Assessment item 3 - Critical Literature Review

This assessment requires you to synthesize information from relevant sources (scholarly articles) and present it in a coherent and organized fashion while providing the reader with an overview of what experts have found about the topic under investigation. Your review should evaluate available knowledge on a particular topic and identify areas of strength and weakness. You should be able to provide a description, summary, and critical evaluation of each work. The process should enable you to identify and formulate inquiry questions that need to be answered through future research studies. The literature review itself, however, does not present new primary scholarship.

The purpose of the current assessment is to provide you with an opportunity to: 

• explore available literature from peer-reviewed papers addressing a particular topic of interest (minimum 5 papers); 
• complete a literature search through locating and retrieving existing publications relevant to the topic of interest;  
• analyze the available knowledge while identifying important results and findings; 
• synthesize the available information while articulating connections, common themes, areas of disagreement, and available gaps; and 
• articulate a specific and significant research question based on the reviewed research studies.

Guidelines for Submission

When you submit your assessment, it should:

• include a cover sheet (title page) with all necessary information such as student identification information, word count, and the title of your chosen topic. The reference list and cover sheet are not included in the word count;
• include a 1500–2000-word critical literature review;
• include a reference page that includes the references you have used;
• include the Grading Criteria (see below) at the end of your critical literature review and after the reference list. This can be done by copying the grading criteria from this guide and pasting it onto your critical literature review document; and 
• include a minimum of five research studies under critical review. 

Cover Page

• The cover page should include student identification information, word count, and the title of your chosen topic, along with the instructor’s name.

Abstract

• The abstract summarises the literature review and includes points from each of the sections. The abstract should be between 150- 250 words. The abstract should be written as only one paragraph with no indentation.

Introduction

• Similar to any other introduction, this section should provide the reader with an overview of the topic and its importance. In addition, it should include a general statement of the problem that the author is focusing on while introducing the background and theoretical framework for the topic. 

Body of Literature Review

• This is the section that includes the bulk of the available information about the topic as reflected by the articles that were located and summarized. This section should not be a series of summaries from the list of articles, but rather a synthesis and critical presentation of the findings of the located research articles. Keep the following questions in mind: 
  • What knowledge is currently available about the topic and is generally accepted by scholars in the field? 
  • Are there some major differences or disagreements among academics and researchers? 
  • Are there any particular problems or limitations with any of the research studies that are included in the review? 
  • What were the research methods used in the different research studies, which were not, and what are the implications? 
  • What are the remaining questions that have not been addressed? 
  • What areas and approaches seem to be relatively unexplored? 

Discussion and Conclusion

• This section should serve as a brief summary of the body of your literature review. It should highlight the most important ideas and findings. The discussion should include two major subsections:
  • Implications of the literature reviewed
  • Specific research question that needs to be addressed by future research. The research question should be somewhat original. It should attempt to advance the already-existing knowledge and understanding around the selected topic. 

References

• The reference list should be limited to the resources you used in the literature review. Make sure you apply the APA 7th edition format.