Here's a tip for when you are writing your research proposal / literature review / Introduction: avoid ambiguity when reporting the findings of previous research.
What do I mean?
Often when I review research proposals / literature reviews / Introductions, I see sentences like:
•“Research suggests that people high in [X] are likely to experience [Y] (reference).”
•“These researchers claimed [X] was related to [Y].”
•“[Authors] report [X] may be related to [Y].”
•“Generally, individuals with higher [X] may have increased capacity for [Y] (reference).”
•“It seems [X] is related to higher [Y] (reference).”
•“[author] indicates that [X] is related to [Y].”
•“[author] highlighted that adults with [disorder] exhibit [Y].”
This always leads me to query:
• Did the authors propose [X] is related to [Y]? OR
• Did the authors conduct a study that found / showed [X] is related to [Y]?
The Authors Proposed [X] is Related to [Y]
In some instances, authors may propose [X] is related to [Y]. That may be based on theory, or the authors' interpretation of previous research, or their suggestions for future research based on their own study findings.
If you are proposing the same relationship in your research, then it might be a good idea to cite these researchers to back up your proposal. However, make that clear. For example, "Based on the theory of [ABC], [author] similarly proposed that [X] may be related to [Y]. However, they did not test this proposition." (hello, gap! 👋).
The Authors Conducted a Study that Found [X] is Related to [Y]
Often what I find (when I go and look at the original article) is that generally these statements are referring to the results of a study that was conducted by the authors. If that is the case, try to make that clear. The best way to do that is to add relevant detail regarding the study design and methodology.
For example, rather than: “Smith (2016) suggested that people with [X] may experience less depression” you could report:
"Smith (2016) found that, following completion of an 8 week mindful self-compassion program, participants reported significantly lower levels of depression, post-intervention."
Similarly, rather than reporting, "According to Schwatka et al. (2017), experiencing psychological strain at work can lead to filing a workers compensation claim", you could report:
"Longitudinal research has found that employee-reported strain predicts increased odds of filing a workers compensation claim within one year (Schwatka et al., 2017)."
My Advice?
Go back over your research proposal / literature review / Introduction and have look for any instances where you have "suggested" or "claimed" a relationship between two variables. Try to make it very clear for the reader what was “proposed” by the researchers vs what the results of a study "found" or "showed".
Happy Researching!
I love that this is the stock image for "accuracy" 🎯
***If you want more strategies and tips for conducing a literature review, you can enrol in my on-demand workshop, Learn How to Write a Kick Ass Thesis: Part 1 - Setting Yourself up For Success in Your Literature Review and Introduction***
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