Newly added concepts in the Agile Literature Review Approach (ALRA)

With more experience gained from the Agile Literature Review Approach (ALRA) application, five additional ALRA concepts gain more understanding in their practice, i.e., they become more established concepts. The five concepts are:

Concept 1: Resolution level of systems models: There are two levels. The higher level is Level 0 and the lower level is Level 1. They can be adopted in the construction of management-concerns diagram (MCD) and the associated theoretical framework (TF). [Reading 1; Reading 2; Reading 3]

Concept 2: Diagram-pairing: The ALRA user is now highly recommended to produce a management-concern diagram (MCD) and an associated theoretical framework (TF). The TF represents the ALRA user's chosen way to intellectually respond to the management concerns of a client system under investigation. The set of related management concerns is portrayed in the MCD. Each dissertation report should have 1 pair of Level 0 MCD and TF at the outset of the research project. [Reading 1; Reading 2]

Concept 3: Boundary setting for core-focus domain and non-core-focus domain in the MCD and, more importantly, in the TF. [Reading 1; Reading 2]

Concept 4: Linkage analysis: Both the MCD and the associated TF comprise a set of components with linkages. Thus, the ALRA user needs to describe and study not only the components of the MCD and the TF, but also the linkages of the MCD and TF components. The linkage can be unidirectional or bidirectional; it can be between two components at Level 0 or between ideas at Level 1. [Reading 1]

Concept 5: Dissertation report template (for the ALRA): The dissertation report template (for the ALRA) works as a checklist on what the ALRA user is expected to work and, subsequently, to write up about in their dissertation reports that are guided by the ALRA. [Reading 1; Reading 2]


These five newly added concepts have been vaguely conceived at the outset of launching the ALRA intellectual venture; they become clearer and more established with illustrative examples. For further information of these five newly added ALRA concepts, readers need to refer to the Facebook page / group on the ALRA and the theoretical framework.