Literature review

One page paper lit review

Due Tuesday April 23

Since a literature review is information dense, it needs to be structured clearly to ensure a reader can grasp the key arguments underpinning your study in relation to that of other researchers. A good strategy is to break the literature into "conceptual categories" [themes] rather than describing materials one at a time (think back to our week 6 class activity where we arranged to the strips of paper featuring individual sources into themes and created topic sentences). 

To help frame your journal entry (what will hopefully be a draft of your lit review), here are the "five C’s" of writing a literature review: 

· Cite: keep the primary focus on the literature pertinent to your research problem.

· Compare the various arguments, theories, methodologies, and findings expressed in the literature: what do the authors agree on? Who applies similar approaches to analyzing the research problem? 

· Contrast the various arguments, themes, methodologies, approaches and controversies expressed in the literature: what are the major areas of disagreement, controversy, or debate? 

· Critique the literature: Which arguments are more persuasive, and why? Which approaches, findings, methodologies seem most reliable, valid, or appropriate, and why?

· Connect the literature to your own area of research and investigation: how does your own work draw upon, depart from, or synthesize what has been said in the literature?

***Include a works cited page****

***Research question: Why are African Americans disinterested in voting?***

These are the articles I have to use for the lit review;

Hackey, Robert. “ Competing Explanations of Voter Turnout among American Blacks.” Social Science Quartely (1992): 71-89

Mangum, Maurice. "Psychological Involvement and Black Voter Turnout." Political Research quartely (2003): 41.