ROUTE #1: Getting Started
ROUTE #1: Chapter-by-Chapter

Route C: Extension

In many respects, Route C: Extension is more than just replication because the changes you make to components of the main journal article, such as the research design, constructs/variables, methods and measurement procedures, and data analysis approach adds a great deal more originality and independent thought to the traditional replication routes (i.e., compared with Route A: Duplication, and even Route B: Generalisation). Although all aspects of the critical literature review process are important, the focus on making substantial changes in extending the main journal article mean that you need to spend a lot more time searching the literature to explain and justify the theoretical components of your Route C: Extension dissertation. Where you focus this literature search will depend on the type of extension you take on (i.e., your approach within Route C: Extension):

When taking on Route C: Extension, you should also search the literature to see whether your main journal article has already been extended in some way, as well as recognize whether your main journal article is, in fact, an extension of another study (e.g., your main journal article may have taken a well-known measurement procedure, such as the SERVQUAL questionnaire used to measure the construct, service quality, in order to examine service quality amongst business customers in a bank, whilst your dissertation aims to use the SERVQUAL questionnaire to measure service quality amongst retail customers in an online auction site; i.e., both the main journal article and your dissertation will have built on the initial journal article that introduced the SERVQUAL questionnaire for measuring service quality). Identify such research is important irrespective of the approach that you take within Route C: Extension. You should be able to find such research by looking closely at the introduction, literature review, research strategy or reference list of your main journal article, which are likely to mention similar research.

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