Identifying Themes

Identifying themes in your literature is very important because it helps you create a scaffold for your literature review. Without knowing themes, patterns, and trends, the literature review usually reads like a meaningless list with no connection between one study and the next. Also, without identification of themes, there is no appreciation of how scholars are actually having a conversation on paper regarding their discoveries.

By now you have taken part in multiple exercises and assignments which were intended to assist you in clarifying the themes you will pull together in and through your literature review. Now is the time to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), and to take all of the preparatory work you have done and to actualize it in a draft of your literature review.

For this assignment, you will develop a Title page, Abstract, and a References page. Articulate your main research/focal question as the opening for your paper. Be sure it is specific, researchable, and important to the field. Then go on to list a detailed outline of the body of the paper, (including all headings and subheadings). Be sure to format your entire paper, including the headings and subheadings according to APA style.