I've been going into more details on my literature review, and considering how other authors structure their writing, particularly from the perspective of what I find useful, and how it might influence my own writing. The first article is an interpretive study by Conrad (2002).
Conrad makes the point
that while quantitative studies can give a useful overview of the area,
understanding the experiences of users is a priority for development of
communities. Although my context is
somewhat different, her point about learners creating their own lines of
defence sounds quite telling in the light of some initial comments observed in
my study. Without understanding what
barriers people put up, we can’t expect to engage meaningfully with them! Likewise, her point about our research
agendas being shaped by our worldview matches with my research being guided by
exploration of how network effects are re-shaping society, and the subsequent
effects on education systems, both technological and organisational.
Writing a section about
who, what, where, etc. is a useful step for grounding the paper, and setting
the boundaries of the study, particularly the limitations of what might be
achieved in the first place. She also
breaks down the literature review itself to define different terms, building up
how she wants the reader to understand her term of online community. She then examines each of the research
questions in turn, looking at general patterns in responses, followed by
particularly insightful comments by individuals. This approach will probably work very well
for me, as I need to spot general patterns as well as bring out individual
experiences.
Reference
Conrad, D. (2002). Deep in the Hearts of Learners: Insights into the Nature of
Online Community. Journal of Distance Education, 17(1), 1-19
