Assignment Description
This is a continuation of the previous assignment and is another step towards your final research paper.
Length: 6-8 pp.
Lit Review Instructions
Has the UN succeeded, or is it likely to
succeed, in maintaining international peace and security in Africa, the most
disadvantaged region of the world? Find Literature in regards to this topic and review.
What common topics, themes, and problems come up in my sources? Do all the authors agree on such problems? On what do all the sources agree, if anything? Where do they sharply divide? The literature review is NOT an annotated bibliography. Rather, it is an analytical exercise in which you evaluate a strand of the literature. As such, your literature review should be organized by theme (NOT an article-by-article summary). A good literature review is a thoughtful analysis of what has been written, and is arranged thematically. The literature review should be written in narrative style. At the end of the evaluation, there should still be gaps in the literature that one could focus on in future research. From these gaps, you will develop your research question.
This assignment is intended for you to provide a critical analysis and review of a specific strand of academic literature. It should identify the main arguments of the sources, critically analyze those arguments (including an evaluation of evidence and support), and relate the sources to one another.
Research questions do not emerge from nowhere; rather, they stem from a gap that the existing literature has not adequately addressed. Introduction: Identifies the strand of academic literature being evaluated and gives details and contextual information.
Critical Review of the Literature: Provides a critical analysis and review of the literature under investigation, organized by theme. Identifies the main arguments of the authors, critically analyzes those arguments (including an evaluation of evidence and support), and relates the articles/sources to one another. Identification of Research Question: The paper should end with the identification and explanation of a specific research question that has emerged from a demonstrated weakness or gap in the literature.
References (length varies; not counted toward page total): A list of all the sources you cited in the paper in Chicago format.
Resources
To get you started, here are links to some university websites about constructing a good literature review. You might find some guidance here:
A sample review from CUNY (a bit longer than the reviews you will write, but helpful).
University of Wisconsin-Madison’s overview of components of a literature review
