Academic writing takes place within communities of scholars. The purpose of writing a literature review is to demonstrate that you have a grasp of the discussion that has already
taken place about a topic, an issue, a methodological perspective, or a problem. By demonstrating that you have read and thought about this literature, you establish your right to join in and further the conversation. So, when you write a literature review, you need to demonstrate not just that you’ve read and understood a number of essays, but that you understand how these essays are connected to, or in dialogue with, one another. You demonstrate this understanding by grouping the essays according to criteria that emerge from your reading. As you write your literature review, you must:

- Demonstrate that you have read at least 10 essays on your topic (In your first draft, you need only use 8 sources).
- Discuss how points made in your essays are related to one another. This means that you must come up with topics that are discussed by multiple authors.
- Indicate an understanding of where conflicts exist between different authors and where authors agree with one another.
- Discuss questions that have not been addressed very fully in what you’ve read. At least one of these questions should be the focus of your complete research proposal.
- Provide a complete works cited list.

The most important point is that you should not be discussing the reading that you've done author by author. You need to weave the readings together to provide an interpretation of how they fit together. In this sense, you are actively constructing your literature review; you are not passively reporting what others have said. At the same time, you must, of course, discuss the essays accurately.

Your literature review should be approximately 6-8 typed, double-spaced pages. The first draft is due on 11/12 by 4:30 pm. The final draft will be part of your research proposal.