Table of Contents - Make MS Word Your Worker

The most meticulous part of writing your review is the Table of Contents.  This is obviously the last thing that you do (after writing the abstract) and that is not the time you want to be bogged down with details.  

Tips about Headings and Subheadings 

• The Headings are the main parts of your review: Abstract, Table of Contents, Introduction, Methodology, Analysis and Discussion, Conclusions and Recommendations, and References.
• Subheadings are GOOD.  They provide a visual framework for your readers. 
• Subheadings should probably only be used in the Analysis and Discussion and Conclusions and Recommendations sections.  
• You don't need subheadings in the Introduction and Methodology.

Using MS Word to Create Your Table of Contents 

MS Word can actually create your Table of Contents for you. You just need to tell MS Word which lines are the headings, subheadings, sub-subheadings and sub-sub-subheadings.  You do this by assigning a Style to each heading.  If you are using the UNI IT Masters Template, you will find that Headings 1 - 4 have already been created for you using the APA 6th Edition format.

I am going to describe how to prepare your headings and then create your Table of Contents in the steps below.  There will also be videos at the end of this posting which will demonstrate how to create a Table of Contents. (BTW, I am using a Mac to create this Table of Contents because that is what I have available. I have included a video at the end which will explain how to do it with Windows.)

Preparing Your Review for Your Table of Contents

1. Write your review and insert headings where necessary.  
2. Using the template, the Main Headings (Heading 1) have already been formatted.  They are bold and centered.
3. Highlight a subheading (Heading 2) and click on the Heading 2 box in the Styles Section of the Home Menu at the top of your document in Word.  This should make this subheading bold and left justified. Do this throughout your review.
4. Highlight a sub-subheading (Heading 3) and click on the Heading 3 box in the Styles Section. This should bold this sub-subheading and indent it 5 spaces.
5. You get the idea - continue this to your sub-sub-subheadings, but I don't think that you will have any of those.

Asking MS Word to Create Your Table of Contents

Now that you have identified the headings et al. that you want to be included in your Table of Contents, MS Word can create your Table of Contents

1. Place your cursor where you want your Table of Contents to be located.
2. From the Insert Menu, select Index and Tables.
3. Select Table of Contents from the appearing window. 
4. Select From Template (See, we even created the TOC template for you.)
5. VOILA!!!!!   You have a Table of Contents!

Updating Your Table of Contents

As you make ongoing changes to your review, it will mess up the accuracy of your TOC.  You can update it at will.  (Will who?)

1. Right-Click on your TOC.
2. Select Update Field.
3. Make either selection on your appearing window.
4. VOILA!!!!!   You have an updated TOC!

Creating a Table of Contents using Windows (Word 2013)

Creating a Table of Contents Using Mac OSX (Word 2011)

Examples of Literature Reviews

It can be useful to have examples of writing if you are trying to create a specific style of a document.

Here are some examples of well-written, student-written literature review:

The Effects of Blended Learning on K-12th Grade Students (Lora Bora)

This is a thorough review of the research.  Three themes were identified: 1) engagement, 2) achievement, and 3) student perceptions.  She referred to another literature review on the subject to help provide a framework at the beginning. You will find that she used each of the themes as headings to provide a consistent framework for the reader.   The Conclusions and Recommendations section is extensive but it uses the same heading topics to keep a consistent organization for the reader.

Affordances of Flipped Learning and Its Effects on Student Engagement and Achievement (Jerry Corpman) This is a well-organized review that is explores flipped learning. A review of the literature found three themes (identified as research questions in this paper.)  These themes are 1) comparing flipped learning with traditional learning, 2) effects on student engagement, and 3) effects on student achievement. Notice how he uses a table to compare the various studies and their results (the table’s format is a little strange because it was converted from MS Word.)  Review how he discusses the information in each table and how he is comparing the research results.

Using Google Tools to Enhance Secondary Writing Instruction (Berra Sahara)

This review took an interesting strategy.  The author wanted to explore research about the effectiveness of the Google Tool Suite in enhancing secondary writing.   Unfortunately, there isn’t much research on using Google Tools in the classroom so she found research about effective strategies in teaching writing at the secondary level.  As she used research to define these effective strategies, she noted how Google Tools might address each strategy.

Published Peer-Reviewed Literature Reviews:

Emily R. Grekin Ph.D. & Dinah Ayna (2012) Waterpipe Smoking Among College Students in the United States: A Review of the Literature, Journal of American College Health, 60(3), 244-249.

    This review generally follows the format and outline we are suggesting:

• The Abstract is unique because it contains synopses for each of the parts of the review. (We will not use this format.)  
• The Introduction is intriguing. The last paragraph on the first page identifies the gaps it plans to fill (themes).
• The Methods section is brief.  It answers most of our methodology questions.
• The Results section is similar to the Analysis and Discussion section in our format.
• The headings align with the topics listed at the end of pg 244.  They don’t match exactly. The demographic correlations topic is split into to headings in the Results section.
• Each section of the Results identifies and explains relevant studies. They will compare and contrast these relevant studies. In some sections, they relate to other sections or the research as a whole.
• Notice how the Table is used to present the information about the various studies in a graphic form.  The Prevalence of the Waterpipe Use section compares and contrasts the data in the table.  These studies are referenced in the other sections as well.
• There is no culminating Comment section that talks about the strengths and limitations of the present body of literature. These are conclusions about the studies and recommendations for future research.  
• The Conclusions section is brief.  
• Notice that neither of these sections cites the studies when they refer back to the actual studies as we will be doing in our literature reviews.
• So what do you think?  How do you feel as a reader?  Regardless of whether you feel that Waterpipe Smoking is a worthwhile topic for research, did this author succeed in sharing and analyzing the waterpipe literature?

What do you think?  Were these examples useful?

Z

Module 11: Refining Your Abstract

You are almost done!!!

You have written your Introduction, Methodology, Analysis and Discussion, Conclusions and Recommendations.   Now all that you need to do is complete the beginning and the end of your Literature Review.  You need to complete your Abstract and your References.

Abstract

You have been reading abstracts forever.  These are the short, 150-word descriptions that give you a brief description of the contents of the article.  Within this short passage, you expect to find the topic, purpose, methodology and conclusions. This provides a usable overview for researchers.

Your abstract should follow the same structure as your review:

1. Describe the topic in one sentence;
2. Explain the purpose, thesis or organizing construct and the scope of the article;
3. List the sources used; and
4. Review the conclusions.

The best way to evaluate the completeness of an abstract is by asking yourself if it tells enough about the article for a researcher to read and decide whether this article will be useful for her research.

Here is an example of a good abstract that follows the outline above:

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can be used to create differentiated learning environments. This review examines the effects of Universal Design for Learning on student achievement in a secondary school setting. Seven peer-reviewed research studies and one doctoral dissertation published between 2002-2010 were selected for analysis. The reviewed research studies indicated that students tended to perform better when material was presented through a multitude of channels and students were given a choice of methods for demonstrating proficiency. Future research into using UDL in the K-12 curriculum was recommended. (88 words)

Did it accomplish what was intended?  Please note that it is only 88 words.