Chapter 2. Research synthetic approach and methods

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Chapter 2
Research synthetic approach and methods

Published online: 26 June 2025

Article outline

2.1Introduction
2.2Adopting an appropriate approach to synthesizing L2 task complexity research
- 2.2.1Substantive and methodological expertise
- 2.2.2Problem statement and research questions
- 2.2.3Methodological overview
2.3Literature search and retrieval
- 2.3.1Database searches
- 2.3.2Journal searches
- 2.3.3Additional search techniques
- 2.3.4Outcomes of the literature search
  - Number of studies retrieved
  - Types of studies retrieved
2.4Study inclusion and exclusion criteria
- 2.4.1Inclusion criteria
- 2.4.2Exclusion criteria
2.5Study coding
- 2.5.1Development of a coding scheme
- 2.5.2Final coding scheme categories
  - 2.5.2.1Source features
  - 2.5.2.2Substantive features
    - Task complexity construct
    - Type of cognitive task complexity variable
    - Theoretical basis for cognitive task complexity
    - Cognitive task complexity operationalization
    - Cognitive task complexity levels
    - Degree of cognitive task complexity differences
    - Independent measures of cognitive task complexity
  - 2.5.2.3Methodological features
    - Participant characteristics
    - Task characteristics
    - Dependent variable(s)
    - Variable(s) other than cognitive task complexity
  - 2.5.2.4Results features
2.6Descriptive and meta-analytic approaches
- 2.6.1Describing categorial data
- 2.6.2Calculating effect sizes
- 2.6.3Aggregating and comparing effect sizes
Notes