Chapter 11, Activity 2

Chapter 11



Now consider the first draft of your own literature review. • Compare your first draft with the topic outline you prepared. Do they match? If not, where does your draft differ from the outline? Does this variation affect the path of the argument of your review? • Find two or three places in your review where your discussion jumps to the next major category of your topic outline. How will the reader know that you have changed to a new category (i.e., did you use subheadings or transitions to signal the switch)?

The first draft in comparison to the outline matches, however, there are subtopics that were not included in the outline that were revealed in the research that were added to the literature review.  For example, in the section under the heading "who chooses private schools", the research discussed demographics of individuals who chose private schools such as  race, culture, socio-economic, religious, etc.  Under the heading, "reasons parents select private schools", the research discussed several reasons that can also be divided in to subheadings such as academic performance, safety, social status, reputation of the school, curriculum, culture.  This variation will not affect the path of the argument of my review.

In my review, the discussion jumps from school types to perception of public schools.  The reader will know that I have changed to a new category because, I included a subheading  that delineates the new topic.  Additionally, in my review, the discussion jumps from who chooses private schools to reasons parents select private schools.  Again, a subheading identifying the topic change signals the switch.

Stacy Lambert-Johnson