How to write a literature review proposal

Índice Show

1 Search: Cast a Wide Net
2 Introduction: Define Your Research Question
3 Body: Summarize Published Studies
4 Conclusion: Present Your Why
5 References: Provide Thorough Citations
What is your research proposal used for and why is it important?
How long should my research proposal be?
What should be included in my research proposal?
How do you write a literature proposal?
What is included in literature review of a research proposal?
How long is a literature review for a proposal?
How many words should a literature review be in a proposal?

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The purpose of a literature review is to highlight a void in the research that your study will fill. The literature review answers why you should conduct your research. To answer the why behind your study, find and analyze other studies that address similar research questions, or studies that address your research question on a different level. Discuss and present your research question and how the answer you discover will fill in another piece of the puzzle in your field.

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1 Search: Cast a Wide Net

Whether you have clearly defined your research question or not, begin your search using academic databases such as JSTOR, EBSCOhost, or ERIC. Your university library system should provide you with a login that may give you free access to articles you would normally have to pay for through these databases. Use the search feature in the academic database to search only for studies published in peer-reviewed journals. Peer-reviewed journals ensure that these studies underwent extensive scrutiny and were combed for best practices. Skim article abstracts to find studies that relate to your topic before downloading and organizing your findings.

2 Introduction: Define Your Research Question

Once you have combed through studies related to your topic and found a question that has yet to be answered, clearly define it in your introduction. Lead your review with this question and explain to your readers that you will demonstrate how the studies you summarize and analyze in the review do not address your specific question. Your question should address a specific population in a specific academic focus using a specific research method. For example, you could look at the effects of a reading intervention on eighth-grade students using quantitative research methods. Clearly defining your question helps define the focus of your review.

3 Body: Summarize Published Studies

The body of your review should be organized methodically to summarize and present the findings of other studies in the field you are addressing. You could organize your findings by date, addressing older studies first and ending with the most recent. You could organize the review by topic, highlighting studies in your specific population, then academic focus, then research method. You could also move from broad studies to more specific, smaller studies, or vice versa. The findings of your search guide how you organize the literature based on the focus and volume of the studies in your chosen field.

4 Conclusion: Present Your Why

In the conclusion of your review, restate your research question and point to how other studies addressed similar or related questions but did not answer your question for your chosen population, topic and research method. For example, point to studies that addressed the effects of your reading intervention on elementary school students but not on eighth-grade students. Or point out that a qualitative study was conducted using one subject, but your focus is a quantitative study using a much larger population sample. Convince your reader that your study will fill a void in the research that already exists.

5 References: Provide Thorough Citations

Once you have composed the body of your review, ensure all of your citations are correctly formatted and write your references pages. APA style has clearly defined guidelines for formatting in-text citations and references. Use your APA manual for all referencing questions. However, allot extensive time to organizing all articles and building your reference pages. Ensure you have listed all authors, know the journal source for each article, and have accurate page numbers for each article.

About the Author

Hannah Richardson has a Master's degree in Special Education from Vanderbilt University and a Bacheor of Arts in English. She has been a writer since 2004 and wrote regularly for the sports and features sections of "The Technician" newspaper, as well as "Coastwach" magazine. Richardson also served as the co-editor-in-chief of "Windhover," an award-winning literary and arts magazine. She is currently teaching at a middle school.

A key part of your application is your research proposal. Whether you are applying for a self-funded or studentship you should follow the guidance below.

If you are looking specifically for advice on writing your PhD by published work research proposal, read our guide.

You are encouraged to contact us to discuss the availability of supervision in your area of research before you make a formal application, by visiting our areas of research.

What is your research proposal used for and why is it important?

It is used to establish whether there is expertise to support your proposed area of research
It forms part of the assessment of your application
The research proposal you submit as part of your application is just the starting point, as your ideas evolve your proposed research is likely to change

How long should my research proposal be?

It should be 2,000–3,500 words (4-7 pages) long.

What should be included in my research proposal?

Your proposal should include the following:

1. TITLE

Your title should give a clear indication of your proposed research approach or key question

2. BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE

You should include:

the background and issues of your proposed research
identify your discipline
a short literature review
a summary of key debates and developments in the field

3. RESEARCH QUESTION(S)

You should formulate these clearly, giving an explanation as to what problems and issues are to be explored and why they are worth exploring

4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

You should provide an outline of:

the theoretical resources to be drawn on
the research approach (theoretical framework)
the research methods appropriate for the proposed research
a discussion of advantages as well as limits of particular approaches and methods

5. PLAN OF WORK & TIME SCHEDULE

You should include an outline of the various stages and corresponding time lines for developing and implementing the research, including writing up your thesis.

For full-time study your research should be completed within three years, with writing up completed in the fourth year of registration.

For part-time study your research should be completed within six years, with writing up completed by the eighth year.

6. BIBLIOGRAPHY

You should include:

a list of references to key articles and texts discussed within your research proposal
a selection of sources appropriate to the proposed research

How do you write a literature proposal?

Your proposal should include the following:.

TITLE. Your title should give a clear indication of your proposed research approach or key question..

BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE. You should include: the background and issues of your proposed research. identify your discipline. a short literature review. ... .

RESEARCH QUESTION(S).

What is included in literature review of a research proposal?

Definition. A literature review surveys books, scholarly articles, and any other sources relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory, and by so doing, provides a description, summary, and critical evaluation of these works in relation to the research problem being investigated.

How long is a literature review for a proposal?

The length of a literature review varies depending on its purpose and audience. In a thesis or dissertation, the review is usually a full chapter (at least 20 pages), but for an assignment it may only be a few pages. There are several ways to organize and structure a literature review.