Mini Literature Review
1. Choose a sociological topic that interests you.
2. Search Sociological Abstracts to find two sociological, peer-reviewed research studies related to your topic. You learned how to do this in your Library Skills Module and you will review during your tutorials in the week of November 15.
a. Be sure they are sociological. (Some clues: Are the variables and issues discussed sociological? Is it published in a journal that has “sociology” in the title? Is the author listed as being a sociologist?)
b. Be sure they are reporting on research studies. This means that your article should have a research question, research methods, analysis of data, and findings. Articles that are solely theoretical or that are reviews of other people’s research are not appropriate for this assignment.
c. Be sure they are peer-reviewed. You learned in your library module how to find articles that are peer-reviewed.
3. Read the two articles.
4. Write a paper that:
a. Summarizes the research question, methods, & findings of each article in your own words. You should not rely on direct quotations to explain your theories and make your arguments. Writing in your own words demonstrates your understanding of the material.
b. Compares and contrasts the two articles, and c. Reflects on what you have learned.