Chapter 7: A Meta-Framework for Conducting Mixed Research Syntheses for Stress and Coping Research and Beyond

Of the major steps of the qualitative, quantitative, and mixed research processes, the literature review indubitably is the most important because it is essential for designing and conducting meaningful and rigorous research (Boote & Beile, 2005; Combs, Bustamante, & Onwuegbuzie, this volume). The literature review is as important in the field of stress and coping research as it is for any other field of research representing the social and behavioral sciences. A quality literature review is needed to help researchers be cognizant as to what has been conducted before, the inferences that have emerged, the inter-relationships of these inferences, the validity of these inferences, the theoretical and practical implications stemming from these inferences, and the important gaps in the literature (Boote & Beile, 2005; Dellinger, 2005; Dunkin, 1996; Onwuegbuzie & Daniel, 2005). In addition, literature reviews help researchers to select the most appropriate methodologies for their studies by allowing them to identify the strengths and weaknesses of approaches used in previous studies (Dellinger & Leech, 2007). Indeed, researchers cannot conduct meaningful and rigorous research without first having a comprehensive and fluid understanding of the extant literature.