Challenges
Several challenges were encountered when synthesizing and integrating the resources for literature review. First, some databases were very difficult to navigate. This made it very challenging to retrieve research articles for synthesis. Secondly, the majority of the resources were not current. It was very challenging to locate resources published within the past five years. Lastly, it was very challenging to determine which resources are valid and credible. When synthesizing and integrating resources, a researcher must first determine if the resource is valid and credible. This called for the need to used critical appraisal tools to determine the validity and credibility of resources. Several strategies were adopted to address the challenges outlined above.
Search Strategy
A comprehensive search strategy was developed for a number of databases and search engines, including Google Scholar. The CASP checklist was used to test the validity and credibility of the sources. This tool helps ensure that only valid and credible research articles are used for the literature review. The literature search was also restricted to research studies developed within the last five years. Literature preceding 2015 were ignored. During the literature search, keywords were selected carefully. The primary keywords that were used during the literature search were “social media,” “social networking sites (SNSs),” “political events,” and “political narratives.” The word social media and social networking sites or SNSs were used interchangeably so as not to miss out on literature that used the word social networking sites or SNSs. In addition, Boolean operators “AND” and “OR” were used interchangeably during the literature search. The use of these two Boolean operators depended on the need to expand or narrow down the search area. The strategies mentioned above helped locate valid and credible resources.
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