Sources for literature review can be divided into three categories as illustrated in table below. In your dissertation you will need to use all three categories of literature review sources:   Sources of literature Characteristics Examples Primary sources for the literature High level of detail Little time needed to publish Reports Theses Emails Conference proceedings Company reports Unpublished manuscript sources Some government publications Secondary sources for the literature Medium level of detail Medium time needed to publish Journals Books Newspapers Some government publications Articles by professional associations Tertiary sources for the literature Low level of detail Considereable amount of time needed to publish Indexes Databases Catalogues Encyclopaedias Dictionaries Bibliographies Citation indexes Statistical data from government websites Sources for literature review and examples   Generally, your literature review should integrate a wide range of sources such as:   Books. Textbooks remain as the most important source to find models and theories related to the research area. Research the most respected authorities in your selected research area and find the latest editions of books authored by them. For example, in the area of marketing the most notable authors include Philip Kotler, Seth Godin, Malcolm Gladwell, Emanuel Rosen and others.   Peer-reviewed academic journals. Peer-reviewed journal articles represent the most important source of literature for most dissertations. These articles present original research findings, theoretical developments, and empirical studies that have been evaluated by experts in the field before publication. Because of this rigorous review process, journal articles are considered more reliable and academically credible than many other sources. In business and management studies, influential journals include sources such as the Harvard Business Review, Journal of Business Research, Academy of Management Journal, and Strategic Management Journal. Access to these articles is typically obtained through academic databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, Emerald Insight,…

Sometimes you are required to explain your literature search strategy used in your research. Even when you are not officially required to do so, including the explanation of literature search strategy in the literature review chapter is going to boost your marks considerably. Keeping a literature search diary to write your search activities is a good way of keeping track of your literature review progress. The diary can be in the paper format, a Microsoft Word file or an Excel spreadsheet and include the following Names of sources Search terms used The numbers of search results generated from each source. Generally, you can conduct your literature search strategy in the following stages:   1. Identification of search terms. For example, for a study entitled “An investigation into the impacts of management practices on the levels of employee motivation at Coca-Cola USA” search terms can be specified as management, management style, motivation, employee morale, leadership, satisfaction, work-life balance, and others. Your search strategy for the relevant literature should also consider synonyms of key words. For example above, the search term of employee motivation might be referred to elsewhere as employee morale or employee willingness.   2. Identification of databases and search platforms. It is useful to explain which academic databases and search platforms were used during the literature search process. Different databases specialize in different subject areas and contain different collections of academic journals. For business and management studies, commonly used databases include Scopus, Web of Science, Emerald Insight, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Explaining the choice of databases demonstrates that the literature search was conducted systematically using reliable academic sources that index peer-reviewed journals.   3. Finding an initial pool of online and offline resources according to the search term. Equipped with search terms, a vast pool of relevant literature can…

Research background is a context for your research and is a brief outline of the most important studies that have been conducted up-to-date presented in a chronological order. It is the outline of historical developments in the research area that led to your specific research problem. Research background part in introduction chapter can be also headed ‘Background of the Study.” Research background should also include a brief discussion of major theories and models related to the research problem. Specifically, when writing research background you can discuss major theories and models related to your research problem in a chronological order to outline historical developments in the research area.  In discussing the background of your study, you also need to demonstrate how your research relates to what has been done so far in the research area. Research background is written after the literature review. Therefore, literature review has to be the first and the longest stage in the research process, even before the formulation of research aims and objectives, right after the selection of the research area. Once the research area is selected, the literature review is commenced in order to identify gaps in the research area. Research aims and objectives need to be closely associated with the elimination of this gap in the literature. Literature review has to be the first and the longest stage in the research process The main difference between background of the study and literature review is that the former only provides general information about what has been done so far in the research area, whereas the latter elaborates and critically reviews previous works. The table  below illustrates differences between research background and literature review: Feature Research Background Literature Review Purpose Provides context and establishes significance of research question Critically evaluates and synthesizes existing knowledge Scope General…

Types of literature review refer to different approaches used to analyse and synthesise existing research on a topic. The choice of type depends on the research aim, research approach, and the level of depth and rigour required in the study. Type Purpose Approach Typical Use Narrative Summarise and critique literature Flexible Most dissertations Systematic Comprehensive and structured review Rigorous Evidence-based studies Scoping Map existing literature Exploratory New or broad topics Argumentative Support or refute a position Selective Theoretical debates Integrative Develop new frameworks Mixed Conceptual studies Theoretical Analyse existing theories Conceptual Theory development Types of literature review at a glance There are many types of literature review. The choice of a specific type depends on your research approach and design. The following types of literature review are the most popular in business studies: Narrative literature review, also referred to as traditional literature review, critiques literature and summarizes the body of a literature. Narrative review also draws conclusions about the topic and identifies gaps or inconsistencies in a body of knowledge. You need to have a sufficiently focused research question to conduct a narrative literature review Systematic literature review requires more rigorous and well-defined approach compared to most other types of literature review. Systematic literature review is comprehensive and details the timeframe within which the literature was selected. Systematic literature review can be divided into two categories: meta-analysis and meta-synthesis. When you conduct meta-analysis you take findings from several studies on the same subject and analyze these using standardized statistical procedures. In meta-analysis patterns and relationships are detected and conclusions are drawn. Meta-analysis is associated with deductive research approach. Meta-synthesis, on the other hand, is based on non-statistical techniques. This technique integrates, evaluates and interprets findings of multiple qualitative research studies. Meta-synthesis literature review is conducted usually when following inductive research…

It is important for you to be able to explain the importance of the research you are conducting by providing valid arguments. Rationale for the study, also referred to as justification for the study, or purpose of the study is reason why you have conducted your study in the first place. This part in your paper needs to explain uniqueness and importance of your research. A strong rationale addresses a fundamental academic question: Why does this research matter? The rationale must be specific and grounded in scholarly reasoning. Vague statements about personal interest or general importance are insufficient. Instead, the justification should demonstrate contribution, relevance, and coherence. Ideally, rationale for the study should relate to the following points: 1. The research needs to contribute to the elimination of a gap in the literature. Elimination of gap in the present literature is one of the compulsory requirements for your study. In other words, you don’t need to ‘re-invent the wheel’ and your research aims and objectives need to focus on new topics. For example, you can choose to conduct an empirical study asessing the impact of artificial intelligence–powered travel recommendation systems on tourist decision-making in emerging markets.. This might be previously undressed topic, taking into account that artificial intelligence–powered travel recommendation systems are a relatively recent phenomenon. Alternatively, if you cannot find a new topic to research, you can attempt to offer fresh perspectives on existing management, business or economic issues. For example, while thousands of studies have been previously conducted to study various aspects of leadership, this topic as far from being exhausted as a research area. For instance, leadership practices may be re-examined in the context of AI-mediated communication environments, where managerial decisions, internal messaging, and performance evaluations are increasingly supported by algorithmic systems. You can also discuss the…

Research structure is basically an outline of your paper. In your dissertation you are expected to provide the research structure towards the end of introduction chapter. The components of research structure are illustrated in table below:   Chapter Components     Introduction Introduction of research problem Discussion of research background Research aims and objectives Rationale for the study Research structure   Literature review Definitions of main terms Explanation of secondary data search strategy Critical analysis of major models, theoretical frameworks and thoughts     Methodology Research process Research philosophy Research design Data collection methods and their application Sampling Findings Primary data presentation Brief discussions Discussions and analysis In-depth discussions and analysis of primary data Comparisons of primary data to secondary data findings   Conclusions Discussion of achievement of research aim and objectives Limitations of research Scope for future studies Components of each chapter in research structure   The following is a sample of a research structure:   Chapter One establishes the foundation of the study. It communicates the purpose and focus of the study and explains the outline of the research. This chapter includes a brief explanation of the research background, and provides rationale for the selection of the research area. Moreover, the first chapter contains explanation of the research aim and objectives, and explains research structure.   Chapter Two constitutes a literature review, and accordingly, contains analysis of models and theoretical frameworks that have been previously introduced to the research area by others. This chapter contains definitions of main terms and explains search strategy for the secondary data. Viewpoints of other authors regarding the research area in general and research problem in particular have been presented in a logical manner in this chapter.   Chapter Three addresses methodology. The chapter explains the research process and addresses the issues of…

Research aim defines the overall purpose of the study — what you, as a researcher intend to achieve. Research objectives break this aim into specific, actionable steps that guide how you will conduct the research. Together, they provide a clear direction and structure for the entire research project. On this page: Difference between research question, aim and objectives Mistakes in formulating research aim SMART principle for research objectives   Research Question, Aim, and Objectives: Understanding the Difference Formulating research aim and objectives in an appropriate manner is one of the most important aspects of your thesis. This is because research aim and objectives determine the scope, depth and the overall direction of the research. Research aims and objectives provide a roadmap for your research, guiding your methodology, data collection, and analysis. Research question is the central question your study seeks to answer. It represents the intellectual problem driving the investigation. Research aim emphasizes what needs to be achieved within the scope of the research, by the end of the research process. Achievement of research aim provides answer to the research question. Research objectives divide research aim into several parts and address each part separately. Research aim specifies WHAT needs to be studied and research objectives comprise a number of steps that address HOW research aim will be achieved. As a rule of dumb, there would be one research aim and several research objectives. Achievement of each research objective will lead to the achievement of the research aim. Consider the following as an example: Research title: Effects of organizational culture on business profitability: a case study of Virgin Atlantic. Research aim: To assess the effects of Virgin Atlantic organizational culture on business profitability. Following research objectives would facilitate the achievement of this aim: Analyzing the nature of organizational culture at Virgin…

Writing dissertation proposal gives you a chance to find out if research aims and objectives are valid. Also, it helps to understand if the methods you are planning to use are suitable and feasible. Your dissertation proposal is a blueprint for the entire work. The purpose for writing dissertation proposal is to get it approved by your supervisor to get the green light start the actual research. Furthermore, writing dissertation proposal helps you to clarify the direction of your study. Your dissertation proposal needs to be able to communicate the following three critical points to the supervisor: a) You already did your homework in terms of reading a large amount of relevant secondary data in your research area. You will need to briefly mention and discuss the most noteworthy contributions to the research area. b) The research will eliminate a gap in the literature. You will need to highlight the gap in the literature and discuss how the research you are planning to conduct is going to contribute to the existing academic developments. c) Ideally, there is a need for this research from practical point of view. This is not compulsory, but highly welcomed. Being a business study, your work can provide certain benefits in a practical level as well. Total wordcount requirement for a Research Proposal can range between 1500 – 4000 words. The proposal can be prepared in the following format. Note that the format below is just an example and if your university has a specific format you should follow that format. 1. Title Page. Include a concise and precise working title. Avoid overly broad formulations. 2. Introduction. This part is a brief introduction to the research area with some background information. Some universities require proposal abstract or summary to be included as well. Please refer to…

Selecting a research area is the very first step in writing your dissertation. It is important for you to choose a research area that is interesting to you professionally, as well as, personally. Experienced researchers note that “a topic in which you are only vaguely interested at the start is likely to become a topic in which you have no interest and with which you will fail to produce your best work”[1]. Ideally, your research area should relate to your future career path and have a potential to contribute to the achievement of your career objectives. Your dissertation supervisor, colleagues, family members and others can only make suggestions about your dissertation topic. But it is You who should make the final decision.    The importance of selecting a relevant research area that is appropriate for dissertation is often underestimated by many students. This decision cannot be made in haste. Ideally, you should start considering different options at the beginning of the term. However, even when there are only few weeks left before the deadline and you have not chosen a particular topic yet, there is no need to panic. There are few areas in business studies that can offer interesting topics due to their relevance to business and dynamic nature. The following is the list of research areas and topics that can prove to be insightful in terms of assisting you to choose your own dissertation topic. Globalization can be a relevant topic for many business and economics dissertations. Forces of globalization are nowadays greater than ever before and dissertations can address the implications of these forces on various aspects of business. Following are few examples of research areas in globalization: A research into economic implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for multinational companies based in China. Impacts of globalization on marketing…