For your paper, the lit review should be a minimum of 3 double-spaced pages (12 pt. type — Times New Roman, 1″ margins).
The first paragraph should provide a statement of your problem. You should outline what you’re going to discuss in your literature review.
In the body of the review, you want to use the research you’ve read to support your argument. For example, the 2nd paragraph of the sample paper in your text (Ch. 14) starts with the authors’ statement that “Racial stereotypes exist…” The relevant research is cited. The author goes on to provide specific examples. Throughout that paragraph, the authors make statements, which are backed up by research. This is the correct format.
What you don’t want to do is a book report on all of the studies you’ve read. That would read something like this: In a study by Devine (1989), it was found that racial stereotypes exist for most people. In another study, Gaertner showed white students are biased too. They have faster reaction times…
Instead of letting the research guide you, you make the statement and use the research to support your thesis. Integrate the literature you’re citing. I do not want to read a string of article reviews. Use the literature to support a point you are making.
Scientific writing does not use the first person (I). Normally even the 2nd person plural (we) isn’t used — although the authors do in the sample paper. Research papers are generally written using the passive voice. Examples: “Research has found that…”, “An effect was demonstrated…”, “The hypothesis that…was tested.” Unlike an English lit. paper, the language used in a scientific writing is objective and to the point.
Also notice that authors don’t express their opinions in an outright manner. The writers of the sample paper most likely have some interest in racial stereotypes because they put a lot of time into writing the paper. They don’t express their opinion in an overt matter; everything they say is backed up by research. They exert choice over what kind of information is included and what’s excluded, which is a way to express an opinion but it’s very subtle. In the Discussion section, there’s a bit more latitude but we’ll get to that later on.
Pay attention to the way research is cited. Example: “In a study by Devine (1989)…”, “Devine (1989) found that…” You can look through the sample paper for different formats. The text has a discussion of citation formats in Chapter 14.
DO NOT QUOTE ANYONE unless the exact words are crucial to the meaning of the research. Paraphrase and then cite the researchers.
In the last paragraph of the literature review, you want to present the hypothesis you will be testing as a bridge between the theoretical lit review and the applied part of your paper. You can also state your hypothesis in the first paragraph of the lit review to give your reader a frame of reference.
I will be attaching my sources as well as my Research Proposal and the story and questions I plan to give. Please use the sources for refernce and use my proposal to see what exactly I will be doing.