The University of Findlay

ENG 106

Spring 2020

Literature Review

This next assignment is one with which many of you will be unfamiliar. In our hustle and bustle world,
the idea of reading information to fully understand the breadth of a situation is ludicrous. Well, that’s
exactly what we will be attempting to do. In staying with the theme of American waste, we will generate
a research question that will spearhead our academic research. Using the university’s great database,
we will look to fully understand and then explain to our reader the complexities and nuances of one
small aspect of waste in the United States.

The research questions will propagate our readings and research; however, it will not generate an
argument. That is what will happen in our next paper. The purpose of this essay is to inform, both you
(the researcher) and the audience. It should shed light on the complexities of the issue, looking into
aspects of the topic that the common reader would not know. Or, it may look at common information in
a new/interesting light. You will then analyze the sources and synthesize the information, discussing
discrepancies, patterns, anomalies, audiences, timeliness, context, etc. This essay will lay the foundation
for your next essay: proposal to solve a problem (argumentative).

The literature review essay requires you to read numerous sources (probably ten?) and then choose five
with which to work. You will create an annotated bibliography for the sources, and then you will
generate the actual essay. This will help you get a broader perspective of the content before you begin
analyzing and synthesizing it.

Format: APA

Length: 3000-3750 words

Criteria:

 Effective title
 Academic Sources (5); more needed initially
 Bibliography page
 Unique/specific research question
 APA documentation
 Quotes and paraphrases from all five sources in varying lengths and structures
 Analysis of sources
 Synthesis of sources
 Grammar, Usage, and mechanics
 Transitions
 Audience Awareness
 Organization and coherence