports. What do the terms refuse and read mean in this question? reading may seem like a well defined process however, it can require readers to consider and process more than textual material. Many texts have non textual elements: illustrations of all kinds , data displays, and document conventions headings and emphasis techniques, for instance. The reading process is further complicated by the use of dynamic or moving elements in electronic information these must also be read. Refusing, or rejecting, an information source is fraught with similar definitional difficulties. Festinger, for example, provides an interesting perspective on an entire research field called source credibility. Where does the problem really lie? the question assumes that something is wrong with the way potential readers view the text.

Isn't it as likely that some problem in the text causes this reader behavior?

so, the research question could be posited in a more specific way: what features of the non directional beacon field service manual make it difficult for service personnel to complete their tasks? sounds good, but this question introduces a new set of difficulties.

In a similar vein, how can we characterize the audience that the question identifies? field service personnel may be trained technicians who know how to service this equipment, but they may not be engineers. Thus, a manual that advises a technician to perform an adjustment based on a calculation may be addressing the wrong potential audience. What are tasks ? still sounds like an easy one, but the researcher needs to be specific.

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Are these simple monkey tasks that rely on muscle memory that is, are they tasks that are done frequently in exactly the same manner? or, are these unique tasks that require diagnosis and decision making? obviously, such tasks are very different in character.

given this further problem setting analysis, a third rendition of the research question might be: what characteristics of procedural, or reference, manuals make it difficult for service personnel to complete their routine tasks? at this point, the researcher could offer further clarification by defining manual characteristics, creating a profile of service personnel, and defining routine tasks. Once you have a stable and well defined research question and any supporting corollaries, definitions, or sub questions , you can begin to identify subject headings and keywords. generally, you should rely on subject headings, which tend to be broader in scope, if you are uncertain about the inclusive character of your research question.

You can also use these subject headings to check completed research based on keywords to be sure you have not missed important sources. If we use our research question stated above, subject headings such as reading behaviors. In contrast, keywords have been compiled from titles, abstracts, and subject headings. You may also want to add such search terms as specific authors known authorities, for example , titles, title words, journals, and even dates to help limit or expand your search possibilities. Since search techniques vary considerably among possible sources, a model search will not be suggested here. Instead, you should create your own model search and try searching various sources.

It is likely that you will find more information during this search than you expected. For example, it is likely that a database search will return some initial, and early, indication if there is the potential for narrowing or expanding the search terms. This model search will also help you to discern the database's behavior in terms of grammar and methods used to retrieve records.

Be sure to read all help information to broaden your own awareness of the search potential of any one database. Although you have now identified potential keywords, you need to decide which keywords seem most important for your research needs, which are likely to yield any useful records, and which data sources will provide those records. All of these decisions are difficult, but they do become easier as you exercise your research abilities over time. Begin this process by identifying the major sources in your field or the field most closely related to your research question. Of course, these lists change over time and you need to check even their accuracy. Keep in mind that you should begin every research task by discovering what you and what others already know about a topic.

Essay on Computer And Our Future

For example, two published bibliographies were used to provide background as this course was developed: alred, gerald j. These two collections bring research in the field up to about 1996 though only a few citations beyond 1990 appear in the alred collection. Despite this declared coverage, even a cursory examination of alred's text reveals some interesting deficiencies. Well, when did that technology come into everyday use? an interesting research question in itself, wouldn't you say? but i would still maintain that the known should always be your starting point. At least, it allows you to decide if your topic is even represented in any database.