Critically analyze each source for how it contributes to the concept you are researching and discuss the major themes that come to your attention.

Literature Review Assignment
A
literature review is a critical analysis of published sources, or literature,
on a particular topic. It is an assessment of the literature providing a
summary, classification, comparison and evaluation. The literature review is
generally in the format of a standard essay made up of three components: an
introduction, a body and a conclusion. It is not a list like an annotated
bibliography in which a summary of each source is listed one by one.
When
writing a literature review, you:
·
Determine
what has already been written on a topic
·
Provide
an overview of key concepts
·
Identify
major relationships or patterns
·
Identify
strengths and weaknesses
·
Identify
any gaps in the research
·
Identify
any conflicting evidence
The introduction (Title this:
Introduction)
·
Why
the topic is important
·
The
scope of the review – what aspects of the topic will be discussed
·
The
criteria used for the literature selection
The body (Title this: Discussion)
You will
have different themes within the body. Critically analyze each source for how
it contributes to the concept you are researching and discuss the major themes
that come to your attention. Include:
·
Principle
questions being asked
·
Identify
major relationships or patterns
·
Identify
strengths and weakness
·
General
conclusions that are being drawn
The conclusion (Title this: Results
or Implications)
·
The
main agreements and disagreements in the literature
·
Gaps
in the literature
·
Areas
for further research
Information
adapted from Queensland University of Technology www.citewrite.qut.edu.au/write/litreview.jsp

This is worth 15 points; Refer to
the syllabus and/or canvas for the due date.
Appropriate Sources/Bibliography (4
points)
·
10-15
sources – At least 10 of the sources MUST BE peer-reviewed journal articles focused on research
studies (so articles written by a researcher who conducted a study); it’s
possible that you’ll want to use a statistic from a .gov site (for example) in
your intro section which is acceptable, but in that case you still need at
least 10 other sources that are peer-reviewed journal articles. See instructor
for clarity if you have questions.
·
APA
formatting of bibliography (title this bibliography or works cited or
references – your choice)
Formatting (5 points)
·
12
pt. font Times New Roman
·
Double-Spaced
·
APA
formatting (citations within the text, bibliography, etc.)
·
Grammar,
Punctuation, Spelling – if you are
student who struggles with this, please take the initiative to make an
appointment (virtual is available) with the writing center to get some help before
this assignment is due
Content (6 points)
·
Did
you cover the bulleted points under the intro, body and conclusion?
·
Did
you integrate the articles within the same paragraph as opposed to discussing
one article per paragraph?
Note:
This assignment will be discussed throughout the semester via PowerPoints with
audio, assignments, etc. Please review all of the relevant course material
before completing this assignment. Do not wait until the last minute – work
ahead and reach out for clarification as needed. You can get assistance from
the instructor, the writing center and the library.