Project Description

Client Instruction

Job Title: Dissertation Literature Review Researcher & Citation Management Assistant

Objective:
Support the preparation of a comprehensive literature review for a doctoral dissertation by identifying, summarizing, and entering peer-reviewed academic sources into structured databases, while ensuring accurate referencing, synthesis, and APA 7th edition compliance.

Scope of Work:

1. Literature Collection

   • Identify and download a minimum of 150 peer-reviewed articles, books, and dissertations relevant to the research topic.

   • Prioritize sources from Scopus, Web of Science, JSTOR, ProQuest, and Google Scholar.

   • Ensure inclusion of both seminal works and recent (last 5 years) studies.

2. Data Entry & Reference Management

   • Enter each source into EndNote/Zotero + Excel log.

   • Capture bibliographic data: author, year, title, journal, DOI, abstract.

   • Code sources by themes, theories, methodology, and findings.

   • Maintain cross-references for use in multiple dissertation chapters.

3. Literature Review Writing & Editing

   • Write a 100–120 page literature review draft, divided by thematic categories.

   • Summarize each study’s methodology, findings, and gaps.

   • Compare and contrast competing theories or approaches.

   • Ensure proper APA 7th edition in-text citations.

   • Edit for coherence, flow, and alignment with the dissertation research questions.

4. Quality & Compliance Checks

   • Prepare annotated bibliography (40–50 pages).

   • Verify that all 150+ sources are cited correctly in-text and in the reference list.

   • Conduct a Turnitin plagiarism scan (<8% similarity).

   • Cross-check references against journal/publisher sites for accuracy.

Deliverables:

• Excel reference log (150+ entries with bibliographic metadata + thematic coding).

• EndNote/Zotero library export file with all sources organized by folders.

• Dissertation Literature Review draft (Word, 100–120 pages).

• Annotated bibliography (Word, 40–50 pages).

• Plagiarism report (PDF) with similarity index.

• Summary report (Word, 10–15 pages) highlighting major themes, debates, and research gaps.

Required Data Fields (Excel Reference Log):

• Source ID

• Author(s)

• Year

• Title

• Journal / Publisher

• DOI / URL

• Research Type (Qualitative / Quantitative / Mixed)

• Methodology Used

• Key Findings

• Theoretical Framework

• Theme/Category Code

• Notes / Relevance to Dissertation

Special Instructions:

• Deadline: September 7th, 2025 (11:59 PM EST).

• All work must follow APA 7th edition formatting.

• Sources must be a balance of classic and recent studies (min. 30 from the last 2 years).

• Deliverables must be cross-checked for consistency between in-text citations and reference list.

• All summaries must be paraphrased in academic language (no copy-pasting).

• Confidentiality is required – all dissertation materials must remain private.

Material Source:
Initial dissertation proposal, topic outline, and access to university e-library credentials will be shared upon hire.