Literature+Review

=Literature Review (Proposal) (GWU EMSE 216-8000)=

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From the SEAS doctoral candidate's perspective, a literature review is the 2nd Chapter in a SEAS doctoral dissertation. ~It should review pertinent literature in an organized manner that sets the stage for the subsequent chapters for the proposal and disseration.~ (Barbera 2011)

From Ternes' disseration Glossary of Terms, a literature review is "a systematic review of existing documentation serving as the informational foundation of research-based studies by identifying work already completed or underway in an area of interest and providing a framework for answering questions relevant to the study being conducted (Salkind, 1991).

From a practical perspective, the doctoral candidate should expect a series of literature searches. The first could be to help find or narrow down the topic. The second would be to see how much in the area is already there. Too little could make the literature review more challenging. Too much my make getting acceptance for uniqueness difficult. A third would be a targeted search of the topics that will appear in the literature view (including methodology). ||  || (Preliminary) Literature Review ||  || **Putting It Together** ||
 * **Getting Ready to Search**
 * Research Sources ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * Efficient Ways to Find (Good) Sources ||  || Selecting the Right Topic ||   || Definitions (Operational Definition) ||
 * Reference Search (Gelman Library) ||  || Literature Review Explained ||   ||   ||
 * Research - General Searching Guidelines ||  || Literature Search ||   || How To Prepare (Write) ||
 * - [|WRLC LIbrary Guide] ||  || Finding Appropriate References (TBD) ||   || Organization ||
 * Suggested resources for EMSE 8000 ||  || Preparing a Literature Review ||   || Critical Literature Review ||
 * Reference Search Keywords ||  || Glossary of Terms ||   || Literature Review Checksheet - TBR ||
 * - Context Map ||  || (Tools and Aids} ||   ||   ||
 * ||  || Data Collection Requirements ||   ||   ||

"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." ([|The Writing Center (UNC)], 2011) ==> **Read It; extremely good**. Pulls together thoughts from many EMSE 8000 lectures vary well. <== "The focus of a literature review, however, is to summarize and synthesize the arguments and ideas of others without adding new contributions."

One might choose to think of the review as a series of {abbreviated} Critical Literature Reviews (perhaps well organized into sections based on the data collection needs. (pws) Each would be addressed with respect to the context of the proposal (pws) If there are a wealth of sources, ~the review will probably discuss the most important in more detail (and may just reference the others).~ (Barbera 2011) ~Methods also need to be addressed.~ (Barbera 2011)" "You describe in detail the research that has been done on your problem in the past, how it has influenced subsequent research, how and why past research has led up to your present situation." (Doctoral Handbook, 2011)


 * Sources**
 * Dr. Joseph Barbera, EMSE 8000 Spring 2011 Lectures
 * See referenced pages
 * The Writing Center (UNC), 2011. Literature Reviews. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Accessed September 17, 2011 from [].
 * //School of Engineering and Applied Science //Doctoral Student Handbook 2010-2011, p. 42
 * From Ternes' disseration (Confirming the Stankosky Knowledge Management Framework) Glossary of Terms, p. xxvi

Contributors: Sisson