EME 466
Energy and Sustainability in Society

Literature Review

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Literature Review

Do Your Homework

After narrowing your three ideas down to one for your Capstone Project, your next step will be to conduct a rather extensive literature review on the topic. This literature review should help you fully understand the first two points below and then discuss the third.  Think of this assignment as your background research on the topic and your justification for why your contribution to it is novel and necessary.

  1. What are some of the root causes of the challenge you're addressing in your project? You'll want to look critically for economic, social, political, geographic, and institutional barriers or conditions that have created the environment in which your problem emerged and exists.
     
  2. What are the existing and attempted policy measures to address this issue both in your own community and in peer communities?
     
  3. Gaps (this is where it gets fun!) - After reviewing previous attempts to address the problem and understanding better where it comes from, what gaps in the literature do you see. Hint: A gap in the literature is usually where you want to fit your own work in - you're going to help fill the gap.

Think of this step as 'doing your homework' on the issue. You need to be knowledgeable on this subject matter to affect real change. It's critically important that you don't go in presenting possible solutions that have been attempted and failed, or aren't feasible for any number of reasons. To ensure you develop credibility and respect with your Community Partner and other relevant stakeholders, you must be knowledgeable. 

Submission Guidelines

  • 5-7 pages of 12 pt font, double-spaced (approximately 1200-1500 words)
  • appropriately and consistently attributed in correctly formatted in a citation style of your choosing
  • well-written, thoroughly edited, organized discussion
  • must contain at least 15 unique sources (all cited within the body of the submission)

Want to know more?

Here are some resources for learning more about how to conduct and structure your literature review.