THE LITERATURE REVIEW DESIGN PURPOSE PROCESS FREEWRITE What

THE LITERATURE REVIEW: DESIGN, PURPOSE, PROCESS

FREEWRITE ▪ ▪ What is a literature review? What questions (or concerns) do you have about writing a literature review?

WORKSHOP OVERVIEW ▪ Design ▪ Purpose ▪ Process

LITERATURE REVIEWS ARE EVERYWHERE! ▪ In the New Yorker, “Apathetic Children” article

TWO KINDS OF LITERATURE REVIEWS ▪ Lit. reviews that are a section of a larger project (Capstone) ▪ Stand-alone lit. reviews

FIVE APPROACHES TO LITERATURE REVIEWS ▪ Argumentative ▪ Integrative ▪ Historical ▪ Methodological ▪ Theoretical

TWO FACETS OF THE LITERATURE REVIEW PROCESS 1. Conducting a literature review (during the research process) 2. Writing a literature review (as part of a paper)

RESEARCH PROCESS ● Helps you identify what we already know based on existing research. What are the debates? What gaps remain? ● Helps you develop your research question and research design. ▪ What is missing from the research?

BEGINNING RESEARCH AND LIT. REVIEWS ● Brainstorm key terms ● Try out key terms in scholarly databases ● Look for knowledge clusters ▪ Cluster: Home care and labor unions. ▪ Example: Many scholars of home care work focus on the major wave of unionization that swept through this workforce after the 1980 s (Boris and Klein 2012; Delp and Quan 2002; Mareschal 2006, 2007; Ness 1999; Rhee and Zabin 2009)

CHOOSE A LITERATURE REVIEW ▪ What are the clusters in this literature review? ▪ What are some of the key terms?

CHINATOWN LITERATURE REVIEW: CLUSTERS ▪ Intergenerational conflicts and differences in Asian American culture ▪ Role of Chinatown (as ethnic enclave) ▪ Vancouver’s Chinatown ▪ Gentrification and resistance in Chinatown ▪ Gentrification in NY

CHARACTERISTICS OF LITERATURE REVIEW ▪ Does not look like standard “English paper” ▪ Combines summary and synthesis ▪ Example of synthesis: Both Smith (2003) and Johnson (2011) believe that adult day care programs serve important social functions for older adults, but they differ in their assessment of their weaknesses. ▪ Includes salient information about design and methodology research studies (if applicable) ▪ Identifies debates and/or gaps in research

TRANSMILENIO LITERATURE REVIEW: THREE CLUSTERS ▪ Problems with BRT systems worldwide ▪ Methodology of passenger satisfaction studies ▪ Existing research on Trans. Milenio

WHAT ARE YOUR CLUSTERS?

SOLIDIFYING YOUR CLUSTERS ● Which clusters do you need to discuss in order to situate your research in the field or in the conversation? ● What will your research contribute? ● What is your critical analysis of the research?

TIPS FOR CLUSTERING ● Be selective in your articles ● Too much information: focus on recent studies, leading authorities, most relevant studies to your research. ● Too little information: widen your clusters, find a related topic.

BEGINNING TO WRITE ● For articles you are committed to, read and take notes ● Use notes organizer: ▪ Do you agree? Disagree? Is the research inconclusive? Anything missing? ▪ Group similar ideas. Highlight debates. ● Three to five articles per cluster?

WHAT TO EXPECT IN THE PROCESS ▪ Combine clusters ▪ ID a need for new articles ▪ Subtract clusters ▪ Abandon an article

Join us at the SLU Writing Center Website: bit. ly/writingcenteratslu Call: (212) 642 -2014 Email: writingcenter@slu. cuny. edu