This document provides instructions for an assignment requiring students to conduct searches on their research topic using both the open web and an academic database to find scholarly sources. Students are instructed to summarize their findings in tables with APA citations, source types, and 2-3 sentence annotations for 5 sources from each search. They then select the best 2 sources and write summaries evaluating their choices. The document also provides guidance on writing a literature review, including selecting databases, identifying subtopics, surveying and reading articles, and writing the review. It emphasizes reviewing previous research to frame questions, provide rationales, and clarify understanding.

1. Week 2 –
Assignment
Literature Review Matrix
Instructions:
You will conduct a web search on your area of focus using
Google
,
Bing
,
Yahoo
, or any other major search engine. Be sure to take the time to
inform yourself on sound research sources including use of peer
reviews as listed in the recommended and required resources for
the week. To get you started, view
What is a Scholarly Journal Article?
. Next, you will analyze the first five results that appear from
your search in a table format using Microsoft Word. Then, using
the same keywords you used to search the Web, you will
conduct a search in the Ashford University Library using one of
the academic databases (ERIC, ProQuest, EBSCOhost, and so
forth) and create a table using Microsoft Word. Finally, you
will select two sources from either table that you feel are the
best overall based on currency, credibility, authority, and
academic integrity and construct a summary. For each article in
your tables, use the following format:
APA Citation
Source Type
(e.g., journal article, magazine article, book, and so forth)
Annotation
(e.g., two to three sentences summarizing the contents of the

2. source)
Content
The assignment needs to include the following areas of content.
Web Search (2 points):
Construct a table that includes an APA citation, source type,
and a two- to three-sentence annotation for five scholarly
sources gathered from an open Web search.
Library Search (2 points):
Construct a table that inclides an APA citation, source type,
and a two- to three-sentence annotation for five scholarly
sources gathered from a library search.
Summary – Source Selection (1 point):
State the two sources you have selected and in one paragraph
evaluate what factors influenced your decision to select these
articles over the others from your search results.
Summary – Learning (5 points):
In a paragraph, explain what you learned through this process
of selecting articles and what was most informative for you
about this experience.
Summary – Adaptations (.5 points):
In a paragraph, explain the adaptations you will make in your
search and evaluation process as a result of what you located
during this assignment.
Summary – Application (.5 points):
In a paragraph, explain how you will use the information you
found to help inform your ideas about your action research
proposal.
Written Communication
The assignment needs to adhere to the following areas for
written communication.

3. Page Requirement (.5 points):
Your assignment must be three to four pages, not including title
and references pages.
APA Formatting (.5 points):
Use APA formatting consistently throughout.
Syntax and Mechanics (.5 points):
Display meticulous comprehension and organization of syntax
and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Your written
work should contain no errors and be very easy to understand.
In Week Two, we will be critically evaluating the quality and
credibility of various sources of information as they relate to
the problem/topic you identified last week in your early action
research plan.
Discussion 1: The Literature Review Debate
. You will discuss your viewpoint of looking at literature, and if
it should done or avoided during the early stages of research.
Assignment: Literature Review Matrix
. Conduct an Internet search analysis using key words from your
research of the first five entries that come up. Then go to the
Ashford Library and, using the same key words, identify the
first five entries that come up. Then select two sources that
match the criteria of currency, credibility, authority, and
academic integrity, and write a summary of the articles.
Literature Reviews

4. Literature Reviews are an integral part of doing research.
Having knowledge of previous research is certainly important in
doing your own research (if nothing else, it can outline the
pitfalls for you), but it is important for three other reasons as
well.
First, a literature review can help you to both frame and narrow
your research. A common problem for researchers is writing an
overly broad research question that will soon sink the researcher
in an ocean of data to master. By thoroughly reviewing and
categorizing the research, the researcher can help
himself/herself by focusing on a single area for research.
Second, the literature review can provide a rationale for your
research (Galvin, 2007, page 13). Why do this study, anyway?
What value will it provide to others? Why is it worth the time,
effort, and money to do? A literature review can help answer
those questions.
Finally, reviewing the literature can clear up any lingering
questions that you may have about your potential research
topic. The value here is related to the first item in this
section—framing and narrowing the focus so that you can get to
the heart of what you are studying.
Briefly considered, a Literature Review consists of five parts:
Data Base Selection
Identifying Sub Topics
Surveying Articles
Reading Articles
Writing the Review
Selecting the correct data base is a critical place to start. The
internet is a wonderful thing, but it is undisciplined and

5. disorganized. A professionally maintained data base is far
superior to spending hours Googling search terms that will not
lead anywhere useful. In education, of course, the data base of
choice is ERIC. As mentioned earlier in this course, the
Education Research Information Clearinghouse contains over
one million items dating back to the mid-1960s. Many are full
text, and it is the one-stop shop for most education research.
Between ERIC, the ProQuest Dissertation and Thesis Data Base,
and a good online library catalog, you should be able to find
what you are looking for.
Once you have done this, identifying sub topics in the literature
is a very good idea. This helps to narrow the field and give
some structure to what you are doing. Many literature reviews
focus on three or four sub-categories. Surveying the literature
is a natural extension of this process, in that you are finding
literature to fit categories (or the other way round—either is
acceptable). In this survey, you are likely using article titles
and abstracts to survey and categorize the literature.
Once you have done this, the next step is reading the
literature. There is no getting around it—this takes time and
effort, and it can be, honestly, a little dull sometimes. This is
especially true of quantitative research, in which statistical
analysis plays a strong part.
Finally, writing the literature review is something of an art. It
takes the form of a bibliographic essay, in which you write a
paragraph or a page about the article, how it relates to the study
at hand, what the major findings were, etc. Strong expository
writing skills can help with this process. The key thing is to
say what you have to say in an organized fashion that fits with
the rest of your research. If you can do that, you have
accomplished what is necessary.

6. MAED Self-Check:
Begin the approval process by discussing your early ideas with
your employer or manager so as to complete the Informed
Consent requirement by the end of Week 4. It is advised you
wait however, to complete the Informed Consent form until
after your instructor has worked with you throughout the
instructional weeks to solidify your action research plan.
Reference
Galvin, J. (2006).
Writing literature reviews: A guide for students of the social
and behavior sciences
. Glendale, CA: Pyrczak Publishing
Additional Resources
Borgman, C. (n.d.).
Scholarship in the digital age: Information, infrastructure, and
the internet
.
The MIT Press
. Retrieved from http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/scholarship-
digital-age
Engle, M. (2013).
How to prepare an annotated bibliography
.
Cornell University Library
. Retrieved from
http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/ref/research/skill28.htm
Lucy Scribner Library. (n.d.).
Writing an annotated bibliography

7. . Retrieved from
http://lib.skidmore.edu/library/index.php/li371-annotated-bib
The Research Assistant
(http://www.theresearchassistant.com/index.asp)
The Writing Center. (n.d.).
Literature reviews
.
The University of North Carolina
. Retrieved from
http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/literature-reviews
Vocabulary.com. (n.d.).
Preface
. Retrieved from http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/preface