Project 2: Literature Review

Overview

Write a 1500- to 2000-word NO MAS DE 2000 SINO ME JALAN Literature Review of 6 credible academic texts that relate to your chosen issue from a disciplinary perspective. (Your chosen discipline should be the same as your academic major.). Ideally, the sources you use will be written for an academic audience, but you may include 1-2 texts written for a more general audience. If relevant, you may use the sources you analyzed for your Genre Analysis in Unit 1. Your literature review should provide an overview of the issue you are examining from a disciplinary perspective; assume that your readers may have some general familiarity with it but have not read the texts that you will include in your paper.

Your paper should not be a set of summaries of the 6 texts; rather, it should focus on main topics that are part of the issue and discussed in the texts. In other words, present your readers with an overview of the ideas rather than the texts. You have already examined how literature reviews can “tell a story” about issues, and in this unit you will plan ways to present a more compelling and coherent overview of the research. In addition, you should include your own stance or critique towards the ideas and/or texts that you review.

Steps

1. Identify a specific topic or issue that you would like to research, related to your major.
2. Identify 6 texts you will include in your literature review. Three of the texts can be from your genre analysis (in the previous unit).
3. Complete the literature review planning activity (Planning Your Literature Review) to identify overlaps and differences across texts.
4. Draft your literature review.

Relevant SLOs:

• 2C. employ a variety of research methods, including primary and/or secondary research, for purposes of inquiry.
• 2D. evaluate the quality, appropriateness, and credibility of sources.
• 2E. synthesize research findings in development of an argument.
• 3D. identify and effectively use variations in genre conventions, including formats and/or design features.
• 3E. demonstrate familiarity with the concepts of intellectual property (such as fair use and copyright) that motivate documentation conventions.
• 4E. evaluate and act on peer and instructor feedback to revise their texts.
• 4F. reflect on their progress as academic writers.

Assessment criteria

Your Literature Review will be graded on the following criteria, which describe a paper that “Meets Expectations.” A grading rubric will also be shared.

• Research Synthesis: Literature review identifies overlaps and differences across the six texts included in the paper. (Objective 2E) 4 pts.
• Rhetorical structure: Literature review provides an overview of the issue by “telling a story” about it and including sufficient background for interested readers who are not familiar with the texts. (Objectives 2E, 3D) 4 pts.
• Stance: Literature review provides critique or expresses some author stance about the ideas/texts included in the review. (Note: This does not need to be an opinion or argument.) (Objective 2D, 2E, 3D) 4 pts.
• Source Use: Literature review cites sources accurately and appropriately for an academic paper using APA. (Objective 3E) 3 pts.
• Library Research: Literature review incorporates six appropriate and credible disciplinary sources.(Objectives 2C, 2D) 3 pts.
• Assignment Guidelines and Expectations: The literature review meets the assignment guidelines including submission of all drafts and revision. (Objectives 4E, 4F) 2 pts