Business research methods chapter 3
A scientific literature review serves other purposes, namely to:
Establish the context of the problem or topic by reference to previous work;
Understand the structure of the problem;
Relate theories and ideas to the problem;
Identify the relevant variables and relations;
Show the reader what has been done previously;
Show which theories have been applied to the problems;
Show which research designs and methods have been chosen;
Rationalize the significance of the problem and the study presented;
Show what needs to be done in light of the existing knowledge.
Progress in science is made by the continuous accumulation of knowledge. Each study and article is
just another brick added to the construction of the cathedral. The first function of a literature
review is to embed(inzetten) the current study (the new brick) in the existing of knowledge (the
cathedral). It allows the reader to understand much better which particular issue (chapel of the
cathedral) the study addresses, where it contributes to the knowledge (foundations, walls or roof)
and how it relate to the other bricks.
The literature review allows you to show the reader your understanding of the problem and its
structure. It is also an instrument with which you can describe the chapel to which your study (brick)
contributes. It offers a brief summary of the previous work that is clearly related to the problem of
your study. This is an important function of the review, because you cannot assume that every
reader is as knowledgeable about the fields as you are. In such a summary you show:
Which theoretical concepts others have applied to the problems;
What research designs and methods they have chosen to investigate the problem;
The results that others have found.
You use the literature review to present the reader with a rich description of the current state of the
chapel, by pointing out the beautiful parts, but also addressing its current shortcomings.
Meta-analysis has become increasingly popular to review and summarize studies and addressing the
same topic. It allows you to investigate quantitatively which outcomes are supported by most studies
and which outcomes are more ambiguous. Further, you can identify whether differences in the
research set-up, such as differences in sample size, different types of population etc.
Advantages of meta-analysis:
Powerful tool for reviewing an already well-investigated research field;
It offers a very structured approach to summarize the cumulated knowledge of all the studies
included;
Often able to detect relationships that narrative summaries of a research field have been
unable to uncover.
Disadvantages of meta-analysis:
It compares apple and oranges, and misses; a meta-analysis of studies on internationalization
strategies can include studies that follow distinct theoretical ideas and therefore use
different sets of independent variables.
Meta-analysis starts with the formulation of a problem statement. A quantitative comparison and
summary of studies requires that we obtain quantitative information for each study. In meta-analysis
this information is called the effect size statistic. Exhibit 3.1 provides an overview of common effect
size statistics.
A scientific literature review serves other purposes, namely to:
Establish the context of the problem or topic by reference to previous work;
Understand the structure of the problem;
Relate theories and ideas to the problem;
Identify the relevant variables and relations;
Show the reader what has been done previously;
Show which theories have been applied to the problems;
Show which research designs and methods have been chosen;
Rationalize the significance of the problem and the study presented;
Show what needs to be done in light of the existing knowledge.
Progress in science is made by the continuous accumulation of knowledge. Each study and article is
just another brick added to the construction of the cathedral. The first function of a literature
review is to embed(inzetten) the current study (the new brick) in the existing of knowledge (the
cathedral). It allows the reader to understand much better which particular issue (chapel of the
cathedral) the study addresses, where it contributes to the knowledge (foundations, walls or roof)
and how it relate to the other bricks.
The literature review allows you to show the reader your understanding of the problem and its
structure. It is also an instrument with which you can describe the chapel to which your study (brick)
contributes. It offers a brief summary of the previous work that is clearly related to the problem of
your study. This is an important function of the review, because you cannot assume that every
reader is as knowledgeable about the fields as you are. In such a summary you show:
Which theoretical concepts others have applied to the problems;
What research designs and methods they have chosen to investigate the problem;
The results that others have found.
You use the literature review to present the reader with a rich description of the current state of the
chapel, by pointing out the beautiful parts, but also addressing its current shortcomings.
Meta-analysis has become increasingly popular to review and summarize studies and addressing the
same topic. It allows you to investigate quantitatively which outcomes are supported by most studies
and which outcomes are more ambiguous. Further, you can identify whether differences in the
research set-up, such as differences in sample size, different types of population etc.
Advantages of meta-analysis:
Powerful tool for reviewing an already well-investigated research field;
It offers a very structured approach to summarize the cumulated knowledge of all the studies
included;
Often able to detect relationships that narrative summaries of a research field have been
unable to uncover.
Disadvantages of meta-analysis:
It compares apple and oranges, and misses; a meta-analysis of studies on internationalization
strategies can include studies that follow distinct theoretical ideas and therefore use
different sets of independent variables.
Meta-analysis starts with the formulation of a problem statement. A quantitative comparison and
summary of studies requires that we obtain quantitative information for each study. In meta-analysis
this information is called the effect size statistic. Exhibit 3.1 provides an overview of common effect
size statistics.
