What do you really do in a literature review? Studying the Comparative Politics of Public Education What do you really do in a literature review? David N. Lopez, PhD Student Studying the Comparative Politics of Public Getting started with a Lit Review Education A Quick Note on Software I: The Working David N. Lopez, PhD Student Bibliography II: Using ATLAS.ti for Literature Department of Political Science Review III: Coding for University of Washington Literature Review QUAL Initiative Winter Series 2016 IV: The Annotated Bibliography V: Final Comments January 14, 2016
Outline What do you really do in a literature review? Studying the Comparative Politics of Public Education David N. Lopez, PhD Student Getting started ◮ Getting started with a Lit Review A Quick Note on ◮ A Quick Note on Software Software ◮ I. The Working Bibliography I: The Working Bibliography ◮ II. Begin a New Project II: Using ATLAS.ti for Literature ◮ III. Create a Coding System Review III: Coding for ◮ IV: The Annotated Bibliography Literature Review ◮ V. Final Comments IV: The Annotated Bibliography V: Final Comments
Getting started with the Lit Review What do you really do in a literature review? Studying the Comparative Politics of Public Education David N. Lopez, PhD Student What is a literature review? Getting started with a Lit Review “A literature review is designed to identify related research, A Quick Note on to set the current research project within a conceptual and Software I: The Working theoretical context.” (Trochim 2006) Bibliography ◮ Humbling (e.g. nothing new under the sun) II: Using ATLAS.ti for Literature ◮ Focused on scholarly research Review III: Coding for ◮ Should be done early (and well) Literature Review IV: The Annotated ◮ Will help identify feasible approaches to question Bibliography V: Final Comments
Getting started with the Lit Review What do you really do in a literature review? Studying the Comparative Politics of Public Education David N. Lopez, PhD Student Given puzzle and questions of concern: What is wrong (and right) with the extant literature? Getting started with a Lit Review ◮ Theoretically: A Quick Note on ◮ Relax or alter assumptions entirely? Software ◮ Weak logic in extant approaches? I: The Working Bibliography ◮ Sound logic, but mechanisms wrong? II: Using ATLAS.ti ◮ Refine scope conditions? for Literature Review ◮ Empirically: III: Coding for ◮ Lack of rigorous and sound analysis? Literature Review ◮ Causal mechanisms tested well, but not effects? IV: The Annotated Bibliography ◮ Selection or omitted variable bias? V: Final Comments ◮ Adequate qualitative or quantitative evidence?
Getting started with the Lit Review What do you really do in a literature review? Studying the Comparative Politics of Public Education David N. Lopez, PhD Student Getting started with a Lit Review A Quick Note on Two approaches: Software ◮ Soak-and-Poke I: The Working Bibliography ◮ “Have question; will Google” II: Using ATLAS.ti ◮ Systematized Review for Literature Review ◮ ...Not so fast III: Coding for Literature Review IV: The Annotated Bibliography V: Final Comments
Soak-and-Poke Review What do you really do in a literature review? Studying the Comparative Politics of Public Education David N. Lopez, PhD Student Getting started with a Lit Review A Quick Note on Advantages: Software ◮ Let the literature speak to you I: The Working Bibliography ◮ Can lead to interesting insights II: Using ATLAS.ti for Literature ◮ Minimally labor-intensive on the front-end Review III: Coding for Literature Review IV: The Annotated Bibliography V: Final Comments
Soak-and-Poke Review What do you really do in a literature review? Studying the Comparative Politics of Public Education David N. Lopez, PhD Student Getting started Potential pitfalls: with a Lit Review A Quick Note on ◮ Can lead to Wikipedia-like spiral into Software click-and-download of articles I: The Working Bibliography ◮ Very labor-intensive on the back-end II: Using ATLAS.ti for Literature ◮ Re-reading and skimming for important annotations and Review quotes III: Coding for Literature Review ◮ Can lose sight of research priorities and waste time IV: The Annotated Bibliography V: Final Comments
Systematized Review What do you really do in a literature review? Studying the Comparative Politics of Public Education David N. Lopez, PhD Student Advantages and potential pitfalls: Getting started ◮ Need to have a general idea of where to start review with a Lit Review beforehand A Quick Note on Software ◮ Discipline + flexibility is key I: The Working Bibliography ◮ Not as fun as a Google Scholar-spiral II: Using ATLAS.ti ◮ Labor intensive on the front-end for Literature Review ◮ Need to map out journey first III: Coding for Literature Review ◮ Minimally labor-intensive on back-end IV: The Annotated ◮ Might need to “tech-up” a bit and learn how to Bibliography V: Final Comments integrate new tools
Getting started with the Lit Review What do you really do in a literature review? Studying the Comparative Politics of Public Education David N. Lopez, PhD Student Happy medium can be fruitful - lead with a system to increase your likelihood of finding what you need Getting started with a Lit Review A Quick Note on Software I: The Working Bibliography II: Using ATLAS.ti for Literature Review III: Coding for Literature Review IV: The Annotated Bibliography V: Final Comments
A Quick Note on Software What do you really do in a literature review? Studying the Comparative Politics of Public Useful tools for Lit Review and more Education David N. Lopez, ◮ Zotero - for reference management (syncs with some PhD Student mobile apps) Getting started with a Lit Review ◮ ATLAS.ti - for qualitative data analysis and literature A Quick Note on review (collection, organization, and coding) Software ◮ Evernote - for memos, outlines, and quick notes (syncs I: The Working Bibliography across devices) II: Using ATLAS.ti for Literature ◮ Adobe Acrobat Pro or Prizmo (Mac) - for cleaning and Review creating searchable PDFs III: Coding for Literature Review ◮ Excel - for grabbing relevant descriptive statistics IV: The Annotated Bibliography ◮ Scrivener - for writing papers with added workflow V: Final Comments functionality ◮ L A T EX- typesetting language for publication-ready drafts with graphs, figures, or equations
The Working Bibliography What do you really do in a literature review? Studying the Comparative Politics of Public Education David N. Lopez, PhD Student Step 1: Organize a working bibliography Getting started with a Lit Review ◮ Download the Zotero plug-in for Firefox or other A Quick Note on citation manager Software ◮ Create master working bibliography document in Word, I: The Working Bibliography Evernote, or other preferred word processing format II: Using ATLAS.ti for Literature ◮ Initial map to situate yourself in “the literature” Review ◮ It will change, but start with a manageable reading list III: Coding for Literature Review ◮ First question to ask yourself: What are the key IV: The Annotated Bibliography readings that I can’t avoid addressing in my research? V: Final Comments
The Working Bibliography What do you really do in a literature review? Studying the Comparative Politics of Public Suggestions on organizing readings: Education ◮ By broad themes in main field(s) - situate project within David N. Lopez, PhD Student key debates and themes in relevant disciplines Getting started ◮ By related sub-themes - research related to broad with a Lit Review themes that more directly speaks to question A Quick Note on Software ◮ By specialized scholarship - research from specialized I: The Working Bibliography journals focused II: Using ATLAS.ti ◮ Other ideas: for Literature Review ◮ By causal mechanisms (microfoundational, structural, III: Coding for ideational) Literature Review ◮ By units of analysis (households, organizations, IV: The Annotated Bibliography country-year) ◮ Sub-divide and tag by theoretical and/or empirical V: Final Comments orientation ◮ Tip: Align working bibliography to folders in reference manager software
Example: The Comparative Politics of Public What do you really do in a literature review? Studying Education the Comparative Politics of Public Education David N. Lopez, PhD Student Getting started with a Lit Review Central Puzzle: Why is “education reform” more politically A Quick Note on contentious in some countries and not others? Software I: The Working ◮ Broad themes: Domination, state-building, nationalism, Bibliography and democracy II: Using ATLAS.ti for Literature ◮ Sub-themes: Comparative politics, institutions, welfare Review states, redistribution III: Coding for Literature Review ◮ Specialized scholarship: comparative education, IV: The Annotated Bibliography sociology of education, and education economics V: Final Comments
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