Questions and Topics We Can Help You To Answer:
Paper Instructions:

Introduction:
The first writing challenge introduced you to basic library research, peer reviewed journals in your field, and different aspects of scholarly and academic writing in your field of study. This project will build on that initial work with scholarly writing through the production of what is called a "Literature Review."

A Literature Review is a relatively standard part of APA formatted research papers and can also serve as stand alone scholarly publications. The goal of a literature review is to provide a thorough understanding of the research and scholarship that has already been published on a specific topic. Scholarly writing is not written within a vacuum. Scholars who publish their research are in fact engaged in what we call scholarly conversations. One of the main reasons why we see so many citations and references to other pieces of scholarship in scholarly writing is that the authors are attempting to engage in conversation with those scholars whom have written about the topic in the past, thus adding to the conversation those cited sources are a part of.

To complete an effective Literature Review, a researcher must locate relevant publications in reputable, peer-reviewed journals (or other publications like books, etc.), and write a review of those sources that offers readers an understanding of what has been and is currently being said about that topic. The Literature Review attempts to explain what is being said about the topic by putting the sources into conversation with one another--to explain the "current state of affairs" so to speak. You will find links to multiple examples under Module #2.

Scenario:
You are a research assistant for your favorite professor. She is working with you on the beginning stages of a research project on a topic of your choosing within your field. The first step in preparing for a research project is to familiarize yourself with the research that has already been done on the topic you are interested in. So, she has assigned you to do this literature review.

Assignment:
Using your research for challenge #1, or beginning from scratch, choose a topic that is currently being researched in your field and locate a total of 8 different pieces of scholarship on that topic (if you did well on your first assignment, you might be able to use all 8 of your sources from challenge #1). The Library One Search in Kresge Library will be particularly helpful. Be creative with your search terms and don't just choose the first 8 sources that come up. They might not actually be on the same topic.

You will need to read and evaluate several different sources to find eight that are actually on the same or similar topics. All eight pieces should have been published within the last 6 years.
Write a Literature Review that includes the following sections:
Cover Page with title
Introduction that introduces the topic and the Literature Review
Literature Review
Conclusion that brings together the review and provides some general summary of what the review says about the research being done already on the topic
References that includes all 8 pieces of scholarship
Requirements:

APA formatting for research papers and the bibliography
Word Count: 1,400-1,800 words