Purpose: The goal of a Literature Review is to: 1. Identify the main ideas, theo

Purpose:
The goal of a Literature Review is to:
1. Identify the main ideas, theories and concepts that surround a specific issue.
2. Compare and contrast the various findings, arguments, theories in your area. What
do researchers agree about? What do researchers disagree about? Synthesize
different viewpoints on your topic.
3. Identify any assumptions, biases and gaps in the research.
4. Explain either the chronological history of an idea or contextualize a debate
happening in the field.
5. Tell the reader why your research is important and fills a gap that is left by other
researchers.
Instructions:
Compose a literature review of four (4) scholarly sources that you plan to use for the Final
Capstone Project Essay.
A literature review gives the context of the current research. In your case, it would give the
reader a full understanding of a controversy or debate that exists in your field. The reason for a
literature review is so that the reader can understand the conversation that surrounds the issue
you describe. It is in this conversation that the ideas from your Final Capstone Essay will be later
inserted.
Your Literature Review should be in an essay form and focus on four (4), scholarly (peer-
reviewed sources), and be 2-4, double-spaced pages. It must include the following:
● An introduction section that introduces the subject matter of the Lit Review. You want
to specify the focus of the Literature Review and give a brief outline of what is to come
in the body paragraphs.
● A body section or synthesis that explains major concepts related to the topic. In the
body section focus on any areas of agreements and disagreements related to your topic.
Use reporting verbs to signify which research study is contributing what ideas. Utilize
clear topic sentences so the reader can see the concept and how it can be debated.
● A conclusion that summarizes major contributions of the research in light of the focus
mentioned in the introduction and gestures towards larger implications for further
research.