Research Topic: Social Experiences that contribute to persistence among first-generation LatinX students who attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Research Questions:
1. How did faculty and peer engagement affect first-generation Latinx students’ attitudes toward persistence at an HBCU?
2. What socio-cultural experiences contributed to persistence among first-generation Latinx students at an HBCU?
3. To what degree did language barriers affect first-year Spanish-speaking students in English-speaking classrooms at an HBCU?
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
The subheadings for this chapter are:
Introduction Historical Perspective
Key Term from RQ 1
Key Term from RQ 2
Key Term from RQ 3
Key Term from RQ n
Conclusions
Purpose of the Literature Review
The literature review provides a critical summary of previous research in the selected topic area. The writer will take advantage of what has already been learned or discovered that would be applicable to the dissertation. The writer needs to compile, read, and critically analyze the existing literature in the selected area. The writer will prepare a literature review that summarizes the most important ideas and information, relating them to the dissertation.
Conducting the Literature Review
Conducting a literature review will aid in the planning of the dissertation. The writer will
1. Locate information or opinions that support the existence of a problem or need in the selected topic area
2. Identify models that have been used in the selected topic area
3. Discover methods that have been used by others to answer questions or meet objectives similar to those in the dissertation
4. Find instruments or tools such as tests, surveys, or logs that may be beneficial to the dissertation.
To ensure the integrity and quality of the literature review, students should use primary sources. Primary sources are journal articles, research reports, and such. Avoid citing authors who cite other authors’ studies as if they are the primary source. Always go to the primary source for the information. Be wary of the amount of websites and books used in the literature review. These sources do not hold the same level of credibility that a primary source does.
To begin the search of the literature, the writer should locate terms pertinent to the selected topic area. If only a few references are located, the writer should widen the search by using synonyms for the search terms. Other strategies include brainstorming search terms with classmates, instructors, and the dissertation adviser; consulting with the librarians; and checking the bibliographies or reference lists of the items collected to identify additional sources. For most topics, peer-reviewed research journals, rather than popular magazines, are essential.
Reviewing the literature includes all sources, including books, articles, abstracts, documents, electronic items, dissertations, and other sources from which information and insight might be
derived. In EDD 8151, Research-Based Technology, in-depth instruction will be given in how to access, evaluate, and respond to these sources. Among the commonly used sources for reviews of literature are Education Index, Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature; Dissertation Abstracts International; Psychological Abstracts; Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), including Resources in Education (RIE) and Current Index to Journals in Education (CIJE); Review of Educational Research (RER), and computer searches (e.g., ProQuest, ERIC Database, Infotrac, etc.) No international sources. Sources must befrom the United States only!
When collecting the sources, the writer should note the complete reference. This method is a time saver when the writer compiles the reference list.
When reading the sources, the writer should note various themes that recur, read the literature critically noting strengths and deficits in the various arguments or studies, consider the
qualifications of writers’ opinions, be fair and objective, and review sources representing different viewpoints.
Writing the Literature Review
In writing Chapter II, the writer provides the reader with the broader context for the dissertation by conveying what is already known about the problem and how it might be addressed. The literature review should be organized to address the research questions. The writer is not simply reviewing everything that is read but rather is declaring the ideas that are most significant to the study. A common flaw in literature reviews is simply to string together summaries of all the items that were read. To avoid this flaw, the writer should sort through the information that has been discovered and organize it in a way that is relevant to the dissertation. Using transitional sentences to conclude one paragraph and introduce the next is an effective writing method.
Summarize the relevance of each subsection to the total thesis—the dissertation. The review of the literature should include both empirical and theoretical research.
This chapter should conclude with a paragraph that summarizes the key findings and provides a transition to Chapter III.
When preparing Chapter II, the writer should minimize the use of verbatim quotation of the source material. All ideas and information from other sources whether in direct quotations or paraphrased must be referenced in the text.
Conclude the introduction of the Chapter II with a restatement of the research questions.
Remember: a thorough, comprehensive review of the literature should be a minimum of 35 pages including both theoretical and empirical research. This literature review should present both sides of the argument.