Literature Review

1. Literature Review Tips For Success

2. Before You Begin • Re-read “Introduction to Literature Reviews” on the home page of RW. • Re-read the assignment description in RW. • Re-read and annotate (take notes) on the examples of Literature Reviews in your textbook.

3. Thesis: Before & After • Use this thesis if literature WAS focused on one aspect, but is NOW focused on another aspect. • “While previous literature centered around ______ and ______, current literature focuses on _______.” • Your conclusion paragraph would look to the future of the research. What will scholars focus on in coming years?

4. Thesis: The Debate • Use this thesis if scholars agree or disagree on some or all aspects of the issue. • Their disagreements can be small in scale. • “While scholars agree about _______, they disagree whether __________ or ________.” • “While scholars disagree about _______ and _______, they agree in general that ________.” • If the majority of your paper focuses on disagreement, then your conclusion would reinforce the similarities in their positions. Likewise, if the majority of your paper focuses on agreement, then your conclusion would highlight the disagreements.

5. Thesis: Methodology • This thesis focuses on the type of research present in each article: hard data, case studies, surveys, etc. • While past scholars use _______ method to study the issue, current scholars use ______ method because _________. • Depending on the focus of their research and the desired results, scholars in _______ field use various methodologies. _____ scholars use _____ while ______ scholars use _____.

6. Thesis: Key Figures • Identifies several key scholars and/or seminal articles and shows which current scholars are following their lineages. • Different camps of thought • Shows a history of research on the issue • “While many current scholars look to _____’s research for clues on how to proceed, ______ and _______ base their research on _______’s findings. • Your conclusion might describe some emerging key figures in the field.

7. Thesis: Rhetorical Devices • This thesis focuses on HOW the scholars present their information in the articles. • How do they appeal to their readers? • ________ and ________ primarily use hard data to convince readers of their positions, ______ and ________ use case studies and questionnaires to provide a human element to the issue of _______.

8. Introduction • Give a brief explanation of your topic and sub-topic. • Tell what current research is focused on. • Then your thesis should be the last sentence or couple of sentences in your intro

9. Topic Sentences • Topic sentence should focus on relationships, not necessarily scholars themselves. • Try to avoid mentioning specific scholars in the topic sentences. • Again, focus on the relationships you’ve presented in your thesis. • Use your thesis as your guide.

10. In class . . . • We’ll look at some specific examples of good writing from this summer. • Bring your thesis and topic sentences. We’ll work on them together. • Bring a draft of your introduction. • I’m going to make a note of who brings these things and who doesn’t. Remember, I’m entirely in charge of your participation grade.