Students are required to write a “state of the art” critical review of the literature on a “new” topic. Sources of ideas for “new” topics are the Marketing Science Institute’s current research priorities, recent working papers and conference presentations, as well as topics covered in this seminar.  You are encouraged to choose a topic from your areas of research interest.

The purpose of the Literature Review is to develop your ability to critically evaluate research, to integrate your knowledge of different research issues, and to provide you with experience in carrying out a literature search related to a given research problem.  The literature review should identify a research domain, critically review and integrate research findings, outline directions for future research, select a research question(s), develop a model to guide future research, and if possible, derive formal research propositions or hypotheses.   The model can be conceptual/theoretical, descriptive, normative, or a decision support model.

Refer to the “Guidelines for Critical Reviews” for further suggestions about how to evaluate specific articles.

Your literature review is likely lead to your choice of topic for your Research Proposal.  Hence, you may wish to refer to “Guidelines for Research Proposal” as well.

You must submit a short (two or three page) description of your idea for a literature review topic for approval, and meet with the instructor to discuss it prior to January 30.  (Refer to the instructions in the Detailed Course Outline).  The completed literature review must be no longer than twenty pages, typed and double-spaced, excluding references. It is due on February 15.