Henley-Putnam's Doctor of Strategic Security Subject Guide

Literature Review

Lecture Notes

By Beth Eisenfeld, DSS, April 19, 2018; Updated August 20, 2020; Updated June 17, 2021. 

What is a literature review? 

A literature review is the story of the body of literature in a specific field. Quality stories have story lines and contain elements such as the theme, the plot, the protagonist, the antagonist, the complication, and the solution. A quality literature review has components such as the background, theory, review of literature on instruments, and a summary (van der Ham & Sevillano, 2010). Before attempting to write a literature review, it is necessary to have a research question that is neither too broad nor to narrow. The question or questions must fall somewhere in the middle so the researcher can focus his or her attention on exploring and searching for relevant literature. 

Once the researcher has identified the topic, the essentials for writing a quality literature review include preparing to write it, searching for literature, finding relevant literature, extracting key excerpts, coding or classifying the excerpts, and then putting it all together by developing an overall story (Randolph, 2009). Finding the right research is the key to a great literature review. The goal is to find the best information and pre-existing knowledge about the topic from academic/refereed international and national journals, books, conference papers, independent research reports, doctoral dissertations and master’s theses, industry and business magazines, and websites. Using mixture of primary and secondary sources is a best practice (Catino, 2014). 

The literature review is the launching pad for establishing the relationship between the researcher’s study and the different works that preceded it. The literature review provides an overview, history, context, justification, and background for the current study and leads the reader to understand the contribution of the current study to the existing body of work in a particular topic area (NAU, 2019). Grouping the literature by its themes and sub themes, key concepts, or theories helps the researcher organize similar information so the relationship between the various themes and concepts is easier for the researcher to synthesize and the reader to understand. Finally, the researcher should tailor the literature review for the purpose and to a specific audience. This helps the researcher determine the appropriate length, scope, depth, and breadth (Randolph, 2009).

A quality literature review assesses a variety of research pointing out the similarities, differences, flaws, inconsistencies, and gaps in a critical evaluation of prior contributions to the topic area. In addition, quality literature reviews “(assess the effectiveness, credibility, reliability, and impact of) the existent research concerning the problem statement of research question,” (NAU, 2019a, p. 23) as well as revealing the gap in the research while describing how the researcher will fill that gap with the proposed dissertation. Literature reviews are “both a summary and critical evaluation” (van der Ham & Sevillano, 2010) of the key aspects of literature as it applies to the research question or questions. For doctoral students, literature reviews at HPSSS are Chapter 2 of the dissertation and use the format contained in the HPSSS Dissertation template 2019 (NAU, 2019b).

References

Catino, M. (2014, April 30). Primary sources: Why they are essential for security studies [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/-gdWRKOsANw

National American University (NAU). (2019a). DSS doctoral program handbook and dissertation guide. D2L@NAU. https://online.national.edu/d2l/le/content/68244/viewContent/3518244/View

National American University (NAU). (2019b). H-PSSS dissertation template 2019 [Word document]. D2L@NAU. https://online.national.edu/d2l/le/content/68244/viewContent/3518247/View

Randolph, J. J. (2009). A guide to writing the dissertation literature review. Practical Assessment Research & Evaluation, 14(13), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.7275/b0az-8t74

van der Ham, V., & Sevillano, L. [Massey University]. (2010, May 17). The literature review [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/jKL2pdRmwc4  

Key Concepts to Remember:

• You are evaluating primary and secondary sources to see how they stack up against the idea for your proposed research – specifically, your research questions.
• You use the literature review to demonstrate how the existing body of research on your topic or research question is lacking – meaning there is a gap in the research.
• You are demonstrating through the literature review, that your research will fill the identified gap or that your research will add a new perspective to the existing body of research.
• As you write the literature review you distinguish the various sources, you found in your research project proposal.
• You organize your literature review by pulling out key themes in the research you found during your review – books, articles, video lectures, documentaries – whatever the source. Be sure it is an academic source, because neither Mickey Mouse’s blog nor his opinions count. Your own opinions, even based on experience, do not count. However, your opinions stated as assertions and backed up by evidentiary support demonstrate critical thinking if structured appropriately. 
• A good rule of thumb for this assignment is to identify three themes in the literature, group your sources by those themes, and highlight, critique, and synthesize the information demonstrating various points of view, while pointing out how none of the authors’ research answers your particular question, or how those authors failed to recognize the new perspective you identified. 
• Remember, you are not writing a book report/article report on each source you include in your literature review. Do not provide a blow-by-blow account of each source you read. You are not writing an annotated bibliography either. You are telling the story of the literature you reviewed while simultaneously assessing it to demonstrate where the questions you are asking about your research project topic are in need of answers or new perspectives.

In science, facts are usually described as the observable conditions.  A hypothesis is a possible explanation about a set of observable conditions.  After multiple tests of hypotheses and based on evidence, a theory is developed as a prediction as to the most logical explanation as to WHY a set of observable conditions exist.  Law is a detailed description, usually using math, to predict the results of WHAT happens with a set of observable conditions.  

In strategic security, we attempt to disprove hypotheses as a means of testing our theories and advancing an understanding of our laws.  As theories pass the toughest series of tests, they advance.  Often hypotheses are stated as research questions to drive the tests.  Research studies are attempts at finding out about the world with a goal of discovery, to further our understanding of a topic.  Many theories that have been developed as predictions of the why in our discipline are listed in this subject guide.  Please check back often as we develop the guide to assist in your research.       

Purpose of a Literature Review in a Dissertation

The literature review provides an important framework in the effective completion of the dissertation:

• Offers an overview of research on a focused topic, problem statement, or research question

• Informs the audience of the rationale behind researching the problem statement or research question

• Organizes the research about the problem statement or research question in a way that demonstrates connections between the various pieces of research (by theme, time period, publication date, research methods, results, or conclusions)

• Evaluates (assess the effectiveness, credibility, reliability, and impact of) the existent research concerning the problem statement of the research question

• Synthesizes (present an integrated and inclusive evaluation of) the existing research relating to the problem statement or research question

• Reveals gaps in the body of research on the topic associated with the problem statement or research question

• Explains how the thesis will fill these gaps in the body of research on the topic associated with the problem statement or research question