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DO NOT QUOTE ANYONE unless the exact words are crucial to the meaning of the research.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.
here is my researach proposal and sources to use:
Research
Proposal:
What
one possesses speaks a lot of themselves. It represents to the world what they
may believe in, what they desire, and most importantly who they are. When we
apply colors to objects this takes place even more. Colors draw us in. They
portray what the object signifies and when you obtain such, it becomes a part
of you. When looking at the basic colors of pink and blue they denote something
which no one can deny-gender. As each child grows up, their naïve and simple
gender identity beliefs develop as well. Until that point, pink is for girls
and blue is for boys. I would like to see this firsthand and watch as toddlers
choose an item based on color, which in their minds may characterize whether
they are a girl or a boy. I will go to a playgroup in my apartment building,
which has 10 girls and 10 boys, all the age of 2, and test out this
strategy. I will have equal amounts of pink and blue taffies, twenty of each, and
examine whether or not the girls and boys pick the color taffy which signifies
their suitable gender. I will be testing each child individually while I offer
them one pink and one blue taffy and examine which they pick as they will be
told they can only select one. I will have the teacher aid me in this
experiment to receive the fairest results from the toddlers and not intimidate
them and their choices. She will instruct her students on what to do for this
study as they trust her and are comfortable with her. I will be beside her for the experiment
recording the results while she offers them each the two candies.
Sources:
Alexander, G. M., Bigler,
R. S., Blakemore, J., Blakemore, J. E. O., Bradbard, M. R., Caldera, Y. M.,
Cherney, I. D., Cunningham, S. J., Eaton, W. O., Golombok, S., Halim, M.,
Henshaw, A., Hilliard, L. J., Jadva, V., Kane, E. W., Karniol, R., Leavell, A.,
Toys, L. T. B., & Levy, G. D. (2014). Pink gives girls permission:
Exploring the roles of explicit gender labels and gender-typed colors on
preschool children’s toy preferences. Journal of Applied Developmental
Psychology. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0193397314000689
Ares, G., Engen, T., Gatti,
E., Johnson, J., Lavin, J. G., Morrot, G., Piqueras-Fiszman, B., Rebollar, R.,
Schifferstein, H. N. J., Shankar, M. U., Stevenson, R. J., Tijssen, I.,
Zampini, M., Zellner, D. A., Blackwell, L., Cardello, A., Case, T. I., Christensen,
C. M., Clydesdale, F. M., & Deliza, R. (2018). The effect of wrapper
color on candy flavor expectations and perceptions. Food Quality and
Preference. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950329318301666
Nash, J.; Sidhu, C. ‘Pink
is for girls, blue is for boys’ exploring brand gender identity in children’s
clothing, a post-evaluation of British retailer John Lewis. J. Brand Manag. (2023),
30, 381–397, https://doi.org/10.1057/s41262-023-00310-3.
Wong, W. I., & Hines,
M. (2015). Preferences for pink and blue: The development of color
preferences as a distinct gender-typed behavior in toddlers – archives of
sexual behavior. SpringerLink.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-015-0489-1
Wong, W. I., & Hines,
M. (2014). Effects of gender color-coding on toddlers’ gender-typical toy
play – archives of sexual behavior. SpringerLink.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-014-0400-5