- Imagine you are conducting a literature review in preparation for a study of expectations regarding the sharing of financial and practical responsibilities among married and cohabiting couples in which both partners are between the ages of 20 and 29. Conducting a keyword search on "couples" and "responsibility," you generate a lengthy list of research articles. You decide to shorten the list by eliminating all articles that were not published in prestigious research journals and to only include the remaining articles in your literature review. What is gained and lost by using that approach. Is it an appropriate one for a scholarly literature review?
Sample Solution
Positives: By using the approach of only including articles from prestigious research journals, you will be able to ensure that the information you have gathered for your literature review is credible and well-researched. This can save time in the long run by eliminating any sources of potential bias or inaccuracy within your results.
Negatives: The disadvantage of this approach is that it eliminates some studies which may provide valuable insights into your topic - notably those published in less prestigious journals. Additionally, depending on the field of study and topic being researched, there could be a large number of relevant studies which don't meet the criteria to be published in a 'prestigious' journal but are nonetheless still valid forms of research conducted with strong methodology and findings.