This document provides an agenda and announcements for an English research writing class. It discusses finding sources for literature reviews, evaluating sources, and directions for writing literature reviews. Students are instructed to find at least six sources related to their research topics and read sample literature reviews. They are also given guidelines for evaluating sources based on authority, accuracy, comprehensiveness, and validity. The document provides directions for introducing topics, summarizing and synthesizing articles, and concluding literature reviews.

1. ENGL 202: Research Writing February,23 rd

2. Agenda Going over some announcements Book club sign in sheet Literature Review due date

3. Announcements Internship THE IUP SUMMER JOB & INTERNSHIP FAIR WILL BE HELD WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25 FROM 11AM - 2PM IN THE HUB OHIO AND SUSQUEHANNA ROOMS.

4. Before writing your lit reviews Find at least six sources related to your research projects. Read the articles (remember to do active reading) Take notes in the margins, write summaries, important quotes etc. Read the easier articles first (see the abstract to see if this article is related to your topic. The articles must be from professional journals. See sample literature reviews in the articles. http://web.pdx.edu/~dbls/HowtoWriteLiteratureReview.htm http://www.buseco.monash.edu.au/assets/images/qmanual/6-1.jpg

5. Next step in your research: Evaluation of Sources Bibliographic citations usually include three main components: author(s), title, and publication information. You need to determine relevance and authority. This is one of the most important research skills in the research process.

6. Evaluating your sources 1. Authority What are the author's qualifications? Is the document written on a topic in the author's area of expertise? Is the author affiliated with an institution? 2. Accuracy Does the article cite its sources? Are the conclusions justified and supported by evidence? Is the information reliable and free of error? 3. Comprehensiveness Are the topics explored in depth? Does the information appear to be valid and well-researched? Does the work update other sources? Is the information useful or repetitious? 4. Validity Does the author inform or persuade? Is the language free of emotion-rousing words or bias? Does the author express a particular point of view? 5. Ease of use Is the resource organized logically? Are the main points clearly presented?

7. Literature Review Directions Introduction: This is the overview of your topic. Introduce your topic and briefly explain why this is a significant or important area for study/research. In this section, you should also define any important terms you are using. Summary and synthesis of articles: In a paragraph or two for each study, briefly explain the purpose, how it was conducted (how information was gathered), and the major findings. Compare the studies. ***When referring to an article, use the last name of author or authors and date of publication in the text. Example: Calvin and Brommel (1996) believe family communication . . .Communication serves two primary functions in families--cohesion and adaptability (Galvin and Brommel, 1996). Conclusion: Briefly summarize the major findings of the studies chosen. Identify the areas of controversy. Tell your readers how your study will further help us understand/examine this topic. References: List at least six sources. List the studies according to APA style format.

8. Looking at sample literature reviews Read students literature reviews and write your feedback on the evaluation sheet

9. Assignments Literature reviews are due on Wed. (Feb.25 th ) Sign up for the book discussions.