Assignment Requirements
Attached will be the research proposal that was completed prior to the need of the literature review needed
Literature Review Assignment
The Literature Review assignment is the second in a series of sequenced assignments that will help you engage in academic writing. The purpose of this assignment is to provide you experience with designing a literature review that supports the research proposal you submitted in the previous weeks.
Literature reviews are designed to do two things: 1) give your readers an overview of sources you have explored while researching a particular topic or idea and 2) demonstrate how your research fits into the larger field of study, in this case, intelligence.
Unlike annotated bibliographies, which are lists of references arranged alphabetically that include the bibliographic citation and a paragraph summary and critique for each source, literature reviews can be incorporated into a research paper or manuscript. You may quote or paraphrase from the sources, and all references to sources should include in-text citations with a reference list at the end of the document. (Note: Do not confuse the two and turn in an annotated bibliography! This will result in a grade letter penalty!)
Below you will find general guidelines to consider when developing a literature review. American Military University uses the Turabian/Chicago Manual of Style citation and reference styles. For questions on proper citation, consult Kate L. Turabian’s Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 7th Edition. You can also consult online resources such as the Purdue Online Writing Lab’s section on Chicago Style available at: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/717/1/, the Chicago Manual of Style Online Quick Guide, available at: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html, or the Turabian Quick Guide available at: http://www.press.uchicago.edu/books/turabian/turabian_citationguide.html.
1. Choose a variety of articles that relate to your subject, even if they do not directly answer your research question. You may find articles that loosely relate to the topic, rather than articles that you find using an exact keyword search. At first, you may need to cast a wide net when searching for sources. Your literature review should have between 8 and 10 or more sources.
For example: If your research question focuses on recent trends in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles for collection, you may be able to find some articles that address this specific question. You may also find literature regarding ISR dynamic tasking of UAV assets or the use of UAV’s from aircraft carrier platforms.
2. Select the most relevant information from the articles as it pertains to your subject and your purpose. Remember, the purpose of the literature review is to demonstrate how your research question fits into a larger field of study.
3. Critically examine the articles. Look at methodology, statistics, results, theoretical framework, the author’s purpose, etc. Include controversies when they appear in the articles.
For example: You should look for the strengths and weaknesses of how the author conducted the study. You can also decide whether or not the study is generalizable to other settings or whether the findings relate only to the specific setting of the study. Ask yourself why the author conducted the study and what he/she hoped to gain from the study. Look for inconsistencies in the results, as well.
4. Organize your information in the way that makes most sense. Some literature reviews may begin with a definition or general overview of the topic. Others may focus on another aspect of your topic. Look for themes in the literature or organize by types of study.
For example: Group case studies together, especially if all the case studies have related findings, research questions, or other similarities.
5. Make sure the information relates to your research question/thesis. You may need to explicitly show how the literature relates to the research question; don’t assume that the connection is obvious.
6. Check to see that you have done more than simply summarize your sources. Your literature review should include a critical assessment of those sources. For more information, see #4 above or read the Writing a Literature Review website at Empire State College, available at http://www.esc.edu/esconline/across_esc/library.nsf/3cc42a422514347a8525671d0049f395/46c31e3773d8747b852570ad00700699?OpenDocument for questions to think about when reading sources and sample papers.
7. Be sure to develop questions for further research. Again, you are not simply regurgitating information, but you are assessing and leading your reader to questions of your own, questions and ideas that haven’t been explored yet or haven’t been addressed in detail by the literature in the field.
Your paper should be typed (12 point font), 6 to 8 pages, double spaced and include a title page. Be sure to proof read carefully, as graduate students are expected to submit papers free of spelling and grammar errors. NOTE: The title page and bibliography are not counted in the page count total of 8 pages. Do not submit a review that is under or over this page count.
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