PUTTING SCHOLARS IN CONVERSATION

Sentence Templates for the Literature Review

Possible Topic Sentences

  • Scholars ______, ______, and ______each discuss/examine/consider ______in their recent work on (topic) .
  • ______is another major issue common to several treatments of (topic).Specifically, ______seems to feel…..
  • A trend in research on and discussion of (topic) is ______.

Defining terms

  • (scholar)defines (term) as “------”(#).
  • Though (term) is a common trend, (scholar) and (scholar) define the term differently. While(scholar) asserts ______, (scholar) asserts______.
  • As it is used in this particular vein of discourse, (term) clearly refers to ______.

Introducing quotations and/or paraphrases (DESCRIPTION)

  • According to (scholar), “------“(#).
  • (scholar)claims that ______(#).
  • (scholar) argues ______(#).
  • (scholar)observes that ______(#).

Explaining quotations and/or paraphrases (ANALYSIS)

  • In other words, (scholar) believes ______.
  • Basically, (scholar) is saying that ______.
  • The essence of (scholar)’s argument is that______.
  • (scholar)’s point is that______.

Putting quotations and/or paraphrases in conversation (SYNTHESIS)

  • (scholar) seems to agree when he/she writes “------“(#).
  • (scholar) disagrees; he/she claims that ______(#).
  • (scholar)takes the implications of (scholar)’s argument a step further when he/she writes “------“(#)

Commenting on/clarifying the conversation (META-COMMENTARY)

  • One implication of (scholar)’s treatment/definition of _____ is that _____.
  • Although (scholar)and (scholar) do not say so directly, their perspectives rely upon the assumption that ______.
  • Although (scholar) barely mentions _____, (scholar) and (scholar) emphasize the issue; they apparently believe that it is important to take into consideration.
  • (scholar) claims seem to assume that ______, while (scholar) makes a different assumption, namely ______.

Topic: Caffeine

Subtopics:

  1. Addiction
  2. Health risks
  3. Mental health risks

Possible topic sentence for subtopic a:

Scholars Collins (2006) and McVeigh (2007) each consider the role of addiction in their recent work studying the health effects of caffeine.

Example of synthesis for subtopic b:

Caffeine in the short term tends to show and display very little negative side effects. Most of these include trouble sleeping and low vitamin counts. These side effects can be attributed to many problems, so caffeine is often ruled out as a possible health concern (Finnegan, 2003). Erowid (1996) disagrees with Finnegan’s understatement of caffeine’s health problems; he claims that caffeine mildly stresses your whole cardiovascular system for the time it is inside your body and can cause serious and life threatening diseases.

Example of introducing quotes for subtopic c:

According to Gregg (1991), if you totally eliminate caffeine from your life you will feel the minor withdrawal from the drug, which may lead to increased anxiety or even depression.

Templates based on examples from:

Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say/I Say: the Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. New York: Norton (2006).