Education assignment 1013

DOC/723: Week 1

Literature Review Development Plan and Initial Source Inventory

Section I: Chapter 2 Development Focus

Establish the focus of your literature review by including information for each of the items listed below.

Note: This section is intended to anchor your Chapter 2 planning in your completed Chapter 1; it is not asking you to revise Chapter 1.

Chapter 1 Element	Response
Research problem or problem statement from Ch. 1
Purpose statement from Ch. 1
Research question(s)
Selected methodology and research design
Theoretical or conceptual framework from Ch. 1

Section 2: Literature Review Development Map

Use the table below to plan the major areas of literature you need to develop in Chapter 2. Your responses should show what the literature needs to help you explain, what sources or concepts you have already identified, and where additional searching or reading is needed. This map is a planning tool and may change as your literature review develops.

Literature development area	What do you need the literature to help explain?	What sources, concepts, or themes have you already identified?	What additional literature do you still need to locate?	Notes/questions for your Chair
Problem context and significance
Major concepts, variables, or themes
Patterns, tensions, debates, or gaps in the literature
Theoretical or conceptual foundation
Methodology and research design grounding

Note: As you develop Chapter 2, this map should be translated into a coherent literature review structure that aligns with current dissertation guide/template expectations and your Chair’s guidance.

Section 3: Initial Literature Search Strategy

Identify how you will begin locating scholarly literature for Chapter 2. Your search strategy should connect to the literature development areas you identified in Part 2. Include the databases, keywords, keyword combinations, filters, and source-selection criteria you plan to use. Your search strategy may change as you locate and evaluate sources, but this section should demonstrate that you are beginning with a focused and intentional approach.

Literature development areas	Database or search tools	Keywords and search combinations	Filters or limits	Notes about search results or next steps
Problem context and significance
Major concepts, variables, or themes
Patterns, tensions, debates, or gaps in the literature
Theoretical or conceptual foundation
Methodology and research design grounding

Search Strategy Reflection

Briefly explain which literature areas appear strongest so far and which areas may require additional search support or Chair guidance. In your response, refer to specific evidence from your search strategy, such as the number or quality of sources located, keyword effectiveness, recurring themes, gaps in the search results, or difficulty locating relevant peer-reviewed literature.

Response area:

Section 4: Initial Source Inventory

List at least 8–10 peer-reviewed scholarly sources you have identified for possible use in Chapter 2. Your sources should be current (i.e., published within the last 5–6 years) unless they are germinal, foundational, or otherwise necessary to explain the history, theory, framework, methodology, or research design connected to your study.

Your inventory should emphasize primary scholarship, such as empirical research studies or original theoretical/conceptual works. Secondary scholarship, such as literature reviews or textbooks, may be useful for background, orientation, or citation mining, but it should not make up the majority of your inventory. Note: Dissertations may be useful for identifying additional literature or reviewing how similar topics have been approached, but they should not be counted as peer-reviewed scholarly sources.

For each source, include the following:

· Reference – Formatted according to APA guidelines

· Source type – Identify the type of source (e.g., empirical study, original theory/conceptual source, literature review, methodology/design source, germinal source, etc.)

· Support area – Identify where in Ch. 2 the source could provide support (e.g., problem context, major concept/theme, pattern/gap, framework, methodology/design, alignment)

· Relevance – Explain in 2–3 sentences how the source may help develop Ch. 2

· Initial Source Decision – Decide what you will do with the source moving forward: Keep, Review Further, or Do Not Use.

Reference	Source type	Support area	Relevance	Initial source decision

Section 5: Literature Development Priorities

Identify the literature areas you need to strengthen next. Based on your development map, search strategy, and initial source inventory, explain which areas of your literature review appear most developed, which areas need additional scholarly support, and what specific search, reading, or writing tasks you will complete next.

Literature area that needs attention	What is currently missing or underdeveloped?	What will you do next?	What guidance do you need from your Chair?

Next Steps

In 1–2 paragraphs, summarize your priorities for continuing Chapter 2 development in Week 2. Explain how these priorities will help you strengthen your literature search, source selection, and literature review organization.

Response area: