Research Methods Course
By
Associate Professor. Dr. Ibrahim H.M.
Magboul (Ph.D., CIM, PMP, CISA)
January 2026
Chapter 4: Literature Review
Recapitulation
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After completing Chapter 4, you should be able to:
1. Discuss the functions of a literature review.
2. Write a literature review on any given topic, documenting the references
in the prescribed manner.
3. Discuss the ethical issues of documenting the literature review.
Definition
A literature review is “the selection of available documents (both published and
unpublished) on the topic, which contain information, ideas, data and evidence
written from a particular standpoint to fulfil certain aims or express certain
views on the nature of the topic and how it is to be investigated, and the
effective evaluation of these documents in relation to the research being
proposed” (Hart, 1998, p. 13).
A literature review ensures that:
■ The research effort is positioned relative to existing knowledge and builds on this
knowledge.
■ You can look at a problem from a specific angle.
■ You do not run the risk of “reinventing the wheel”, that is, wasting effort on trying
to rediscover something that is already known.
■ You obtain useful insights into the research methods that others have used to
provide an answer to similar research questions.
■ You can introduce relevant terminology and to define key terms used in your
writing.
■ The research effort can be contextualized in a wider academic debate.
How to approach the literature Review
■ Data sources
■ Textbooks
■ Journals
■ Theses
■ Conference proceedings
■ Unpublished manuscripts
■ Reports
■ Newspapers
■ The Internet
The quality of a literature review depends on a cautious selection and
reading of books, academic and professional journals, reports, theses,
conference proceedings, unpublished manuscripts, and the like. Academic
books and journals are, in general, the most useful sources of information.
However, other sources such as professional journals, reports, and even
newspapers may also be valuable because they can provide you with
specific, real-world information about markets, industries, or companies.
Therefore, as a rule, you will need to use a combination of information
resources. The precise combination of resources depends on the nature
and the objectives of your research project.
Searching for literature
■ Electronic journals
■ Full‐text databases
■ Bibliographic databases
■ Abstract databases
■ See Appendix (P63-P66) for database examples, especially Accounting,
Marketing, and Management
■ [Link]
■ Google Scholar (recommended)
■ [Link]
■ [Link]
Documenting the literature review
■ Documenting the literature review is important to convince the reader that the
researcher is knowledgeable about the problem area and has done the
preliminary homework that is necessary to conduct the research.
■ A literature review is intended to synthesize (and not necessarily to summarize)
relevant research on your topic. To synthesize is to combine two or more
elements to form a new whole.
■ There are several accepted methods of citing references in the literature survey
section and using quotations (APA, Harvard )
The American Psychological Association (APA) is
widely used in the social science
From the above extract, several insights can be gained. The literature
review
(1) introduces the subject of study (organizational effectiveness)
(2) highlights the problem (that we do not have a good conceptual
framework for understanding what OE is)
(3) summarizes the work done so far on the topic in a manner that
convinces the reader that the researcher has indeed surveyed the
work done in the area of OE and wants to contribute to the
understanding of the concept, taking off from the earlier
contingency approaches in a more creative way.
Documenting the literature review
■ Documenting the literature review is important to convince the reader that the
researcher is knowledgeable about the problem area and has done the
preliminary homework that is necessary to conduct the research.
■ A literature review is intended to synthesize (and not necessarily to summarize)
relevant research on your topic. To synthesize is to combine two or more
elements to form a new whole.
■ There are several accepted methods of citing references in the literature survey
section and using quotations (APA, Harvard )
The American Psychological Association (APA) is
widely used in the social science
Documenting the literature review
■ Documenting the literature review is important to convince the reader that the
researcher is knowledgeable about the problem area and has done the
preliminary homework that is necessary to conduct the research.
■ A literature review is intended to synthesize (and not necessarily to summarize)
relevant research on your topic. To synthesize is to combine two or more
elements to form a new whole.
■ There are several accepted methods of citing references in the literature survey
section and using quotations (APA, Harvard )
The American Psychological Association (APA) is
widely used in the social science
A bibliography Vs. Reference List
■ A bibliography is a listing of works that are relevant to the main topic of research
interest, arranged in alphabetical order of the last names of the authors.
■ A reference list is a subset of the bibliography, which includes details of all the
citations used in the literature review and elsewhere in the paper, arranged, again,
in alphabetical order of the last names of the authors.
Examples: APA Style
ETHICAL ISSUES
There are two important pitfalls that you must be aware of:
■ Purposely misrepresenting the work of other authors
■ Plagiarism – the use of another ’ s original words, arguments, or ideas as
though they were your own, even if this is done in good faith, out of
carelessness, or out of ignorance
■ What about AI & ChatGPT?
2-page Exercise (5 Marks- 5 students each
Group )
■ Choose a sub-area of your own (Accounting, management, Marketing )
■ Identify your research topic
■ Construct a tentative title, two research objectives, and two research
questions
■ Search for five research papers from top high impact journals related
to your research topic (2024, 2025, 2026 only )