Literature Review Writing Process

Literature Review Components: Cover sheet 8-10 pages APA formated, double-spaced pages not including the cover page and reference listing The 8-10 pages will be the core of your literature review, synthesizing the 10-12 peer-reviewed journal articles you identified and well as 1 to 2 paragraphs outlining your proposed inquiry methods References listing of all peer-reviewed research articles Abstract not needed Literature Review Process: Read your 10-12 peer-reviewed research articles and highlight content that resonates with your problem of practice. Stop and reflect on the 10-12 research articles collectively. What themes have emerged from your highlighted material? Identify 3 to 4 themes to focus your literature review on. Organize your articles by theme. In some cases, an article could be applicable to multiple themes. A Matrix template is provided below. Begin writing your first theme using the various articles that support that theme. This is the synthesizing process. You are not summarizing your articles one-by-one but rather developing a collective summary of those related to the theme. Do this for each theme. Once you have your themes drafted, go back and write 1-2 intro paragraphs introducing your industry, problem of practice and research question. Next, discuss your themes and their connectivity to your topic. Be sure you add subheadings for each theme as seen in APA checklist. After your themes include a conclusion that summarizes the themes and what explains what past literature says about your problem of practice. Include any identified gaps in the past literature here. Suggest opportunities for relevant future research. After your literature review conclusion began a new section called Methods. Write 2-3 paragraphs on the methodology approach you would take if you were conducting your research study. After your Methods section, begin a new section for References using APA standards. Format your entire paper using APA standards including the cover page, the heading head, page numbers, headings, subheadings, in-text citations, and your reference list. Proofread your paper and have someone else proofread it as well before submitting.