Critical Literature Review

Most peer-reviewed journal articles include a literature review section near the beginning of the article. This section helps the reader become acquainted with previous research findings and prior theoretical development on a certain topic. The literature review helps put your topic in context of the existing body of research.

In this unit, you will conduct a critical literature review of your research topic. This critical literature review is a crucial step in determining how your research topic aligns with current research and theories. For example, does your research attempt to answer a question from a different perspective, or address a question in a different context, as compared to prior studies? Additionally, will your research findings potentially add new perspectives on a current theory and provide a unique application of knowledge to the business field?

In this Individual Assignment, you will conduct a critical review of the research literature on your chosen topic and examine the paradigms, theories and methodologies that relate to your topic.

To complete this Individual Assignment:
- Identify eight to ten research articles from peer-reviewed journals that address your research topic or a very similar topic.
- Complete a critical literature review of approximately 2,000 words that addresses the following questions:
  o What have researchers said about your research topic? What types of studies have they done, and what have been the findings?
  o What epistemological perspectives have served as the foundation for these studies?
  o What research approaches and methodologies were used and why?
  o What aspects of the topic seem to have been studied the most? What aspects seem to have been studied the least?
  o How can the literature you reviewed inform your own planning for a management research project?