+27 21 959 2946library@uwc.ac.za
The Library Postgraduate Research Support service provides guidance and relevant training that supports postgraduate students and researchers during their research journey.
Information and Research Guides
See the Library Postgraduate Research Support guide for more information on recommended and authoritative resources. This guide provides a useful starting point for finding relevant subject information.
You may also consult the SAGE Research Methods guide to help you in finding the best literature to enable you to choose a methodology and launch into your research project.
Training Programme
A series of training sessions is scheduled to run during the 1st and 2nd semesters. Invitations to these sessions are sent to the postgraduate and research community through UWC Communication.
In the case where dates are not suitable, presentations can be done by invitation. Send an email request to library-research@uwc.ac.za
The session cover but are not limited to the following:
The Division for Postgraduate Studies (DPGS) offers virtual mentoring to registered UWC postgraduate (PG) students.
Please see the attached Postgraduate Student Guide for the UWC Research Requirements for the following:
Duties of the Writing Coaches
Duties of the Statistical Coaches
COACHES DO NOT WRITE FOR STUDENTS AND ARE NOT SUPERVISORS!
To request and be assigned a writing or statistical coach, please complete the JOTFORM via the link below:
https://form.jotform.com/51601578349965
A literature review is:
The purpose of a literature review, therefore, is:
The classic pattern of academic arguments is:
Thesis, antithesis, synthesis.
An Idea (Thesis) is proposed, an opposing Idea (Antithesis) is proposed, and a revised Idea incorporating (Synthesis) the opposing Idea is arrived at. This revised idea sometimes sparks another opposing idea, another synthesis, and so on…
If you can show this pattern at work in your literature review, and, above all, if you can suggest a new synthesis of two opposing views, or demolish one of the opposing views, then you are almost certainly on the right track.
Choose your topic
Seek advice from a lecturer or tutor on this, if a topic is not already assigned. It is very common for students to bite off more than they can chew, simply because they have not realised the full breadth and complexity of an apparently simple topic. It is better to cover a tiny topic perfectly, than a huge topic superficially.
Look for a topic on which there is polarised opinion. It often helps to pick one in which a question is being asked, for example: Is a particular taxation policy beneficial or disadvantageous to a developing country?
When authors disagree, this provides an opportunity for you to enter the debate and argue for one side or another in your essay. Taking a hatchet to someone’s opinions (a) gives you something to write about, (b) is fun, (c) is the foundation of much modern scholarly writing.
Collecting Relevant Material
The two tools for finding these books and articles are (a) the library catalogue (uKwazi) and (b) the library databases of electronic journal articles.
Before you search them, spend a minute thinking about the best terms to use. Make a list of alternative words that describe your subject, and also think about general terms and more specific terms. This is important because the journal databases are good for finding very specific terms in articles, but the library catalogue tends to use more general terms.
Systematic reviews identify, select, assess, and synthesize the findings of similar but separate studies and can help clarify what is known and not known about the potential benefits and harms of drugs, devices, and other healthcare services. Systematic reviews can be helpful for clinicians who want to integrate research findings into their daily practices, for patients to make well-informed choices about their own care, and for professional medical societies and other organizations that develop clinical practice guidelines.
Data Considerations
If you answered “No” to any of the first four questions, a traditional Literature Review will be more appropriate to do.
If you answered “No” to the last question, a meta-analysis will not be an appropriate methodology for your review.
The following further outlines the difference between a "Systematic Review" and a "Literature Review."
For more information, consult the following Library Guide from Rutgers University Libraries: Systematic Reviews in the Health Sciences
Evidence-based practice (EBP) is the conscientious and judicious use of current best evidence in conjunction with clinical expertise and patient values to guide health care decisions. Best evidence includes empirical evidence from randomized controlled trials; evidence from other scientific methods such as descriptive and qualitative research; as well as use of information from case reports, scientific principles, and expert opinion. When enough research evidence is available, the practice should be guided by research evidence in conjunction with clinical expertise and patient values.
The evidence pyramid is an easy way to visualize this hierarchy of evidence.
At the top of the pyramid is filtered evidence including systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and critical appraisals. These studies evaluate and synthesize the literature. The top of the pyramid represents the strongest evidence.
At the base of the pyramid is unfiltered evidence including randomized controlled trials, cohort studies and case reports. These are individual reports and studies, also known as the primary literature.
PICO is a format for developing a good clinical research question prior to starting one’s research. It is a mnemonic used to describe the four elements of a sound clinical foreground question.
The question needs to identify the patient or population we intend to study, the intervention or treatment we plan to use, the comparison of one intervention to another (if applicable) and the outcome we anticipate.
UWC Library subscribes to Citation Databases, in addition to the Journal Databases. These Citation Databases help you to discover research journal articles and researchers, and show their citation information.
You can search the Citation Databases below.
Scopus is a multidisciplinary navigational tool that contains records going back to the mid-1960s, offering newly-linked citations across the widest body of scientific abstracts available in one place. More coverage of scientific, technical, medical, and social science literature (14,000 titles) than any other database.
Web of Science provides access to the world's leading citation databases: Science Citation Index Expanded; Social Sciences Citation Index; Arts & Humanities Citation Index; Emerging Sources Citation Index; Index Chemicus; Book Citation Index; and, Conference Proceedings Citation Index. Authoritative, multidisciplinary content covers the highest impact journals, including Open Access journals and conference proceedings.
Interpreting Qualitative Data by
In this fifth edition of his field-defining text, David Silverman, a true guru of qualitative research, walks the reader through the basics of gathering and analyzing qualitative data. The book offers beginners unrivalled hands-on guidance to help them get the best out of a research methods course or research project. New to the fifth edition: A streamlined structure to aid navigation and guide readers smoothly through the research process. A new chapter on generalizing from case-study research which addresses the perennial issue of 'how many cases do you need?' New material on doing qualitative research online and the ethics of internet research. Additional sections covering organizational documents and documents of everyday life, including blogs and diaries. Many more recent case study examples drawn from a broad range of disciplines including business, education, social work and geography as well as health studies. A new and improved companion website, full of additional resources for students and lecturers. This is the perfect companion for all those new to qualitative research.
The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research by
The substantially updated and revised Fifth Edition of this landmark handbook presents the state-of-the-art theory and practice of qualitative inquiry. Representing top scholars from around the world, the editors and contributors continue the tradition of synthesizing existing literature, defining the present, and shaping the future of qualitative research. The Fifth Edition contains 19 new chapters, with 16 revised--making it virtually a new volume--while retaining six classic chapters from previous editions. New contributors to this edition include Jamel K. Donnor and Gloria Ladson-Billings; Margaret Kovach; Paula Saukko; Bryant Keith Alexander; Thomas A. Schwandt and Emily F. Gates; Johnny Saldaña; Uwe Flick; Mirka Koro-Ljungberg, Maggie MacLure, and Jasmine Ulmer; Maria Elena Torre, Brett G. Stoudt, Einat Manoff, and Michelle Fine; Jack Bratich; Svend Brinkmann; Eric Margolis and Renu Zunjarwad; Annette N. Markham; Alecia Y. Jackson and Lisa A. Mazzei; Jonathan Wyatt, Ken Gale, Susanne Gannon, and Bronwyn Davies; Janice Morse; Peter Dahler-Larsen; Marc Spooner; and David A. Westbrook. SAGE is offering a 30% discount on the Handbook. Enter code DENZIN30 at checkout to apply the discount.
Case Study Research and Applications by
Recognized as one of the most cited methodology books in the social sciences, the Sixth Editionof Robert K. Yin′s bestselling text provides a complete portal to the world of case study research. With the integration of 11 applications in this edition, the book gives readers access to exemplary case studies drawn from a wide variety of academic and applied fields. Ultimately, Case Study Research and Applicationswill guide students in the successful design and use ofthe case study research method. New to this Edition Includes 11 in-depth applications that show how researchers have implemented case study methods successfully. Increases reference to relativist and constructivist approaches to case study research, as well as how case studies can be part of mixed methods projects. Places greater emphasis on using plausible rival explanations to bolster case study quality. Discusses synthesizing findings across case studies in a multiple-case study in more detail Adds an expanded list of 15 fields that have text or texts devoted to case study research. Sharpens discussion of distinguishing research from non-research case studies. The author brings to light at least three remaining gaps to be filled in the future: how rival explanations can become more routinely integrated into all case study research; the difference between case-based and variable-based approaches to designing and analyzing case studies; and the relationship between case study research and qualitative research.
The Practice of Social Research by
A straightforward, comprehensive, and approachable guide to research as practiced by social scientists, the Fourteenth Edition of this �gold-standard� book gives readers the tools they need to apply research concepts practically, as both a researcher and a consumer. The author emphasizes the process by showing readers how to design and construct projects, introducing the various observation modes in use today, and answering critical questions about research methods-such as how to conduct online surveys and analyze both qualitative and quantitative data.
Doing Research in the Real World by
This helpful book takes a pragmatic, real-world approach to research methods that gives readers the tools and confidence to carry out their own research in and out of the classroom. Expertly weaving quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods together, it encourages readers to be open-minded in choosing the most appropriate methods for their projects. Featuring a full set of updated and integrated digital resources, as well as three new chapters on visual methods, qualitative data analysis with NVivo, and digital research, the new Fourth Edition remains on the forefront of practical, applied research and guides readers through every step of the research process from start to finish.Brimming with checklists, interdisciplinary examples, and tips about navigating the realities of planning a project, collecting and analyzing data, and sharing research findings, Doing Research in the Real World is still the companion for any student undertaking a research project.
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