ABSTRACT
This chapter presents guidelines for making a preliminary selection of a topic to review. As Chapter 1 mentioned, selecting a topic, searching for literature (covered in the next chapter), and establishing specific purposes (Chapter 4) are likely to be iterative. Your topic may need to be adjusted depending on what you find in the literature search. For instance, if you locate a very large amount of literature on the preliminary topic, it may need to be narrowed to make it more manageable. The guidelines provided here are aimed at the independent literature review, but can apply to other types. If you are preparing a literature review as part of an empirical article, thesis, or dissertation, topic selection may consist of identifying the literature that is relevant to the research in the larger project. Guideline 2.1: Consider the audience’s expectations and/or requirements.
