Systematic literature review for an effective research: a structured framework for social science researches

This article presents a structured framework for conducting systematic literature reviews (SLR) in social sciences, focusing on transparency, reliability, and depth. It guides researchers through key stages, including planning, conducting, and reporting, ensuring comprehensive and unbiased results. The framework is particularly relevant for disciplines such as commerce, management, economics, education, sociology, and public administration. It addresses practical limitations and challenges, such as database accessibility, inconsistency in data formats, and subjectivity in quality assessment. The article also highlights the scalability of the proposed framework, demonstrating its applicability to larger datasets. A pilot demonstration on the topic 'Family Businesses and Sustainability' illustrates the practical utility of the framework. The article aims to bridge the methodological gap faced by research students in social sciences, providing a simplified template and decision points for effective SLRs. It supports knowledge-building and evidence-based practice in an approachable manner, making it a valuable resource for researchers and academicians.