Exercise and Well-being”
. This chapter surveys existing literature relevant to your project. It generally includes:
Overview of existing research and theories related to your project.
Identification of gaps in the current knowledge, which your project aims to fill.
Theoretical framework that will guide your study.
For this chapter, you will have the following headings:
Introduction to the Chapter
Theoretical Framework
Review of the Literature
Conclusion
Use the BU491 Unit 3 Assignment Template Download BU491 Unit 3 Assignment Template[Word] as a guide for completing the assignment.
The Project Title Appears in Title Case and is Centered
Your Name
Online Business Department, Herzing University
BU491 Capstone Project
Dr. Denise Greaves
Date
Table of Contents
List of Tables………………………………………………………………………………………………………..xi
List of Figures ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..xii
Chapter 2: Literature Review ………………………………………………………………………………… 12
Introduction to the Chapter ……………………………………………………………………………… 12
Theoretical Foundations ………………………………………………………………………………….. 13
Review of the Literature ………………………………………………………………………………….. 13
Summary ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 18
References ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 44
Appendix A. Site Authorization Letter …………………………………………………………………… 45
Appendix B. Informed Consent …………………………………………………………………………….. 46
Appendix C. Copy of Instruments and Permissions Letters to Use the Instruments………. 47
List of Tables
Table 1. Correct Formatting for a Multiple Line Table Title is Single Spacing and
Should Look Like this Example ………………………………………………………………….
Table 2. Equality of Emotional Intelligence Mean Scores by Gender …………………………..
List of Figures
Figure 1. Correlation for SAT composite score and time spent on Facebook. …………………
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Chapter 2: Literature Review
Introduction to the Chapter
This chapter presents the theoretical framework for the study and develops the topic,
specific research problem, question(s), and design elements. In order to perform significant
capstone project research, the learner must first understand the literature related to the research
focus. A well-articulated, thorough literature review provides the foundation for a substantial,
contributory dissertation. The purpose of Chapter 2 is to develop a well-documented argument
for the selection of the research topic, to formulate the research questions, and to justify the
choice of research methodology. A literature review is a synthesis of what has been published
on a topic by accredited scholars and researchers. It is not an expanded annotated bibliography
or a summary of research articles related to thru topic.
The literature review will place the research focus into context by analyzing and
discussing the existing body of knowledge and effectively telling the reader everything that is
known, or everything that has been discovered in research about that focus, and where the gaps
and tensions in the research exist. As a piece of writing, the literature review must convey to
the reader what knowledge and ideas have been established on a topic, and build an argument
in support of the research problem.
This section describes the overall topic to be investigated, outlines the approach taken
for the literature review, and the evolution of the problem based on the gap or need defined
in the literature from its origination to its current form.
Theoretical Framework
This section identifies and discusses the theory(ies) or model(s) that provide the
foundation for the research study. It also contains an explanation of how the problem under
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investigation relates to the theory or model. The seminal source for each theory or model
presented in this section should be identified and described.
In a qualitative study, the theory(ies) or model(s) guide the research question(s) and
help describe the phenomena being investigated (qualitative). This section also includes a
discussion of how the research question(s) align with the respective theory(ies) or model(s) and
illustrates how the study fits within the prior research based on the theory(ies) or model(s).
The learner should cite references reflective of the foundational, historical, and
current literature in the field. Seminal works are usually more than five years old; it is
important to include those, as well as relevant, more recent literature on the theory. Overall,
the presentation in this section should reflect that the learner understands the theory or model
and its relevance to the proposed study. The discussion should also reflect knowledge and
familiarity with the historical development of the theory.
Review of the Literature
This section provides a broad, balanced overview of the existing literature related to the
capstone project topic. The Review of Literature identifies themes, trends, and conflicts in
research methodology, design, and findings. It provides a synthesis of the existing literature,
examines the contributions of the literature related to the topic, and justifies the methodological
approaches used for the research based on related empirical studies. Through this synthesis, the
researcher applies this information to define the research gaps as well as to the creation of the
plan and approach for their proposed study.
Citations are provided for all ideas, concepts, and perspectives. The researchers personal
opinions or perspectives are not included. Chapter 2 must be a minimum of 8 pages in length.
However, it is important to note that a well-written comprehensive literature review will likely
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exceed this minimum requirement.
Chapter 2 needs to include a minimum of 8 peer-reviewed, empirical research articles,
and 75% of all references within this chapter must be within the past five years.
The body of a literature review can be organized in a variety of ways depending on the
nature of the research. However, clearly explain the approach taken to the organization and
flow of the topics for the Review of Literature section, explaining the organization in an
introductory section for the Review of Literature.
Chapter 2 can be particularly challenging with regard to APA format for citations and
quotations. Refer to the APA manual frequently to make sure citations are formatted properly.
It is critical that each in-text citation is appropriately listed in the Reference section. Incorrectly
citing and referencing sources is a serious scholarly and ethical violation, particularly at the
doctoral level when writing the dissertation. As an emerging scholar, learners must
demonstrate the capability and responsibility to properly cite and reference every single source
referenced in the literature review and in throughout the dissertation! Note that all in-text
citations within parentheses must be listed in alphabetical order with semicolons between each
citation (e.g., Barzun & Graff, 1992; Calabrese, 2006; Hacker, Somers, Jehn, & Rosenzweig,
2008; Mason, 2010; Nock, 1943; Squires & Kranyik, 1995; Strunk & White, 1979).
Summary
This section succinctly restates what was written in Chapter 2 and provides supporting
citations for key points. The summary section reflects that the learner has done his/her “due
diligence” to become well-read on the topic and can conduct a study that will add to the existing
body of research and knowledge on the topic. It synthesizes the information from the chapter to
define the “gaps” in or “identified research needs” arising from the literature, the theory(is) or
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model(s) to provide the foundation for the study, the problem statement, the primary research
question, the methodology, the design, the variables or phenomena, the data collection
instruments or sources, and the population to be studied. Overall, this section should help the
reader clearly see and understand the relevance and importance of the research to be conducted.
The criteria listed in the table below are required for this section. The Summary section
transitions to Chapter 3 by building a case for the study, in terms of research design and rigor,
and it formulates the research questions based on the gaps and tensions in the literature.
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References
Armstrong, J. (2010). Naturalistic inquiry. In N. J. Salk (Ed.), Encyclopedia of research
design (pp. 880-885). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Barzun, J., & Graff, H.F. (1992). The modern researcher: A classic work on research and
writing completely revised and brought up to date. San Diego: Harcourt Brace
Jovanovich.
Brands, H. W. (2000). The first American: The life and times of Benjamin Franklin. New
York: Doubleday.
Calabrese, R. L. (2006). The elements of an effective dissertation & thesis: a step-by-step
guide to getting it right the first time. Lanham, MD: Roman & Littlefield
Education.
Chess, P.S. (2017). Chapter 3: Validity and reliability in qualitative research. In Grand
Canyon University (Ed.), GCU doctoral research: Advanced qualitative research
methods. Retrieved from http://lc.qa.gcumedia.com/res855/gcu-doctoral-researchadvanced-qualitative-research-methods/v1.1/#/chapter/3
Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Lang, A.-G., & Buchner, A. (2007). G*Power 3: A flexible statistical
power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behavior
Research Methods, 39, 175-191.
Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Buchner, A., & Lang, A.-G. (2009). Statistical power analyses using
G*Power 3.1: Tests for correlation and regression analyses. Behavior Research
Methods, 41, 1149-1160.
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Appendix A.
Site Authorization Letter(s)
This is a required Appendix for Level 2 and Level 5 Reviews.
For purposes of confidentiality, this will be removed prior to Deans signature and
the following text will be inserted:
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Appendix B.
Informed Consent
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Appendix C.
Copy of Instruments and Permissions Letters to Use the Instruments
