AS Description: 

“(A literature review) usually has an organizational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis. A summary is a recap of the important information of the source, but a synthesis is a re-organization, or a reshuffling, of that information. It might give a new interpretation of old material or combine new with old interpretations. Or it might trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates. And depending on the situation, the literature review may evaluate the sources and advise the reader on the most pertinent or relevant.” (UNC at Chapel Hill Writing Center)

The literature review establishes the major themes within your field that your (hypothetical) research project grows from. Using the resources you’ve found so far, the literature review for your research paper takes the individual resources and, through synthesis, identifies for your reader the common themes that can be identified between those resources, allowing your reader to gain an understanding of the foundation from which your research project grows without having to be an expert in the subject themselves.

AS Instructions: 

Construct a 750-1,000 word (3-4 pages properly formatted) literature review using the resources you have found over the past few units (you may use the resources briefly discussed in your Introduction if you wish). Use the discussion and samples to help guide the structure of your literature review. You should use a total of at least six scholarly, peer-reviewed resources in your literature review, synthesizing resources based on common themes.