LITERATURE REVIEW INSTRUCTIONS
OVERVIEW
The purpose of this Literature Review is for you to create a scholarly piece of doctoral-level
research and writing, which conforms to current APA format. Competency in APA format is
required of all Business students of Liberty University, as set forth by policy of both the Doctoral
Faculty and the administration.
You will research and write a literature review on the topic of doctoral persistence of students in
business programs. Your Literature Review will be a comprehensive thematic review of the
scholarly literature related to the topic and will lay the foundation for the qualitative research
design, interviews, and data analysis assignments.
What is a Literature Review?
“A literature review discusses published information in a particular subject area, and sometimes
information in a particular subject area within a certain time period.
A literature review can be just a simple summary of the sources, but it usually has an
organizational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis. A summary is a recap of the
important information of the source, but a synthesis is a re-organization, or a reshuffling, of that
information. It might give a new interpretation of old material or combine new with old
interpretations. Or it might trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates.
And depending on the situation, the literature review may evaluate the sources and advise the
reader on the most pertinent or relevant” (The Writing Center, para. 2).
How is a literature review different from an academic research paper?
“While the main focus of an academic research paper is to support your own argument, the focus
of a literature review is to summarize and synthesize the arguments and ideas of others” (The
Writing Center, para. 3). The academic research paper also covers a range of sources, but it is
usually a select number of sources, because the emphasis is on the argument. Likewise, a
literature review can also have an “argument,” but it is not as important as covering a number of
sources. In short, an academic research paper and a literature review contain some of the same
elements. In fact, many academic research papers will contain a literature review section.
However, it is the aspect of the study (the argument or the sources) emphasized that determines
what type of document it is.
Why write literature reviews?
“Literature reviews provide you with a handy guide to a particular topic. If you have limited time
to conduct research, literature reviews can give you an overview or act as a stepping-stone. For
professionals, they are useful reports that keep them up to date with what is current in the field.
For scholars, the depth and breadth of the literature review emphasizes the credibility of the
writer in his or her field. Literature reviews also provide a solid background for a research
paper’s investigation. Comprehensive knowledge of the literature of the field is essential to most
research papers” (The Writing Center, para. 4).
What is the format for literature reviews?
“Just like most academic papers, literature reviews also must contain at least three basic
elements: an introduction or background information section; the body of the review containing
the discussion of sources; and, finally, a conclusion and/or recommendations section to end the
paper.
Introduction: Gives a quick idea of the topic of the literature review, such as the central
theme or organizational pattern.
Body: Contains your discussion of sources and is organized thematically (see below for
more information on each).
Conclusions/Recommendations: Discuss what you have drawn from reviewing literature
so far. Where might the discussion proceed?” (The Writing Center, para. 12).
What is a thematic literature review?
“A thematic review would have subtopics based upon factors that relate to the theme or issue.
Sometimes, though, you might need to add additional sections that are necessary for your study,
but do not fit in the organizational strategy of the body. What other sections you include in the
body is up to you. Put in only what is necessary. Here are a few other sections you might want to
consider:
Current Situation: Information necessary to understand the topic or focus of the literature
review.
History: The chronological progression of the field, the literature, or an idea that is
necessary to understand the literature review, if the body of the literature review is not
already a chronology.
Methods and/or Standards: The criteria you used to select the sources in your literature
review or the way in which you present your information. For instance, you might
explain that your review includes only peer-reviewed articles and journals.
Questions for Further Research: What questions about the field has the review sparked?
How will you further your research as a result of the review?” (The Writing Center, para.
14).
INSTRUCTIONS
Literature Review:
Important Points to Consider: The paper is to be written in strict conformance to current APA
standards, contain 10 pages of content (excluding the title page, abstract, and reference page),
and use at least 15 peer-reviewed references and the bible not more than three years
It is highly recommended that each student download and read the assignment instructions
to avoid any stress created by issues that are the result of waiting until the last minute.
Three current APA headings should be used throughout the paper, as this is a doctoral-level
Literature Review.
