1. Organizing and Writing the Literature Review
Drs. Bowser, Russom, and Allsop

2. Purpose of Literature Review
Provide theoretical framework
Provide a deep understanding of the needs of your intended audience
Provide a deep understanding of your prospective audience
Provide a background for all aspects of your topic
Serve as a source for comparing the results of your own study

3. Exhaustive Literature Review
Must be at least 30 pages in length
Must contain required topics from the appropriate FCE template
Must contain theoretical framework
Must provide details about all aspects of your topic
Must be organized by topic—not source

4. Exhausting the lit review
Theoretical Framework--Key Concept or Idea
Related Concepts
Deep Dives Into Parts of Key Concept
Exploration of Key Audience
Best Practices to Support or Develop Key Concept

5. Ideas That Work to Help You Organize Your Literature Review
Start by setting regular “doctor” appointments
Can work by time or topic
Before session ends, write yourself a short note as to where you will begin at your next “doctor’s appointment”

6. Tools That Work to Help You Organize Your Literature Review
Outline topics using a computer or paper
Can brainstorm topics and then cut and paste them to reorder them
If some areas are subordinate to another topic, indent that topic under the main topic

7. Tools That Work to Help You Organize Your Literature Review
Use post-it notes
Write one aspect of reviewed literature per note
Select a blank wall
Group like topics together
Check visual balance
Organize one column of notes into a logical order. Continue.
Organize sorted columns on logical order

8. Tools That Work to Help You Organize Your Literature Review
Start with required topics from the FCE template for Chapter 2
Theoretical perspective
Historical context
Clear discussion of how further research should extend, differ from, or replicate past studies
Indication of shortcomings that should be avoided in the design of prior research
Critique of the research studies
Summary of findings
Research questions

9. Work Smarter, Not Harder
No matter how you organized your topic (outline or post-it notes), write your second- and third-level headings into your template/draft
Make sure all of your headings are in parallel construction
Check order of topics by reading through your headings
Reorder as necessary
Now, you can use your headings to write your lit review in any order you choose.

10. Now It Is Your Turn
Take the next X minutes to start the process while you have dissertation experts in the room who can help you.
Take some post-it notes or start writing an outline on your computer.
Organize your topics
Start writing your second and third-level headings if you have time.