The review of the literature should be a continuation of the topic that was used for your introduction. In writing
your literature review be sure to include those basic elements that were outlined in the Mock Research Proposal.
These include a discussion of previous studies with a focus on (1) similarities and differences of prior research, (2) shortcomings or limitations of past research, (3) gaps of prior research, (4) contributions to the literature by the
current analysis (in other words your analysis/study that is being proposed). #3 and#4 may be difficult to suggest since this is a mock research proposal assignment. Please note that you should be “forward thinking” when
conducting research and just do your best to suggest a contribution that might be made from your proposed
research. Your literature review should consist of at least 8 scholarly articles (but should not include law reviews). Additionally, your research should focus on recent empirical studies (within the last 10 years) and should be limited mostly to CJ or criminology-related journals (be advised that this is a preference, not a requirement).
The literature review is useful to examine and report on what other researchers have uncovered on the topic. The
literature review is NOT expected to be exhaustive. However, the literature reviewed in this section should be
specific to the topic and should primarily focus on empirical research studies that describe or explain variables
relative to the topic. Students should provide an overview of the manuscripts described in the literature review
including the following information: (1) the general topic/focus of the analysis and overall results/findings of the
study, (2) data analysis techniques (e.g. multiple regression, discriminant analysis), (3) sampling procedures (and it is sometimes useful to note the sample size), (4) type of research (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods), and (5) data collection methods (experiments, surveys, interviews, field observations, etc.). Finally, in closing your
literature review, students should assess the findings cumulatively to comment on inconsistencies among
results from various studies. Doing so will help you to identify areas (gaps in the literature) where additional
research would contribute to the literature. This section will require numerous citations.