Assignment Brief – Literature Review Chapter Development
-Submit improved chapter combined with chapter 2
Module: Research Methods
Assignment Title: Critical Development of the Literature Review (Chapter 2)
Deadline: 21st April 2025 10;00hrs
Submission Format: MS Word via Turnitin
Where to upload; Class activity 2 folder (Week 1) in the course online area
Assignment Objective
The aim of this assignment is to develop a high-quality, well-structured, and critically written
Literature Review chapter (Chapter 2) of your research plan. You are expected to engage with
current, relevant literature aligned with the themes of your research, integrate appropriate
theoretical foundations, and propose a clear conceptual framework.
Ensure to follow the guidelines provided in this video clip before commencing your assignment
Writing the Literature Review - YouTube
Assignment Requirements
Your submission should include the following sections:
1. Chapter Introduction (Approx. 150–250 words)
• Clearly state the purpose of the chapter.
• Explain the structure of your literature review and how it links to your research
questions/objectives.
2. Thematic Literature Review (Approx. 2–3 themes; 500–700 words per theme)
• Organize your review into at least 2–3 thematic areas, clearly linked to your research
objectives.
• Each theme must:
o Contain critical engagement with 3–5 recent and relevant journal articles.
o Include in-text citations using Harvard referencing style.
o Discuss the similarities, contradictions, and gaps in the literature.
o Be clearly related to your overall research focus.
3. Theoretical Foundations (Approx. 300–500 words)
• Identify and explain at least one major theory or model relevant to your research (e.g., TPB,
TAM, Stakeholder Theory, SERVQUAL).
• Justify its relevance to your research topic.
• Connect it to the themes discussed earlier in the literature review.
4. Conceptual Framework (Approx. 200–300 words + visual diagram)
• Design a conceptual framework showing the independent, dependent, and any
moderating/mediating variables or components if you adopt a qualitative method in your
study.
• Provide a short explanation of how the framework was derived from the literature.
• Include a visual representation of the framework (diagram/chart).
5. Concluding Paragraph (Approx. 200–300 words)
• Synthesize key findings from the literature.
• Clearly justify the research problem identified in Chapter 1 by highlighting:
o Literature gaps
o The need for your study
o How your study builds upon or extends existing knowledge
6. References Section
• Provide a complete reference list in Harvard style.
• Use at least 15–25 academic sources, including peer-reviewed journal articles, books, and
reputable reports.
• Alphabetically listed and properly formatted.
Key aspects to take into account in the assignment considered during assessment;
Criteria Weight
Clarity and coherence of literature review structure 15%
Depth of critical analysis within each theme 25%
Appropriateness and integration of theories 15%
Relevance and quality of academic sources 15%
Conceptual framework clarity and justification 15%
Quality of conclusion and justification of research gap 10%
Referencing (In-text and list) in Harvard style 5%
Formatting Guidelines
• Font: Times New Roman or Arial, 12pt
• Line spacing: 1.5
• Referencing: Harvard style
• File name: YourName_StudentID_
Tips for Success
• Avoid simply summarizing sources; instead, critique and compare them.
• Be selective with your literature, focus on quality and relevance, not quantity.
• Ensure coherence between literature, theory, and your research objectives.
• Draft your conceptual framework early and revise it as needed during writing.
