Literature Review Work Sheet
1) Printing out the articles.
We are reviewing three articles for the literature review:
JonesArticle.pdf
Ellsworth and Gross.pdf
Steven Stack.pdf
2): Coding the themes. Use four different colored high lighters and assign each color to one of the four themes listed below. As
you move through the articles, color code information for each of the themes in the literature review. You may also make a chart
like the one below to jot down page numbers and notes so that you can easily find the information. Do not struggle with
information in the articles that you do not understand and do not try to read the articles in their entirety. Hunt for the information.
Do no less and no more than is needed.
See themes below for details
Jones
Ellsworth and Gross
Theme 1
Effect of DPS on law and policy
Esp. pgs/. 21-23& 43-44
Theme 2
Trends over time in DPS:
Esp. pgs 20-21
&40
Theme 3
Socio-demographic correlates of
DPS
Esp. p.21-22
Theme 4
Theoretical Explanations of DPS
xxx
xxx
Stack
Pg. 165
Pages. 163-169 only
3) Taking notes for the four themes
Theme 1: Effect of DPS on law and policy: Focus on two main issues: Supreme Court cases on the death penalty and capital
punishment as an issue in presidential elections. (Note: the terms capital punishment and death penalty are used
interchangeably). Look for any mention of death penalty support (DPS) by the general public at the time of key Supreme Court
decisions and Presidential races.
Theme 2: Trends over time in DPS: Look for overall support for the death penalty among Americans through the year 2000. Be
sure to get the year when DPS was at its lowest and at its highest. You might find charting some percentages the easiest way to
get a sense of the trend.
Theme 3: Socio-demographic correlates of DPS: Look for mention of prior research findings about how DPS varies by
sociodemographic variables such as age, race, region, etc. You will not find percentages, but you will find which groups have the
higher DPS. You will find more specific information with percentages about DPS differences by political orientation
(conservative v. liberal) and political party (Democrat v. Republican) and you will find the most information on gender
differences in DPS. There is a lot on this with percentages for different years.
Theme 4: Theoretical Explanations of DPS: You are looking just for theoretical explanations and these can all be found in the
literature review section of Stack. You do not need to report Stack's findings in this section. You want information on three main
categories of theoretical explanations: 1) Symbolic orientations such as authoritarianism, religiosity, and prejudice; 2) crime
saliency, and 3) demographic factors, which include differential socialization and hormonal differences. Note the tone and word
choices that Stack uses to discuss possible theoretical explanations.
4) Writing the literature review
Sort the information gathered into the four themes in the literature review skeleton. Work on presenting the information in clear,
concise paragraphs. The number and content of the paragraphs required for each theme are in the table below. When composing
the paragraphs, report the information as concisely as possible, with no superfluous wording. All information should be cited, and
it is better to over cite than to under cite. Do not include any of your own opinion. This is simply a review and synopsis of the
literature for your reader. Use the third person only and refer to the authors, prior research, previous research findings, etc.
Review the LITERATURE REVIEW RUBRIC.pdf before you begin to write to guide you in form and content. After you have
completed your draft, print out the LITERATURE REVIEW RUBRIC.pdf and use it to review your work. A complete copy of
the rubric should be attached to your literature review draft when you bring it in for peer review and when you submit it for final
grading.
number of
paragraphs
subtheme
paragraph #1
subtheme
paragraph#2
subtheme
paragraph#3
Theme 1
Effect of DPS on law and policy
2
Supreme Court cases
on Capital Punishment
The role of DPS in
presidential
campaigns
n/a
Theme 2
Trends over time in DPS:
1
Trends in DPS since
the 1960's
n/a
n/a
2
DPS variation by a
number of variables
Focus on DPS
variation by gender
and political
orientation
n/a
3
Symbolic orientation
explanations
Crime Saliency
explanations
Differential
Socialization and
Hormonal
differences
Theme 3
Socio-demographic correlates of DPS
Theme 4
Theoretical Explanations of DPS
5) Adding paragraphs to the skeletal structure of chapter
Literature Review
Introduction
A review of the relevant literature suggests four main themes relevant to public support for the death penalty (DPS): 1)
The effect of public opinion on death penalty law and policy; 2) trends over time in support for the death penalty; 3) sociodemographic correlates of death penalty support, with gender and political orientation emerging as particularly strong predictors
of DPS; and 4) theoretical explanations for variations in death penalty support, with models that offer explanations for gender and
political orientation variations in DPS particularly salient.
The effect of public opinion on death penalty law and policy
[Insert 2 paragraphs]
Trends over time in support for the death penalty
[Insert 1 paragraph]
Socio-demographic correlates of death penalty support
[Insert 2 paragraphs]
Explanations DPS variations by gender and political orientation
[Insert 3 paragraphs]
Summary
[Insert 1 paragraph]