Hypothesis & Literature Review

129 views 9:57 am 0 Comments August 16, 2023

Module 2 Deliverable: Hypothesis & Literature Review

 

Instructions

Students must submit their hypothesis and framework, complete with an introduction and literature review, by the end of Week 4.

A literature review should include 5-10 pages of seminal and contemporary research on the existing state of affairs. Depending on the nature and scope of a particular project, the following items may or may not be applicable:

Organizational or societal background

History, inflection points, structure, etc.

Common obstacles

Market saturation or competition

Relevant demographic data

Recent research

The problem you are solving for a particular market segment

A hypothesis will synthesize existing research and propose a solution, strategy, or business plan to address the organizational or societal growth opportunity

 

APA 7 Format

Proper APA formatting and referencing are required for all written assignments. For discussion boards, proper formatting is not required; however, you MUST cite your sources. Improper formatting or citations will result in up to a 20% deduction for your grade on the assignment.

When page requirements are given for an assignment, proper formatting is assumed (1″ margins, 12 point font, double spaced), and the title page does not count toward the page requirement.

For full APA guidelines, the College of Business and Leadership recommends Purdue Owl.

Purdue Online Writing Lab (n.d.). General Format. Retrieved from https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html

Module 2: Tips to Succeed – Literature Review (05:53)

Well, welcome to Module Two, preparing your literature review. In addition to the content that’s already embedded in Brightspace to help you think conceptually about your project and your literature review, I want to offer you a few tips on the logistics and the technicalities of writing your literature review. Your literature review is your opportunity to become the expert in your chosen topic or field of study. You are becoming the expert. The issue that you are studying. Now, hear me. I care very much what you think. I care very much more what you can prove from research. So each of you have incredibly valid observations, opinions, perspectives, insights, things that you have seen, and things that you’ve experienced. And that’s all valid. But the literature review is your opportunity to take what you’ve seen, what you know, what you’ve heard, what you’ve experienced, and find the data that shows that what you are experiencing is occurring across the context, not just from your limited vantage point. Your literature review takes your experiences and on the back of data and research shows that what you are studying is scalable to every other context where your problem or your topic exists. So make sure that you avail yourself of all of the library research tools that we’re giving to you so that your literature review can be properly grounded in research. So this is your opportunity to set the context for the problem, predicament or topic that you are studying. So tell your reader, what is the topic that, why does it matter? What is the past cultural climate or the current situation? Whom else is involved? Who are all of the stakeholders involved in this problem or this predicament that you are studying. And why should your reader care? Now, those are some relevant hot button issues for you to discuss. If you’re writing a white paper or an analysis paper, if you’re doing a business plan, your literature review is your market research. So who is the target population? Who is the target demographic? Are there any unique demographic or geographical features? If there’s an existing market, what is its size? What are its unique features you are beginning to build now, the case that an opportunity exists for you to gain a foothold in this market and you’re showing that opportunity by your literature review, you are showing that a need exists, that you have the ability to meet with your unique value proposition. Now as you’re working on this section, begin working ahead to your KPI mentally. Have your KPI, your K, your key performance indicators in the back of your head as you’re working on your literature review. Because you’re going to pay attention in your lit review to common themes and categories that stand out as potential opportunities for you to make a recommendation. So as you write your literature review, can you identify any commonalities? Can you identify any precipitating Causes? Can you find any opportunities to intervene? Where do you see a need that you think you can meet as you’re studying for your literature review. So to that end, your lit review should not merely summarize information, but you’re beginning to synthesize information. You’re building to an analysis and insightful piece of research that shows that you have the ability to pull together disparate sources of information and to make one coherent argument. So this becomes the base for your strategic recommendations, which you will flesh out more fully in your KPI, which we’ll discuss in another brief video. Now I will recommend that you save your hypothesis until you’ve done most of the research for your literature review and you’ve begun writing your literature review. Your hypothesis states that based on your existing research, you envision an opportunity to transform based upon your specific recommendations. If you’re doing a literature, excuse me, If you’re doing a business plan, your lit review builds the case that your unique value proposition is the solution to the gap in the market that you have identified. I hope that that makes some sense. If you have more questions, of course, you can email, call, or text me. You can join in one of our class Zoom sessions. You can schedule your first or another one-on-one with me. I’m eager to help you however I can. So any questions, let me know. Good luck. Take care. We’ll see you soon.

 

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