How to Write Literature Review Paper

Literature Review Instructions

The purpose of this Literature Review is for you to create a scholarly piece of graduate-level research and writing that conforms to current APA format. Competency in APA format is required of all business graduates of Liberty University, as set forth by the policy of both the Graduate Faculty and the administration.

You will research and write a Literature Review of at least 3,000 words (excluding the title page, abstract, and references page) on a topic you will select from a list provided by your instructor. Your paper must be written in strict conformance to current APA format and must reference at least 12 scholarly research articles. For assistance on how to identify scholarly sources, refer to the Liberty University Research Portal tutorials by clicking here.

You have 7 modules/weeks to research and write your paper. Your instructor will provide a list of approved topics for this assignment in the course announcements. Check the Announcements page for the approved topics. Select and submit your topic, then begin working on the assignment. Do not reuse work from any previous courses you have taken. Your Literature Review will be a comprehensive thematic review of the scholarly literature related to your topic.

Important Points to Consider

  • It is highly recommended that you download and read the instructions to avoid any stress created by issues that are the result of waiting until the last minute.
  • A SafeAssign draft submission link is provided for you to use to improve the originality score of your paper prior to your final submission.
  • Since this is a graduate-level Literature Review, you must use 3 headings in current APA format throughout your paper.

Paraphrasing vs. Plagiarism

Some students do not fully understand the difference between plagiarism and paraphrasing. Paraphrasing is when you take a source or someone else’s idea and say it in your own words. When you paraphrase, you must still give the author’s name, date, title of the source, the scholarly journal it came from, and the exact website address or book.

However, when you directly quote a source, it must have quotation marks around the quote, or (if 40 words or more) it must be set in block quotation format. Give detailed information of where you acquired the quote.

For the purpose of this academic paper, adhere to the following rules when quoting or using a source:

  • Do not directly quote more than 120 words from any 1 source.
  • If the source is 2,000 words or less, do not directly quote more than 50 words from the source.
  • When quoting or paraphrasing, do not use the same source more than 3 times within the whole document.
  • Quotes must contain the section (if provided) and paragraph or page numbers of the quote, and this information must be placed on the references page.
  • In all instances, use current APA guidelines for citations and references.

This paper must not be a series of quotations. You may email your instructor with any questions regarding the Literature Review.

Additional Help

You may find the following web sites helpful for understanding what a literature review is and how to write one:

Examine several published literature reviews so you can familiarize yourself with what a literature review is and how it is set up.

Below are 2 published literature reviews from the Jerry Falwell Library databases that will help you understand the major assignment for this course.

Morgeson, F. P., DeRue, D. S., & Karam, E. P. (2010). Leadership in teams: A functional approach to understanding leadership structures and processes. Journal of Management, 36(1), 5–39. Doi:10.1177/0149206309347376

Stewart, G. L., Courtright, S. H., & Manz, C. C. (2011). Self-leadership: A multilevel review. Journal of Management, 37(1), 185–222. Doi:10.1177/0149206310383911

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