The assignment should be in the following format: narrative format, 6-8 pages not
including references, 12-point font, times new roman, double spaced

Introduction:
-What is the contemporary topic you are focusing on for this assignment?
-Regarding conceptualization, how did you conceptualize your topic? (you are required to
provide in-text citations from the literature to justify your choice)
-What is the significance of your topic (based on sociological literature)? *make sure you include in-text citations to show evidence you are actively drawing on the sociological
literature/providing justification for the significance of your topic*
-What is the research question? *make sure to frame it as a marriage and family scholar*

Methods:
-Why is literature review the appropriate method for your paper?
-What research databases (e.g., Google Scholar, Sociological Abstract, JSTOR, PubMed) did
you use for your paper?
-What are the key search terms that you used to identify empirical articles on your topic?

Literature Review:
-What do the existing quantitative studies suggest about your topic? (synthesize major findings
with multiple citations)
-Regarding methodology, which approaches have been employed? (i.e., qualitative [which
specific one] vs quantitative [which specific one] vs mixed methods [which specific one];
primary analysis vs secondary analysis; cross-sectional vs longitudinal) *make sure to report on the numeric (e.g., #/10 studies) as it informs gaps in research and guides future research
-What are the specific contributions? (empirical, theory, methods, policy – specifically identify which one(s) and explain why)
-What are some limitations of prior research? (critique prior research as it regards to empirical,
theory, methods, policy, sample, geographic area)

Future Research:
-After reflecting on the gaps in research, what are some unanswered questions?
-Regarding operationalization, how will you operationalize your topic as you think about future
research? (you are required to provide in-text citations from the literature to justify your choice)?
-Present at least 3 concrete ideas for future research – be specific!
-Regarding future research, what methodologies (e.g., qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods),
and critical approaches (e.g., intersectionality, ethnographic toolkit, reflexivity, positionality)
would be appropriate for the future research you proposed?

Conclusion:
-Why is your topic important to study? (restate the significance from the introduction with
citations)
-What have you learned about your topic?
-How does your proposed future research make contributions to the literature on your topic?
(empirical, theory, methods, policy – specifically identify which one(s) and explain why)

References:
-Properly cited and adheres to ASA style. No direct quotes, engages in in-text citations.
-Includes at least 10 peer-reviewed empirical articles on your topic within the last 10 years.

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