INSTRUCTIONS
In 1,000-1,500 words and using at least 7 scholarly sources, create a
In 1,000-1,500 words and using at least 7 scholarly sources, create a
literature review of the scholarship and research gap around the topic of your research
proposal.
The topic will be Spending for a Want, Not a Necessity: The Impact of
Non-Essential Spending Decisions on Financial Behavior
Requirements:
1. A literature review accomplishes two main things: it summarizes the context of other
scholars’ work related to your topic, and it identifies the research gap that you propose to
fill.
fill.
2. You must include an introduction paragraph with a literature review purpose statement,
body paragraphs that each center around a sub-topic related to your research proposal,
and a conclusion paragraph that summarizes your literature review and emphasizes the
presence of the research gap you have identified.
body paragraphs that each center around a sub-topic related to your research proposal,
and a conclusion paragraph that summarizes your literature review and emphasizes the
presence of the research gap you have identified.
3. You must use the third person
4. Your grammar, spelling, and punctuation should be flawless. Visit the Liberty University
Writing Center if you want extra help. Current APA formatting is required, but does not
include a title page or abstract.
Writing Center if you want extra help. Current APA formatting is required, but does not
include a title page or abstract.
Additional Suggestions:
1. The research gap is the lack of knowledge surrounding the research question you have
chosen. You should mention this in the conclusion but can also mention it in your
purpose statement and in your body paragraphs.
2. A literature review purpose statement is just like a thesis statement in some ways. It
belongs at the end of your introduction paragraph, and it gives the focus of the lit review,
but in a lit review, you are not arguing to make a point. You are summarizing relevant
research and identifying your research gap, so your purpose statement should reflect that.
Here is an example of what one may sound like: While much research has been done on
(broader topic), a research gap remains surrounding (your specific question).
3. If you cannot find a source that is a perfect fit for your topic, that is a good thing! It
means your research question is original and has not already been studied. Find sources
that are mostly or at least partially related, but if you find a source that is a perfect fit, that
is a red flag.
4. To choose topics for your literature review body paragraphs, break your research
question down into key sub-topics. For example: if you are studying whether listening to
classical music makes kindergarteners run faster, you might pick the following sub-
topics: influence of music on exercise intensity, studies on running training for young
children, classical music effects on kindergarteners, etc. In each case, you can look up
relevant studies, report those results and why they are relevant, and then identify where
the research gap remains.
5. A key aspect of a literature review is synthesis! There may be times where it makes sense
to discuss just one source in a paragraph, but generally your paragraphs should be
focused on a sub-topic and pull from multiple sources to illustrate where the scholarly
literature is in studying that sub-topic.
1. The research gap is the lack of knowledge surrounding the research question you have
chosen. You should mention this in the conclusion but can also mention it in your
purpose statement and in your body paragraphs.
2. A literature review purpose statement is just like a thesis statement in some ways. It
belongs at the end of your introduction paragraph, and it gives the focus of the lit review,
but in a lit review, you are not arguing to make a point. You are summarizing relevant
research and identifying your research gap, so your purpose statement should reflect that.
Here is an example of what one may sound like: While much research has been done on
(broader topic), a research gap remains surrounding (your specific question).
3. If you cannot find a source that is a perfect fit for your topic, that is a good thing! It
means your research question is original and has not already been studied. Find sources
that are mostly or at least partially related, but if you find a source that is a perfect fit, that
is a red flag.
4. To choose topics for your literature review body paragraphs, break your research
question down into key sub-topics. For example: if you are studying whether listening to
classical music makes kindergarteners run faster, you might pick the following sub-
topics: influence of music on exercise intensity, studies on running training for young
children, classical music effects on kindergarteners, etc. In each case, you can look up
relevant studies, report those results and why they are relevant, and then identify where
the research gap remains.
5. A key aspect of a literature review is synthesis! There may be times where it makes sense
to discuss just one source in a paragraph, but generally your paragraphs should be
focused on a sub-topic and pull from multiple sources to illustrate where the scholarly
literature is in studying that sub-topic.