2. Chapter 1 – Introduction (about 100 words)
3. Chapter 2 – Literature Review (structured by themes, about 2,000 words)
4. Chapter 3 – Conclusion (about 100 words)
5. References
6. Plagiarism quiz confirmation certificate
Required contents of the main sections are outlined below:
Introduction
This should set the scene for the reader. It should state the topic and purpose of the review; explain why it is worth investigating; and outline the structure of the rest of the paper.
Literature Review
Following the introduction, the main body of the paper should identify and critically review at least 15 academic articles published on the selected topic. It should be structured around the key themes that emerge from these articles and draw together the arguments and debates that have arisen. It should identify the outstanding issues or gaps that remain, and select one that provides justification for the research question that has been proposed.
The following is an extract from the UCD Library website: (http://www.ucd.ie/library/students/information_skills/lit_review.html)
A literature review offers an overview of the relevant and significant literature on a research area. It reviews the critical points of current knowledge on a particular topic – i.e. a survey of articles, books, conference papers, theses etc. It is usually limited to a
16
particular timeframe, and should include a description, summary and critical evaluation of the materials presented. A literature review is not a list describing or summarising one piece of literature after another. The purpose of a literature review is: to demonstrate your ability to identify the relevant information and outline existing knowledge; identify the “gap” in the research that your work will address; produce a rationale or justification for your study.
In preparing and writing a literature review, four steps are generally followed:
Identify the topic being examined, and the key issues or themes within it.
Search for suitable literature on the selected topic using a search engine such as Google Scholar and the online library resources available through UCD Connect.
Select the literature that contributes most to the reader’s understanding of the topic.
Analyse and interpret this literature, and draw appropriate conclusions.
Begin your literature review by locating the topic in a broader subject area. For example, if your topic was Performance Management, it would be important to locate it in the subject area of Human Resource Management (HRM), and to consider how it relates to the goals of HRM. Only when you have set your topic in its broader context should you move on to a more focused discussion of it.
Textbooks and reputable journals are considered ‘academic literature’. Textbooks can provide useful overviews, but attention should focus mainly on journal articles that provide more specific details. Appendix Seven outlines some academic journals that are considered particularly suitable for this project. More general publications such as company reports, magazines, newspapers, and websites are not considered academic literature.
Your review should cover key aspects of the literature on your particular topic. It should identify key concepts; define important terms; outline important theories; and identify significant gaps that need to be filled. It should lead to the selection of one of these gaps as a topic for further study, and develop a research question to address it. It should also identify an empirical paper with a research design that could be used or adapted, if required, to address this question. The next submission will be a critical review of this paper.
17
The section on Topic 3 later in this study guide provides further information on the literature review process. Other resources are available on Blackboard.
Conclusion
This should close the review by highlighting key points of the argument, and by re-stating the research question that has been proposed.
References
This should list of all sources cited within the review, properly formatted in the style of the Harvard Referencing System. The list should include at least 15 articles from refereed academic journals.
Attached file is the to take refrences which i made for propsal
