SINTOK, 26 March 2025: The School of Quantitative Sciences (SQS) at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) successfully conducted its latest Postgraduate Workshop Series 2025 with an engaging session titled “Mastering the Art of Literature Review: Strategies, Tools, and Best Practices.”
The webinar attracted a diverse group of 122 participants, including local and international postgraduate students, alumni, and researchers. Additionally, SQS staff and students, representatives from ENSSEA Algeria, and participants from SQS’s MOU partner universities also attended, highlighting the strong collaborative ties between local and international institutions.
The event was officially opened by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Syariza Abdul Rahman, the Deputy Dean (Academic & International) of SQS. During her opening remarks, she shared insights into the undergraduate and postgraduate programs offered by the school and emphasized its ongoing commitment to fostering research excellence.
The featured speaker for the online webinar was Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Sulaiman, a Senior Lecturer at SQS and a highly respected scholar with over 130 publications in Scopus and Web of Science. He provided in-depth guidance on conducting effective literature reviews, covering strategies for identifying research gaps, optimising search techniques using Boolean operators and leveraging tools for refining search results.
He also addressed the crucial importance of structuring literature reviews and synthesizing studies rather than merely summarising them. He emphasized how literature reviews serve as the foundational basis for academic research by providing essential context, preventing duplication of effort, and guiding research design process.
Furthermore, he discussed common pitfalls, such as plagiarism, and recommended the use of proper citation techniques to maintain academic integrity.
The session concluded with an interactive Q&A session, where participants actively engaged with the speaker, seeking further insights on best practices for literature reviews. Many participants expressed their appreciation for the fruitful and enriching webinar, describing it as an invaluable session that would greatly support their academic and research endeavours.
The SQS Postgraduate Workshop Series 2025 will continue with its next session on 16 April 2025. This upcoming workshop, led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rosshairy Abdul Rahman, will focus on Proposal Writing. The session aims to further support postgraduate students in developing strong research proposals.
For more information about future workshops, visit https://www.facebook.com/sqsuum. – Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nazihah Ahmad
