THE KNOWLEDGE CONTINUUM: LITERATURE-BASED STUDY AS A RESEARCH TOOL IN SOCIAL SCIENCES
Keywords:
Literature-Based Research, Social Sciences, Research Gaps, Conceptual Framework, Secondary Data, Critical Thinking, Scholarly Synthesis
Abstract
Literature-based research plays a vital role in the social sciences by systematically gathering, reviewing, and synthesising existing theories, empirical studies, and methodologies. This approach strengthens the development of conceptual frameworks, identifies research gaps, and integrates scattered findings into cohesive insights. Rather than serving as a routine academic requirement, literature reviews should function as analytical and interpretative processes that foster critical thinking. This paper highlights the importance of structured selection criteria, diversity in academic perspectives, and clear synthesis techniques to enhance credibility and depth. Challenges such as selection bias, resource limitations, and overreliance on secondary sources are addressed, along with strategies to overcome them. Ultimately, literature-based research emerges as a creative and active process that both preserves the intellectual heritage of the discipline and informs future scholarly directions.
References
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Hopewell, S., Loudon, K., Clarke, M. J., Oxman, A. D., & Dickersin, K. (2009). Publication bias in clinical trials due to statistical significance or direction of trial results. The Cochrane Database of Methodology Reviews, (1), MR000006.
Merton, R. K. (1973). The sociology of science: Theoretical and empirical investigations. University of Chicago Press.
Okoli, C., & Schabram, K. (2010). A guide to conducting a systematic literature review of information systems research. Working Papers on Information Systems, 10(26), 1–51.
Peters, B. G. (2019). Institutional theory in political science: The new institutionalism (4th ed.). Edward Elgar Publishing.
Petticrew, M., & Roberts, H. (2006). Systematic reviews in the social sciences: A practical guide. Blackwell Publishing.
Pretty, J., Noble, A., Bossio, D., Dixon, J., Hine, R. E., Penning de Vries, F. W. T., & Morison, J. I. L. (2009). Resource-conserving agriculture increases yields in developing countries. Environmental Science & Technology, 40(4), 1114–1119. https://doi.org/10.1021/es051670d
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Rostow, W. W. (1960). The stages of economic growth: A non-communist manifesto. Cambridge University Press.
Rowley, J., & Slack, F. (2004). Conducting a literature review. Management Research News, 27(6), 31–39.
Sam Hermansyah, & Ahmad Rizal Majid. (2025). The Use of Probing-Prompting Technique to Improve Reading Comprehension of Eighth Grade Students. INTERACTION: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa, 12(1), 543–556. https://doi.org/10.36232/interactionjournal.v12i1.2660
Thomas, J., & Harden, A. (2008). Methods for the thematic synthesis of qualitative research in systematic reviews. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 8(1), 45. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-8-45
Wallerstein, N., Duran, B., Oetzel, J., & Minkler, M. (2017). Community-based participatory research for health: Advancing social and health equity. John Wiley & Sons.
Bell, D., & Jayne, M. (2009). Small cities? Towards a research agenda. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 33(3), 683–699. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2427.2009.00886.x
Berger, P. L., & Luckmann, T. (1966). The social construction of reality: A treatise in the sociology of knowledge. Anchor Books.
Boote, D. N., & Beile, P. (2005). Scholars before researchers: On the centrality of the dissertation literature review in research preparation. Educational Researcher, 34(6), 3–15. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X034006003
Booth, A., Sutton, A., & Papaioannou, D. (2016). Systematic approaches to a successful literature review. Sage.
Booth, W. C., Colomb, G. G., & Williams, J. M. (2008). The craft of research (3rd ed.). University of Chicago Press.
Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In J. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education (pp. 241–258). Greenwood.
Cooper, H. (2010). Research synthesis and meta-analysis: A step-by-step approach (4th ed.). Sage.
Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A Black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory and antiracist politics. University of Chicago Legal Forum, 1989(1), 139–167.
Fosnot, C. T. (2013). Constructivism: Theory, perspectives, and practice. Teachers College Press.
Frank, A. G. (1967). Capitalism and underdevelopment in Latin America: Historical studies of Chile and Brazil. Monthly Review Press.
Gough, D., Oliver, S., & Thomas, J. (2017). An introduction to systematic reviews. Sage.
Grant, M. J., & Booth, A. (2009). A typology of reviews: An analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 26(2), 91–108. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-1842.2009.00848.x
Hjørland, B. (2014). Theory of knowledge organization. Knowledge Organization, 41(6), 491–502.
Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36(5), 427–440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1
Hopewell, S., Loudon, K., Clarke, M. J., Oxman, A. D., & Dickersin, K. (2009). Publication bias in clinical trials due to statistical significance or direction of trial results. The Cochrane Database of Methodology Reviews, (1), MR000006.
Merton, R. K. (1973). The sociology of science: Theoretical and empirical investigations. University of Chicago Press.
Okoli, C., & Schabram, K. (2010). A guide to conducting a systematic literature review of information systems research. Working Papers on Information Systems, 10(26), 1–51.
Peters, B. G. (2019). Institutional theory in political science: The new institutionalism (4th ed.). Edward Elgar Publishing.
Petticrew, M., & Roberts, H. (2006). Systematic reviews in the social sciences: A practical guide. Blackwell Publishing.
Pretty, J., Noble, A., Bossio, D., Dixon, J., Hine, R. E., Penning de Vries, F. W. T., & Morison, J. I. L. (2009). Resource-conserving agriculture increases yields in developing countries. Environmental Science & Technology, 40(4), 1114–1119. https://doi.org/10.1021/es051670d
Rhodes, R. A. W. (2017). Understanding governance: Policy networks, governance, reflexivity and accountability. Open University Press.
Rostow, W. W. (1960). The stages of economic growth: A non-communist manifesto. Cambridge University Press.
Rowley, J., & Slack, F. (2004). Conducting a literature review. Management Research News, 27(6), 31–39.
Sam Hermansyah, & Ahmad Rizal Majid. (2025). The Use of Probing-Prompting Technique to Improve Reading Comprehension of Eighth Grade Students. INTERACTION: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa, 12(1), 543–556. https://doi.org/10.36232/interactionjournal.v12i1.2660
Thomas, J., & Harden, A. (2008). Methods for the thematic synthesis of qualitative research in systematic reviews. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 8(1), 45. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-8-45
Wallerstein, N., Duran, B., Oetzel, J., & Minkler, M. (2017). Community-based participatory research for health: Advancing social and health equity. John Wiley & Sons.
Published
2025-07-30
How to Cite
S, D., Joanna Finny, M., M, D. N., & Hermansyah, D. S. (2025). THE KNOWLEDGE CONTINUUM: LITERATURE-BASED STUDY AS A RESEARCH TOOL IN SOCIAL SCIENCES. La Ogi : English Language Journal, 11(2), 133-143. https://doi.org/10.55678/loj.v11i2.2262
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Articles
