Lit. Review Outline Guidelines
50 pts possible
The purpose of a literature review is to discuss what researchers have already discovered on their specific topic before they begin designing their own investigation. Grounding a study in a particular context of what is already known about a topic is important to establishing a foundation for the topic (or question) being researched.
For this assignment, you do NOT have to write a formal paper. Instead, each student or research team will construct a literature review outline on your research topic. This means you will need to review all of the research articles your team has collectively retrieved; synthesize them; identify prominent themes; create a thesis statement; and create a detailed outline (as if you were preparing to write a formal paper).
Your literature review outline should detail the overall argument as well as the prominent themes that you have identified when reviewing the literature on your topic. For each section you will include a brief paragraph that outlines what you will argue/explain in that section. Then you will outline each paragraph or part of that section (please use the numerical outlining function in Word; you may also use bullet points where necessary). The outline should be as detailed as possible and should include citations, quotations, examples from your research, data that supports your points, etc. You are strongly encouraged to use the template provided below.
Specific Guidelines:
Due Date: Sun. 10/24 10pm
Submit via Titanium submission link
o Please write research topic or team name on submission title
o If working with others, ONE submission due per team (points will be deducted if multiple team members submit)
o Be sure to include full names of all research team members (if applicable)
Length: 2-3 pages, including References (single spaced)
Font/Margins: size 12 Times New Roman font, one-inch margins.
Format: ASA citation style
Number of references: 8 -10
(lit. review outline template)
Literature Review TOPIC
1. Introduction
Write an introduction paragraph for your review. This paragraph
a. Briefly describe and explain your research topic and its importance. You should describe why this topic is an important area of study (sociologically).
b. Clearly state your central research question (it does not need to be in the form of question, but it should be CLEAR and CONCISE.)
b. Introduce the common themes you will be discussing in body
c. Introduce the theoretical perspective you are using, briefly explaining it and why you have chosen to use it
2. Body
Before you begin this section, you may want to sort your articles into different themes based on the articles findings (sometimes called results). After you sort your articles, it is important to give your sorted groups a descriptive name. The names of the sorted articles will become your headings for each of the paragraphs that you write in the body of your review. The body of your literature review will should include 2-3 themes.
a. Theme 1: Describe the first theme that you identified and compare, contrast and/or connect the articles youve selected. (There should be multiple sources being cited.)
b. Theme 2: Describe the second theme that you identified and compare, contrast and/or connect the articles youve selected. (There should be multiple sources being cited.)
c. Theme 3 (OPTIONAL): Describe the third theme that you identified and compare, contrast and/or connect the articles youve selected. (There should be multiple sources being cited.)
3 Summary
It is important to briefly summarize the main findings from the articles that you reviewed and to point out how your inquiry questions were answered or not answered, what the gap is (what if my questions are all answered you then need to identify new inquiries that you will contribute to the field). This is where you POSE YOUR NEWLY FORMED RESEARCH QUESTION, explaining why it will be important to conduct research on this new question (based on your review of the literature).
4. References
This is the last page of your review. It serves as a listing of all references that you mentioned in your paper. Please make sure that only references cited will be listed here. Please use ASA style when completing this list.
Additional Tips to Consider when Creating your Literature Review Outline:
- Do not just choose the first 8-10 sources that you find; make sure that they are relevant to your research question and topic.
- You should try to identify some way in which the previous literature has fallen short and has not considered the question that you are interested in studying. This takes quite a bit of work in most cases and will mean that you will have to explain clearly how your research will challenge, confirm, complicate, or contribute to existing work on the topic.
- Think about the literature review as a window into a conversation between researchers about your topic. You will want to explain what they have already found out about the topic and then you will want to make a strong case for how your research is adding to the conversation.
Proper Citing & Academic Honesty:
You must use the American Sociological Associations Style Guide to format your citations. Make sure your in-text citations are also properly formatted. You may use websites such as Purdue Owl or American Sociological Association (ASA) for guidance.
You MUST cite all information borrowed from another source. Failure to do so, whether intentional or accidental, constitutes plagiarism. Since you are submitting your assignment via turnitin.com link, this tells me what percentage of your paper is borrowed from other sources and helps me screen for plagiarism. If you are not sure whether to cite something, the best rule of thumb is to cite! Please speak with me if you have any questions.
Grading
Each student will be assessed on the following categories: Introduction; Organization of themes; Support of themes; Quality of sources/articles; ASA citation style; Posing of a new research question. You will be graded on the inclusion of all aspects detailed above and listed below. Note: I will play close attention to the newly formed research question, which must be stated in the summary.
While everyone will be required to share sources and annotations with team members, completing this assignment as a team is OPTIONAL. If you DO choose to work in teams, I must be notified prior via email (all team members copied). Please note that each team member will receive the same grade, unless there are extenuating circumstances. Given this, every team member is expected to make equal contributions towards successful completion of this project. If any issues should arise, students should contact me as soon as possible (no less than 48 hours before due date). Failure to do so may result in your grade being negatively impacted, depending on the circumstances.
1. Introduction= __/10
2. Organization into Themes= __/10
3. Themes/how well supported= __/10
4. Quality of articles= __/5
5. ASA citation style= __/5
6. Posing a new research question= __/10
Total Points Possible = __/50
Articles: The articles that should be used are the ones that I insert. In-text citations should be in ASA and also the citation page in ASA.
(Theme 1: Family Systems Theory) *If you have a better option for the theme feel free to use it*
Articles for This Theory: Parent’s Relationship Quality and Children’s Adjustment
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