pragmatic problems have tangible, “real” costs that we can see and touch conceptual problems...

Pragmatic Problems have tangible, “real” costs that we can see and touch

Conceptual Problems require another step in motivating audiences.

We need to answer the question “So what?” with an appeal to the reader’s knowledge or understanding.

In short:A good Problem Statement introduces a QUESTION and makes us aware of the COSTS that might result from it.

PROBLEM = Question + Costs or Benefits

Before we can understand a solution, we need to accept and understand a problem

The Destabilizing Moment or Destabilizing Condition is the place where you show the difference between

What IS -- and -- what should or can be

Requires that we understand costs and benefits

Requires that we are motivated and influenced by those costs-we accept the problem as something relevant to our lives and concerns

Requires that we want, need, and are able to imagine a solution

Condition: I missed the bus Costs of that condition: I will be late for

work and may lose my job. Condition: the hole in the ozone layer is

growing Costs of that condition: Many will die

from skin cancer. Nevertheless, your readers will judge the

significance of a problem not by its cost to you, but by its cost to them!!

The hole in the ozone layer grew last year.

So what? You answer with the cost of the problem: a

bigger hole in the ozone means more ultraviolet light hitting the earth.

Suppose the person says again. So what?

And you respond: too much ultraviolet light can give people skin cancer.

The Write Place © 2007 Created and Modified by Carol Mohrbacher

The Write Place © 2007 Created and Modified by Carol

Mohrbacher

“Piles of these materials are stacked all around, on desks, tables, and floor, and they [students] have diligently read their way through most of them, taking copious notes—computers bulge with information and threaten to explode” (103).

~Irene L. Clark, Writing the Successful Thesis and Dissertation

“A Literature Review Surveys scholarly articles, books, and other sources (e.g., dissertations, conference proceedings) relevant to a topic for a thesis or dissertation. Its purpose is to demonstrate that the writer has insightfully and critically surveyed relevant literature on his or her topic in order to convince an intended audience that the topic is worth addressing” (105)

~from Writing the Successful Thesis and Dissertation: Entering the Discussion

By Irene L. Clark The Write Place © 2007

Created and Modified by Carol Mohrbacher

Your readers are being asked to view this literature review (LR) as representing the sum of the current knowledge on the topic, as well as your ability to think critically about it. Your review "tells a story" by critically analyzing the literature and arriving at specific conclusions.

The LR requires a technical form of writing in which facts must be documented and opinions substantiated. Producing a good LR requires time and intellectual effort.


It is a test of your ability to manage the relevant texts and materials, analytically interpret ideas, and integrate and synthesize ideas and data with existing knowledge (Bloomberg and Volpe 46).

"Good" research is good because it advances our collective understanding. . . . A researcher or scholar needs to understand what has been done before, the strengths and weaknesses of existing studies, and what they might mean” (Boote and Beile 2005) .


A review of the literature enables you to acquire a full understanding of your topic; what has already been said about it; how ideas related to your topic have been research, applied, and developed; the key issues surrounding a topic; and the main criticisms that have been made regarding work on your topic;


Whether literature is referred to before asking questions and data collection or after data collection and data analysis, it is, right from the beginning, and essential, integral, and ongoing part of the research process.

At initial stages a preliminary search and analysis of the literature is usually necessary to focus on a researchable topic and evaluate its relevance.

Besides providing a foundation – a theoretical framework for the problem to be investigated— LR can demonstrate how present study advances, refines, revises what is already known.


The literature that describes the context frames a problem; it provides a useful backdrop for the problem or issue that has led to the need for the study. Furthermore, previous studies can provide the rationale for your research problem, and indications of what needs to be done can help you justify the significance of your study.


Avoid the temptation to include everything. Bigger does not necessarily mean better. A concise, well –organized LR that contains relative information is preferable to a review containing many studies that are only peripherally related to your research problem.

When investigating a heavily researched and well – developed area, review only those works that are directly related to your specific research problem.


When investigating a new or little – researched problem area, you need to gather enough information to develop and establish a logical framework for your study. Therefore, review all studies related in some meaningful way to your research problem.


Primary source documents contain original work of researchers and authors.

Secondary sources are written by authors who interpret the work of others, including abstracts, indexes, reviews, encyclopedias, and textbooks. Secondary sources are useful because they combine knowledge for many primary sources and provide a quick way to obtain an overview of a field or topic.


What are the origins and definitions of the topic?

What are the key theories, concepts, and ideas?

Were the major debates, arguments, and issues surrounding the topic?

Were the key questions and problems that have been addressed to date?

Are there any important issues insufficiently addressed or not addressed at all?


As you read and analyze, you should be on the lookout for broader themes, issues, and commonalities among the various authors. Be aware of "outliers" (i.e., points of divergence and difference).

Regarding research articles reviewed, make notes of major trends, patterns, or inconsistencies in the results reported; try to identify relationships between studies.


Read your "very important" documents first. Highlight, make notations in the margins, or write memos on Post-it notes of inconsistencies, similarities, questions, concerns, and possible omissions as you go along.

Develop a computerized filing system of Word docs for your literature review. For every piece of material that you read, write a brief summary that covers essential points: major issues, arguments, and theoretical models. The Write Place © 2007 Created and

Modified by Carol Mohrbacher

Be selective. A comprehensive literature review need not include every piece of material that you located and/or read. Include only material that is directly relevant to your research problem and the purpose of your study. Although all of material reviewed was necessary to help you situate your own study, not every citation with respect to issue needs be included.


Regarding use of quotations, try to limit the use of direct quotations" only materials that are stated skillfully and are a clear reflection of a particular point of view; unessential quotations are a distraction from the line of thought being presented.


Existing literature culminates in a CF that posits new relationships and perspectives vis-a-vis literature reviewed. The CF becomes the scaffolding of the study. Most important, it becomes a working tool consisting of categories that emanate from literature.

To be comprehensive, you need to make sure there is one category that relates to each research question. These categories form the backbone of your study.


Ongoing “housekeeping” strategies and tips

Immediately document and cite source you took the information from.

Bookmark online sources.

Bookmark “hard copy.” Use post-it notes to mark pages with relevant information.

Keep track of page numbers of paraphrases and quotations.

Note any connections between sources in separate notebook or on post-its on pertinent pages.

If information comes from a class lecture, interview, or conference, note details immediately.


Mohrbacher

Use subheadings if dividing the LR topically, thematically, according to argumentative perspective, or according to time period.

Be sure to show relationships between sources. source relationship.c6 source relationship.c5

Make explicit connections between reviewed sources and thesis.

Discuss source’s significant contributions.

Do not develop ideas or use sources that are irrelevant to your thesis overall.

References to prior studies should be in past tense; references to narrative or text other than studies should be in present tense. The Write Place © 2007

Created and Modified by Carol Mohrbacher

Summarize ideas, conflicts, themes, or historical (or chronological) periods. summarize.c11

Contextualize your thesis topic within the summary.

Point out gap(s) in scholarship and, show how your research helps fill the gap(s).

Transition to your next chapter.transition.c8


Mohrbacher

Have I accurately represented the author’s views?

Is source material research current and relevant to thesis topic?

Have I shown relationships between sources? Is there a clear connection between thesis topic

and the LR? Are all sources documented accurately? Have I used effective transitions from idea to

idea, source to source, paragraph to paragraph? Is my analysis of sources well developed? Have I represented all conflicts or

argumentative sides fairly?The Write Place © 2007 Created and Modified by Carol

Mohrbacher

Central Virginia Governor’s School of Science and Technology (Science and Engineering)

http://www.cvgs.k12.va.us/research/PAPER/parts/litreviewphy.pdf Claremont Graduate University (History)http://www.cgu.edu/pages/931.asp University of Minnesota (Anthropology)http://www.d.umn.edu/~sjanssen/samplelitreview.htm Purdue OWL (Social Work)http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/666/01/ University of Washington (Psychology)http://depts.washington.edu/psywc/handouts/pdf/litrev.pdf University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (Sociology):http://www.uccs.edu/~smarshal/id26.htm University of North Carolina (Science)http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/literature_review.html


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