2. Background/Review of the Literature
A description of what is already known about this area and short discussion of why the
background studies are not sufficient. • Summarize what is already known about the field. Include a summary of the basic
background information on the topic gleaned from your literature review (you can also
include additional background information from the textbooks, class, and websites) • Discuss several critical studies that have already been done in this area (cite according to
a style with which you are familiar—APA or MLA, for example). • Point out why these background studies are insufficient. In other words, what question(s)
do they leave unresolved that you would like to study? • Specify the one question you are pursuing in your research proposal