Cutting out the literature review?

[StudyinMountains]

Hi everyone! I'm new to this forum.

I'm currently in the process of applying for PhD programs in political science. I'm in my senior year. My senior honors thesis will not be complete by the time I have graduate applications due. Howeer, I do have a paper that was published in an undergraduate politics journal that is pretty good. I have polished it up, and I think it will communicate my ability to write well and carry out research in the field. However, it's about 5-7 pages too long for most programs. So, I'm thinking I will have to cut it down.

I was thinking of taking out the literature review section (4 pages), in addition to overall cutting. My thinking is that such a section's function is to provide context for the research. I imagine most graduate committee members will be just fine reading the paper without the literature review. Any thoughts on this? Advice?

Thank you for the help!

[Tigla]

I always suggest cutting literature review parts then doing overall cuts. The ADCOM are professionals and know the lay of the field. If they do not, then they have access to our potential advisors which can answer questions about the field. Therefore, I agree with your idea to cut the literature review section and move forward from there. If you are still stuck, then ask a colleague to do some brutal and honest cuts of the entire paper. Maybe they will find something that you missed or can explain it in a more thorough and precise manner.