Module 7: Using APA to Write a Lit Review and How to Write the Introduction

You know what to write, now you need to explore how to write it. This module will provide some guidance on how to write a literature review. It will discuss the content and the writing techniques that you should use to create a successful review. (NOTE: This video talks about "research questions" - in our class we are discussing "research themes." We try to answer Research Questions. Research Themes are used to organize discussions about what is being researched in specific fields.

Writing Using APA Format
You may be tired of reading about writing in APA format.  You have a whole book filled with that information, don't you?  Here are 2 great videos that you should spend less than 15 minutes watching. They deal with citing references and how to write the references on the References page. Not exciting but informative. You will also fin the  Enjoy.

• Citing in APA Format describes how to cite sources effectively in your writing and how to vary your writing when citing sources (5 minutes).
• Writing References According to the APA Manual explains how to format your reference list (9 minutes).
• APA Format: A Quick Guide is a cheat sheet for using APA.  It details paper format, citations, quotes, and references. 
• Dos and Don'ts of Writing a Literature Review Read through this document once now, and then once before you begin writing your paper. It's interesting how many of the tips will stick with you and shout out when you are writing.

Writing an Introduction
The Introduction is the most important part of your review.  This is where you create the framework for your review by describing the area of study you will be reviewing, why it is important, and what can be done with the results. It is where you build a foundation by defining necessary terms and introducing the trend(s) that you will be discussing in your review.

These areas need to be addressed.  They don't need to be in this order, but they all need to be presented in a manner that is logical and persuasive: 

• State the purpose of the paper (literature review)
• Identify the importance of the problem
• Define the scope of the review
• Explain why this analysis is appropriate
• Suggest how the review could be applied
• List and define terms that the reader should understand to make sense of your review
• List the research themes you found (typically 2 – 4)

Resources

• How to Create an Introduction video - Dr. Z explains how you can best write your introduction. He steps you through the parts of an introduction and provides examples to follow. (8 minutes)



• One-Theme Literature Review Template - This is a template for your 10-page literature review. You can download it from here or from the Course Content folder in our eLearning site.  Clicking this link will ask you to make a copy of the Google Doc. 

Writing a Paragraph
Some people don't understand how to create a paragraph. You have a topic sentence that describes the content of the paragraph and the rest of the sentences address that topic. You all seemed to have mastered creating a paragraph, but I thought you might enjoy what I found.

• Paragraph Writing Song by Heath - Catchy song that tells you how to write a paragraph. It's a little simplistic for our style of writing, but it provides a good foundation. English and elementary teachers -  it looks like this is a whole series of songs. (1.5 minutes).
• To Write a Paragraph song - Is another sing-along, but not as informative. (1 minute)