The next logical step in writing my literature review is to outline it. I am now at that point in my planning. I am anxious to begin researching and writing my paper, but first things first. I need to plan this project carefully and thoughtfully. My dissertation, beginning with this literature review, is arguably the most important project I have ever undertaken in my long career.

My research topic involves studying the influence of Web 2.0 technologies on Millennial students, those who were born from 1981 to 2001. I want to study whether or not heavy use of Web 2.0 technologies adversely affects their interpersonal communication. Long credited as being the most tech-savvy generation, does this easy ability with Web 2.o technologies come at the expense of interpersonal communication skill and ability?  Can Millennial students carry on effective two-way, verbal  conversations?

Literature on this and closely related topics is probably located across many disciplines — education, psychology, communication, and computer science, etc. There should also be extensive literature on Dyadic communication, the method of communication that only involves two people such as a face-to-face job interview, telephone conversation, letters, etc.

Therefore, I see my literature review organized as a funnel, as described by Diana Ridley in The Literature Review (Sage, 2008, chapter 6). It seems to me that I must first explore an extensive amount of research into a broad area of related topics to gradually funnel down to my target.

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