Hi Pia,
Creating a literature review as part of PhD study is to help the candidate
learn several different research skills.
These include:
1. Learning how to investigate a field
2. Learning how to have a fully open field of exploration (i.e taking off
the blinkers)
3 Being able to take personal responsibility to individually conduct an
investigation (it offers a preparation for the main data collection and
analysis of the PhD research)
4. Learning the very significant difference between undergraduate study of
rote-learning's research and doctoral/post-doctoral research, in which the
focus is 100% to solve an important problem.
5. Being able to structure a strong logically-valid reasoned argument using
the concepts and evidence of others; as described in their publications
6. Learning, from active engagement, an extensive body of existing knowledge
relevant to the significant problem you are addressing by your research
Good PhD examiners will analyse your literature review in terms of it being
evidence of you learning the above doctoral skills and competencies.
Your current style of exploration for your literature review is likely to be
unhelpful in you achieving the appropriate doctoral skills.
It is necessary to understand the massive differences between undergraduate
study and doctoral level research. In Undergraduate study, the outcomes
are to be able to repeat what you are supposed to have learned. It is
typically 'topic' based.
In doctoral research, you are using research to address/resolve a
significant problem. In essence it is 'problem' based. The outcome of the
literature review is to marshall the existing knowledge relevant to the
problem, identify the holes in it, and identify what data collection and
analysis you need to do to fill those holes.
When a PhD student asks for information about a 'topic' it is a strong
indicator that they are treating the PhD as if it is undergraduate study
rather than learning doctoral skills.
Finally, it is important to avoid field-based cultural blinkers in how one
sees things. At the intersection of design and business are many problem
areas each with their own literatures. Some examples include:
design of management information systems#
design of organisations
business process design
the design of business competitive strategies
the design of strategies to be used in 'Art and design' activities in
business
design of manufacturing systems
design of human resource management processes
design of internal business communications
insourcing/outsourcing design
design of financial strategy
design of work
Socio-technical systems design
Design of standards of workplace practices
Design of inter-organisational relationships
Design of supply chain logistics
Design of supply chain relationships
Design and business branding
Sales process design
Sales strategy design
Market research strategy and practices design
Design of environmental strategies
Design of sustainability strategies for businesses
Design of energy management for businesses
Etc
etc
Search on these and other areas of design and business to identify useful
journals.
More importantly, first identify the significant problem that will be
resolved at least in part by your research.
Your PhD supervisors will typically be able to offer you sound guidance on
how best to develop your doctoral skills.
Best wishes for your study,
Terry
===
Dr Terence Love FDRS, AMIMechE, PMACM, MISI
[log in to unmask] Mob: +61 434 975 848
Researcher, Social Program Evaluation Research Unit
Researcher, Sellenger Centre
Edith Cowan University, Western Australia
Senior Lecturer, Dept of Design
Curtin University, Western Australia
Honorary Fellow, Institute of Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development
Management School, Lancaster University, UK
===
-----Original Message-----
From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related
research in Design [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Pia
Geisby Erichsen
Sent: 21 March 2012 18:02
To: Dr Terence Love
Subject: Journals
Dear all
I am a PhD student writing about the nexus of Design and Business. In that
regard, I want to make a literature review of selected design journals with
a special attention to those journals having published papers about the
nexus of design and business. Therefore, I would like to ask you a question:
If you were to recommend some journals concerning that issue which one would
you refer to?
Best regards,
Pia Geisby Erichsen
PhD student
[log in to unmask]
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN DENMARK
Department of Entrepreneurship & Relationship Management
