Writing Chapter II: Review of Related Literature and Studies (RRLS)

This chapter informs the reader of the progress or development of knowledge, from its creation until the present.  Many disciplines require an age limit to sources of no older than x years from present.  This is to ensure that the topic of the researcher is 1) timely, and 2) not tired jaded.  There are few exemptions to the age limit rule. Samples of exemptions are classical sources or the classic material of a particular topic.  For example,  you can’t discuss cultural conflict between nations without mentioning Huntington.  Nor you can’t have a discussion of Realism without Morgenthau.

The Review of Related Literature and Studies surveys what has already been written about your topic.  It creates a map and shows a missing gap where your thesis can fit in.

A good example is going to the library and looking at the shelf.  Have you noticed that all compa books are lumped together in one shelf (sometimes if there's a lot they extend to the next).  The same with the Pol Thought books, and the Pub Ad books.  If you look at the library number, those numbers are assigned based on what they are about.  Sample Political Science is "J" under that Political Theory is "JC"  the books with JC will be JC+ number.  Hence, Aristotle, Augustine, Machiavelli will be in "JC."  Where should Hobbes be?  Somewhere before Machiavelli?  And any shelf will have such a sequence.  But have you ever noticed if "Elazar" is in the sequence?  If you haven't then that means that there's a GAP.  That's what's not yet been added.  Going back to your thesis, what's already been written on the topic?  Has someone already done what you propose now?  If yes then better drop that proposal.  How about, is there a difference between your proposal and all that's been written before?  If yes, then that's the GAP which you are accomplishing.

Difference between Literature and Study:

The best way to distinguish is to begin with Studies.  A requirement of being a study is that it is a scientific, methodical research on the topic.  Most journals and monographs are studies.  Though there are studies that are published in book form.  The basic way to identify is, check out if the material is a journal.  If it is then it is a study.  Anything else is Literature. 

And literature can vary in many ways.  Primarily, they are books.  But they can also be multimedia sources, and internet webpages.

In any research, the headings are basically based on topics.  But for some disciplines, it is required to identify which sources are foreign and which are local.

The identifying mark is the place of publication.  Whether it is a book, journal, webpage, news, media, or a pamphlet.  The place where the material originated is what makes it Foreign or Local.

How does one proceed with writing?

Use topic headings as guided by your variables.  These headings should be in the form of phrases not one or two word terms, not sentence, e.g. Federalism and environmental protection, Gender and voting behavior.  There should be topics talking about your independent variable and your dependent variable.  Again the point of doing this is that you are pointing out what people have already written in the past.  Hence you identify what have they contributed to political science?  To the specific topic you are working on?  These include, where they conducted the study, what they studied, what method they used, and what findings they provided.  Since this is a review or related ness.  You should discuss these in relation to other writers.  E.g.  "Castillo (2005) and Aricheta (2004) conducted studies on gender in Japan.  Castillo provided the following findings .... while Aricheta....  somewhat similar but different because..."   

Aside from the Theoretical Framework, this part is mistaken as another patchwork of paraphrases from various sources.

Again the thesis is yours.  You cite to support yourself.

In the case of the RRLS you are writing about what you know on the development of the ideas or topics.  And you mention each Literature or Study as your identification of the parts of that development.  Since each of these literatures and studies contribute to this progress.

Each topic should begin with an introductory paragraph for that topic.  The same paragraph will enumerate the prominent writers or wittings on that topic. 

e.g.  Human rights is a much discussed topic nowadays.  Among the present literature include….

Or Writters such as xyz (2015), abc (2015), and efg (2016)  each proposed their ideas on TOKHANG phenomenon…

Looking at preceding sample.  Take into mind that the literatures and studies should be enumerated and discussed ad majoritas (from oldest to youngest) to show the chronological development.

After the introductory paragraph.  Give each of the mentioned sources their own discussion.  Again, YOU discuss.  Paraphrase to support what you say about the article.  Again, add paragraphs if there are subsequent ideas in that article that needs discussion (e.g. you are reviewing Almond and Verba who said that that there are three political cultures.  Then based on your discussion, you might have at least two paragraphs for that.  And of course, don’t forget to cite.

Provide a closing paragraph after each topic. 

Definition of Terms

There are teomain parts with format subheadings.

• Operational Terms
• Conceptual Terms

Operational definitions are defined by the writer, fitting the terms to the research.  Because not all existing definitions will be exact for your thesis. 

Conceptual definitions are sourced from disciplinary authorities.  Never use the discionary or encyclopedia please.

A very important note.  Before proceeding to define every term you might think of.  The first things to define are the components of the Thesis Statement.  

Scope and Limitations

Should have two parts.  Both have format subheadings as follows:

• Scope
• Limitations

Each should have approximately 1 paragraph each.

Scope should identify specifically:

What?

Who?

Where?

When

Why?

How?

Of your thesis.

The same holds true with the Limitations, you have to specifically identify what won’t be the topic.  Where the scope defines what IS the topic.

Along with the limitations include another paragraph, which may be needed to be written.  These include what you cannot do.  E.g.  Language barrier, the researchers cannot speak Korean, and therefore will need the services of a translator.  The researchers cannot physically go to Vietnam, hence the interviews will be conducted via Sype.

Conceptual Framework

This part of the thesis is where the writer digests for the reader.  Divides the variables into their components elements.  These elements are what make up each idea.  For example:  Federalism, what are its components?  According to Elazar it’s shared-rule, and self-rule.  Sometimes, the theory provided in the Theoretical Framework can already deliver these.  Sometimes, you’ll need more authors.  At least one for each of the two variables.

The elements identified should be discussed in detail.  And applied on how the thesis statement is working.  And since this part is an exercise of explaining ideas.  It is accompanied by a diagram called paradigm.  It is the Thesis Statement in diagram form.  A way to imagine the idea.

In making the paradigm, make sure that the following are identifiable:

• The two variables.
• The elements that compos each variable.
• The relationship of the two variables.
• The relationships of the elements.

These elements help in formulating the Statement of the Problem sub-questions.  In fact, the sub-questions and the Conceptual Framework should echo each other.

These same elements eventually become the parameters and/or indicators for the study.

Parameters provide a way of measuring.  For example, if one is talking about economic growth.  Then corollary to it is the question of what are the things that we need to measure that can mean that there is growth?  GDP?  Income?  Savings?

Indicators, are more qualitative.  They are another way of saying symptoms.  An example is social decay.  What are the things that should be noted to mean that there is social decay?  Presence of apathy?  Presence of vote abstention?

These elements should help as guides when formulating the research instrument which will be used in the methodology.

Theoretical Framework

This part is among the most parts of a thesis where many writers are mistaken.  Students usually paraphrase someone’s writing on a theory about the topic, add a diagram, and voila.  A wrong way of writing the theoretical framework.

As I’ve mentioned your thesis is yours, and everything else supports you.   The same here.  You are supposed to have chosen, from among all the theories that you’ve studied about your topic, the best one.

And best means 2 things:

One, that the particular theory fits in with the thesis statement.  And,

Two, that the theory or theorist who proposed the theory, is recognized as an authority on the topic. 

In writing the Theoretical Framework, state the theory if it has a name.  If not, state it as the theory of –specific author-.  From there state within the same paragraph a declarative statement of the theory.  It will be aligned with the essence of your Thesis Statement.

What if there is no direct statement from the author?  You digest the writing of the author into an acceptable declarative statement.  What’s important is that this idea is recognizable and acceptable by any reader familiar to the topic.

Writing Significance of the Study

Significance and Objective might sound confusing.  The difference is that Objective of the Study discusses the output.  Significance of the Study, on the other hand, identifies who will benefit and how.

This part of Chapter I has two parts.  Each should have the specific subheadings.

• Theoretical Significance
• Practical Significance

Each should have 1 or more paragraphs each.  Identifying, enumerating in paragraph form, who will benefit and discussing how each of those listed will benefit.

The Theoretical Significance is involved with the academe, while the Practical Significance is involved with the industry (or profession) where the discipline or topic can be found.

E.g.  A thesis on migrants is theoretically significant to migration scholars, professors, students, and researchers.  Each having their own reason why.  It will be practically significant to migrants and government officials.  Better to identify which particular government officials or offices. 

A very important part of the Theoretical Sigificance is that you have to state how the thesis is significance to the discipline to where you belong.  This is called “filling in the gap.”  You made a survey of existing literature and studies.  From this, you are supposed to have found where in the sequence of all the discoveries on the topic does your idea fit in.  And it fits in because your thesis is new.  Among all the published works, what does your thesis add to the existing body of knowledge of your discipline.

Say for instance, a thesis on social capital.  It was Putnam who first wote on social capital.  From then on other social scientists have made wrote new articles.  If I write on social capital, do I add something new?  A new way to study?   A new way to approach?  A new thesis about it?

Writing Objectives of the Study

Writing in a particular discipline is pointless without a particular useful output.  Research can be an expensive endeavor.  And having a good objective is what makes a particular research fundable.

The Objectives of the Study is written following a format of the Statement of the Problem (introductory paragraph, though you may include one).  There will be a one liner declaring the main objective followed by specific objectives.

The Objective has the goal of producing output.  Hence:

There should be a one liner of a ceclarative sentence stating the output.  And this output is directly aligned with the one liner of the Statement of the Problem.  The knowledge to be discovered via the research is the main output.  The sub-objectives are a list of feasible uses of the output of the research. E.g.  Training manual, policy basis, report for the U.N. or ASEAN.

Writing Statement of the Problem

Problem means two things that are essentially entwined.

1^st is the situation in the world, particularly a phenomenon, that you are problematizing on.  To problematize means to ask questions about.  Or to have deep inquiries about.  It is from this activity of the mind of the researcher from which the research question arise.

2^nd is the actual research question.  Which will not be phrased as a question.  It is what the researcher wants to know about the particular phenomenon, along with specific questions that can be raised to help in answering it.

The Statement of the Problem is written in two parts.

1^st part: A short paragraph succinctly summarizing the problematization,

2^nd par: A one liner, a declarative sentence stating what the thesis aims to know.  It follows the format: “This thesis (this research) aims to know (has the goal of) knowing (understanding, analyzing) ___________________________________________________________________________.”

e.g.  This thesis aims to know what is the potential application of federalism to the Republic of the Philippines.

The one liner is your main problem.  It will be followed by a numbered list of questions introduced this way:

Furthermore it seeks to answer the following questions:

1.  How does federalism manage the scattered islands of an archipelago?  (sample)
2.  How does federalism unify the varying cultures in an archipelago? (sample)
3.  How does federalism promote economic equality in an archipelago? (sample)

These sub-questions do not come from nothing.  They are based on the elements that compose each of the two variables.  And these elements are identified in the conceptual framework.