Final project – Introductory literature review
Objective
After this project, I will be better able to critically evaluate and organise relevant research to create a research space regarding a topic of my interest, and then narrow this space into a specific research question.
Instructions
You are to write an introduction and partial literature review for my thesis that creates the research space for my study.
- Tell me what the topic is, discuss in broad, thematic terms, what has been studied and what is lacking.
- Then go into a detailed evaluation of studies that have been done and how they directly contribute to your study and what further issues are raised by them (individually or in conjunction with other studies).
- Then write about how your study will address one of these issues (i.e., fill a research gap).
Think of this assignment as being something you could potentially bring to an MA supervisor when you start work on a thesis and show him/her and say, “This is what I have read, and this is what I would like to study and why. What are your thoughts?” You and your supervisor could then get down to business.
You must write between 2000 and 2500 words. Do not include in-text citations or your reference list in your word count. The focus of your writing should be on summarizing and critiquing what others have done and how this leads to your research question. I am hoping that I will be able to use this paper as the basis of Ch1 of my thesis.
Thesis Topic: US-China Rivalry Effects on Vietnam
Research Question: How US-China rivalry is affecting Vietnam?