Week 1 = Overview of the Course, Getting Started, Literature Review Overview 

EDLE 6000 Introduction to Scholarly Inquiry & Practice Syllabus

EDLE 6000 Canvas Course Organization

Hyatt & Roberts (2024). The dissertation journey (4th ed.). Chapter 1: Personal Considerations

Machi & McEvoy (2022). The literature review: Six steps to success (4th ed.). Introduction: Doing and Producing a Literature Review

Week 2 = The Dissertation Terrain & Selecting a Research Topic 

All Read

Hyatt & Roberts (2024). The dissertation journey (4th ed.).

Chapter 2: The Dissertation Terrain (concentrate on discussion of topic selection)

Chapter 4: Selecting a Dissertation Topic

Machi & McEvoy (2022), The literature review: Six steps to success (4th ed.). Chapter 1: Step One: Select & Define a Topic

Galvan & Galvan (2025). Writing literature reviews: A guide for students of the social and behavioral sciences (8th ed.). Chapter 2: Navigating Electronic Resources & Chapter 3: Selecting a Topic for your Review

Week 3 – Introduction to the Dissertation Journey & the Literature Review

Readings

Hyatt & Roberts (2024). The dissertation journey (4th ed.). Chapter 1: Personal Considerations [if not read in Week 1]

Machi & McEvoy (2022). The literature review: Six steps to success (4th ed.). Introduction: Doing and Producing a Literature Review [if not read in Week 1]

Galvan & Galvan (2025). Writing literature reviews: A guide for students of the social and behavioral sciences (8th ed.). Chapter 1: Writing Reviews of Academic Literature, pp. 3-13 & Chapter 3: Selecting a Topic for Your Review

Additional Article – Focus on Findings (Choose 1)

PhD Students: Ciampa & Wolfe (2019). Preparing for dissertation writing: Doctoral education students’ perceptions. Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, 10(2), 86-102.

EdD Students: Klocko, Marshall, & Davidson (2015). Developing practitioner-scholar doctoral candidates as critical writers. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 15(4), 21-31.

EdD Students: Ma, Dana, Adams, & Kennedy (2008). Understanding the problem of practice: An analysis of professional practice EdD dissertations. Impacting Education, 3, 13-22

Week 4 = Scholarly Writing 

All Read

Boote & Leile (2005). Scholars before researchers: On the centrality of the dissertation literature review in research preparation. Educational Researcher, 34(6), 3-15.

Machi & McEvoy (2022), The literature review: Six steps to success (4th ed.). Chapter 2: Step Two: Develop the Tools of Argumentation, pp. 48, 52-59.

Galvan & Galvan (2025). Writing literature reviews: A guide for students of the social and behavioral sciences (8th ed.). Chapter 4: Selecting Relevant Titles

Week 5 = The Literature Review 

All Read

Hyatt & Roberts (2024). The dissertation journey (4th ed.). Chapter 9: The Literature Review.

Durkin (2021). Writing strategies for the education dissertation. Chapter 1: De-mythologizing the process: Changing one’s mindset, pp. 3-19.

Randolph, J. J. (2009, June). A guide to writing the dissertation literature review. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 14(13), 1-13. (look in Files Menu)

Week 6 = Presentation of Chapter 1 and 2 Discoveries, Organizing the Literature Review 

All Read

Hyatt & Roberts (2024). The dissertation journey (4th ed.). Chapter 6: Organizing & Planning for Success & Chapter 7: Mastering the Academic Style.

Machi & McEvoy (2022), The literature review: Six steps to success (4th ed.). Supplement C: Writing a journal, pp. 119-121.

Galvan & Galvan (2025). Writing literature reviews: A guide for students of the social and behavioral sciences (8th ed.). Chapter 8: Organizing Your Notes / Grouping the Results of Your Analysis.

American Psychological Association (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). Chapter 4: Writing Style and Grammar, pp. 110-127 (print-only copy)

Week 7 = Analyzing the Literature 

All Read

Machi & McEvoy (2022), The literature review: Six steps to success (4th ed.). Chapter 5: Step Five: Critique the Literature: Interpreting the Research. Focus on Concept 4, pp. 133-140 & Concept 6, pp. 148-150.

Galvan & Galvan (2025). Writing literature reviews: A guide for students of the social and behavioral sciences (8th ed.). Chapter 5: Conduct a Deep Analysis of Articles; Chapter 6: Analyzing Quantitative Research Literature; & Chapter 7: Analyzing Qualitative Research Literature

Article Resources

Durkin (2021). Writing strategies for the education dissertation. Chapter 3: Writing Strategies for the Literature Review, pp. 49-66.

Denney & Tewksbury (2013). How to write a literature review. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 24(2), 218-234.

Mattheson & Warren (2020). Using a crosswalk to organize the literature review. The Qualitative Report, 225(1), 1890-1904.

Week 8 = Write the Literature Review 

All Read

Machi & McEvoy (2022), The literature review: Six steps to success (4th ed.).

Chapter 6: Step Six: Write the Review: Write, Audit, Edit. Focus on pp.156-164; 170-174.

Galvan & Galvan (2025). Writing literature reviews: A guide for students of the social and behavioral sciences (8th ed.). Chapter 9: Synthesizing Trends & Patterns, Chapter 10: Guidelines for Writing a First Draft & Chapter 11: Guidelines for Developing a Coherent Essay.

Rocco & Plakhotnik (2009). Literature reviews, conceptual frameworks, and theoretical frameworks: Terms, functions, and distinctions. Human Resources Development Review, 8(1), 120-130.

Week 9 = Preparing the First Draft & Creating a Writing Community of Practice 

Galvan & Galvan (2025). Writing literature reviews: A guide for students of the social and behavioral sciences (8th ed.). Chapter 12, Guidelines for Editing Your Review & Chapter 13, Preparing a Reference List.

Ciampa & Wolfe (2020). From isolation to collaboration: Creating an intentional community of practice within the doctoral dissertation proposal writing process. Teaching in Higher Education: Critical Perspectives, https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2020.1822313

Week 10 = The Doctoral Student Experience 

Choose 1 Article

Fry, Keith, Gardner, Gilbert, Carmona, Schroeder, & Kleinsasser (2019. Entering a community of writers: The writing center, doctoral students, and going public with scholarly writing. The Qualitative Report, 24(11), 2832-2850.

Maher, Fallucca, & Halasz (2013). Write on! Through to the Ph.D.: Using writing groups to facilitate doctoral degree progress. Studies in Continuing Education, 35(2), 193-208.

Svordik, Hall, Alpine, & Hubbard (2018). The PhD experience: A review of the factors influencing doctoral students’ completion, achievement, and well-being. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 13, 361-388.

Week 11 = Writing Workshop, Purpose Statement, Pulling the Pieces Together 

Week 12 = Focus on the Literature Review/Annotated Bibliography 

Week 13 = Focus on the Literature Review/Annotated Bibliography 

Week 14 = Focus on the Literature Review/Annotated Bibliography 

Thanksgiving Break, Finalize Literature Review/Annotated Bibliography

Week 15 = Week 15 = Submit the Literature Review, Literature Review Presentation, Lessons Learned, Doc Student Reflection, Peer Review & Course Evaluation