| Paragraph 1 | | | | | | Summary |
| Purpose | state the topic and the main questions to be explored. Establish significance of the territory | | | | | 8/10 |
| Paragraph 2 |
| Purpose | You should try to discuss theories in the second paragraph. This could be done by mentioning the theory that the study is based on. Followed by giving a detailed description of the theory. Then, you'd want to conclude this paragraph by discussing empirical studies that support this theory. Discussing a minimum of two studies should be sufficient. | | | | | 4/10 |
| Paragraph 3, 4, 5... |
| Purpose | Write the next part by providing a more focused critical review of the literature. This should be done by discussing one central idea that is related to the main topic as per paragraph. As you write this paragraphs, you will want to critically link different studies around the main idea. That will demostrate your understanding of how literature is connected around the same idea.
You must also review at least one competing idea that is relevant to the topic and this will form its own paragraph.
Check your notes for Examples.
NOTE: Don't discuss numerous ideas in a single paragraph
The preferred order of ideas:
1. Background of the study: Do this by discussing past research on the topic. Preferably in a chronological order. Discuss how knowledge on the topic has developed over time.
2. Gaps: Reveal the gaps that exist in the literature. You should highlight at least three gaps you could find in the literature.
3. Competing Ideas: The findings of these studies came to different conclusions on the same topic. You should deal with this in order to eliminate bias in your study. | | | | | 6/10 |
| Summary Paragraph |
| Purpose | Give a conclusion of the literature review. This is done by establishing a research niche. Point out inconsistency in the literature and how your research will answer these inconsistencies and gaps that exist in the literature.
| | | | | 4/10 |
| Concluding Paragraph |
| Purpose | This final paragraph will discuss what your research is attempting to investigate. This is done by discussing your research purpose and hypotheses in the study.
| | | | | 3/10 |