Making Sense of Literacy Scholarship by Compton-Lilly, Catherine; Rogers, Rebecca; Lewis Ellison, Tisha;

Short description:

This book is a roadmap to the key decisions, processes, and procedures to use when synthesizing qualitative literacy research.

Long description:

This book is a roadmap to the key decisions, processes, and procedures to use when synthesizing qualitative literacy research. Covering the major types of syntheses – including the dissertation literature review, traditional literature review, integrative literature review, meta-synthesis, and meta-ethnography – Compton-Lilly, Rogers, and Lewis Ellison offer techniques and frameworks to use when making sense of a large body of scholarship.

Addressing the standard and untraditional forms a research synthesis can take, the authors provide clear and practical examples of synthesis designs and techniques, and consider how epistemological, ontological, and ethical questions arise when designing and adapting a research synthesis. The extensive appendices feature sample literature reviews, guidance on communication with editors of journals, useful charts, and more.

The authors’ critical reflection and analysis demonstrates how a research synthesis is not simply a means to an end, but rather reflects each scholar’s interests, target audience, and message. This book is crucial reading for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as early career and more experienced researchers in literacy education.

"This book demystifies the review of literature. Not simply a hurdle for research students to jump, synthesizing research publications is shown to be complex and original scholarly work that pushes the field to examine our silences, gaps and assumptions in critical and generative ways. An essential text for all aspiring educational researchers."

--Barbara Comber, University of South Australia, Australia

"Compton-Lilly, Rogers and Lewis Ellison present readers with a twist in this book when they propose framing literature review and synthesis as methodological practice. The range of review genres explicitly studied and the very practical examples and resources provided are expertly melded with a critical analysis of the ideological and political foundations of reviews and reviewing practice."

--Annette Woods, Queensland University of Technology, Australia

Table of Contents:

1. Surveying the Landscape of Published Qualitative Research Syntheses in Literacy Studies  2. Reflecting on and Redefining Approaches to Writing Dissertation Literature Reviews  3. Traditional Literature Reviews and Follow-Up Reviews  4. Integrative Critical Literature Reviews  5. Meta-Ethnographies  6. A Metasynthesis of Scholarship by Black, Indigenous People of Color  7. Conclusions