– In this assignment, you will be writing a literature review. This literature review will examine, analyze,
synethize, and evaluate the sources provided that will be used in your research proposal. compare the
authors arguments, their approaches and methods, to develop a literature review that ties together all the
aspects of the study of interest. This is to be done effectively, and concisely. Whenever you write a
research proposal, you must study the relevant literature related to your topic and write a critical review of
it. This will help you contextualize your topic by presenting the reader with a state of the field – i.e., a broad overview of the most important things being discussed in relation to your research topic. In the literature
review, you will critically analyze and engage with the arguments and ideas you encounter. In so doing, you
will provide
your audience with a comprehensive account of the types of discussions that are occurring among
researchers and policy analysts in your area of interest.
– There is no best way to write a literature review, and writing it allows you great freedom in content and
presentation. Therefore, it is difficult to provide you with a systematic series of steps to follow. You are
essentially moderating a discussion among the different authors of the works you selected in the previous
assignment. In so doing, you will be isolating and describing the realm in which your research topic exists. With that said, however, there are certain expectations concerning the type of information that should be included. These expectations are presented below.
– This is to be done in an essay style. You do not need an introductory section, but you should include an
introductory paragraph that introduces the overarching research topic and problem. Likewise, it should
include a concluding paragraph summarizing an overview of what you discussed in the review. Both should be relatively short compared to other paragraphs. Remember, your focus is on reviewing the literature.
• Narrow the topic by focusing on the most important aspects of the literature as it relates to the major
concepts, arguments, and research question you stated in your Research Statement.
• As your narrow the scope and set the parameters, you will turn the project into something more
manageable.
• As you read the literature, you will find yourself asking questions. Synthesize the literature in such a way
that you create logical flow and present the reader with answers to these questions. Use information/
evidence from the literature to do this. For instance, you will want to consider some the following questions:
➢ What is the state of the field?
➢ What are the major questions being asked?
➢ What are the major arguments being made?
➢ What are the basic concepts and theories being discussed?
➢ How do the authors use these concepts and theory used to better understand the issue(s)?
➢ Are the methods used necessary to study the topic? (Note: there is no real need to discuss methods here unless this is part of a debate, or the methods are compulsory for study of the field/topic).
➢ What are some major controversies discussed in the literature as they relate to your topic?
➢ Have arguments changed over time?
➢ Are conceptual definitions valid, reliable, and accurate?
➢ Have you identified any themes or patterns in the literature?
➢ What are the major areas of agreement and disagreement?
➢ What are some major conclusions and or findings?
➢ Have you identified any overlaps in the literature?
➢ Have you identified any gaps in the literature?
Remember that as you answer some of these questions, you should take note and think about the ways this will help (a) inform your Statement of Methods assignment, and (b) refine your Research Statement (for the final assignment). Remember, as you learn more about the subject, you will gain a better understanding of
the principal issues involved, the major questions up for debate, prominent themes, and so forth.
Understanding these things will help you develop a targeted study with a clear purpose.
You will also want to organize the literature review in a specific way. Do not go through piece-by-piece
summarizing the literature. Furthermore, this is not a discussion of the authors themselves, but of their
major arguments and claims. Therefore, engage with the literature in such a way that
1- https://www.springerprofessional.de/en/water-policy-and-governance-in-canada/11001648
– focus on chapter 5 and 15
3- https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/06/07/canada-water-crisis-puts-first-nations-families-risk
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