Literature Review

The purpose of the literature review is to provide the context within which the project will be developed and framed. The process of finding, reviewing, synthesizing, analyzing, and writing the literature review provides greater definition to the theoretical framework and gives you a strong foundation from which to work when developing support for the research concept.

You will continue developing your literature review, integrating and synthesizing the information gleaned as you developed your research topic, your LSQ, your annotated bibliography, and your abstracted outline.

In this assessment, you will focus on developing brief, carefully constructed paragraphs supported by the literature and research. You will research and present key findings of your literature review that you may not have addressed or that may need further development. Plan to build upon what you have already presented.

Instructions
For this assessment, submit the current draft of your literature review for instructor feedback and grading. Using your literature search question (LSQ), the annotated bibliography, and the abstracted outline to support your review, identify themes that emerge from your analysis of what we know so far about your topic. Use these themes to describe how your research builds on prior knowledge.

For instance, if your LSQ is What does the literature in psychology tell us about the utility of treating mild depression in adults with a combination of synchronous and asynchronous labyrinth walking and cognitive behavioral therapy? you might discuss literature that covers the themes of exercise and depression, cognitive behavioral therapy and depression, walking meditation and depression, mindfulness and depression, and so on. Do not organize the paper by referencing each article sequentially; your task is to synthesize concepts pertinent to the LSQ from the articles selected for this review.

-Identify literature that:
Describes the chosen area of research and provides rationale for the choice.
Describes the significance of the chosen topic:
Explain and justify the implications of the new knowledge for stakeholders, including community members and those who serve the population.

-Summarize sources applicable to the history of the chosen topic:
Discuss historical context and dominant themes in the evolution of the topic; connect common themes and present counteropinions.
Consider theory in light of seminal works by theorists such as Urie Bronfenbrenner, Sigmund Freud, B.F. Skinner, Carol Gilligan, Jean Piaget, Erving Goffman, and Clark Moustakas.

-Summarize sources applicable to the theoretical background of the chosen topic:
Provide information about theoretical underpinnings such as empirical/behavioral or constructivist and humanistic orientations of the literature reviewed.
Consider theory in light of seminal works by theorists such as Urie Bronfenbrenner, Sigmund Freud, B.F. Skinner, Carol Gilligan, Jean Piaget, Erving Goffman, Clark Moustakas, Martha Bernal, and George I. Sanchez.

-Summarize sources applicable to best practices for engaging in research:
Describe data-collection strategies, research procedures, and approaches for conducting and reporting research.

-Summarize sources that add significance and relevance to the knowledge base of psychology:
Indicate how the chosen sources help investigators identify topics that are well understood and other topics that represent gaps in the knowledge base and the need for further study.
Create a scenario that illustrates the need for new research.

-Articulate guidelines of the profession applicable to ethical conduct in research practice:
Demonstrate ethical conduct associated with the protection of research subject vulnerabilities such as the need for data privacy.

-Identify practices and research guidelines that address respect for individual differences and diversity:
Address individual variation and diversity within and across groups. For example, when writing about marriage and family therapy, acknowledge research choices that exclude or include subgroups such as gay and lesbian families or families of particular racial, ethnic, or cultural compositions.

-Adhere to APA style and formatting guidelines, including concise and well-organized writing:
Organize paper to enhance the message and supporting points; writing should reflect the quality and expertise expected for academic work.
Organize and summarize sources thematically.

Your task is to present current considerations important to investigators and to indicate ramifications for stakeholders who rely on the current knowledge base. Use illustrative examples to explain and highlight key concepts. Good reviewers share evidence-based assessments of the current state of knowledge with their audiences.

This assessment is one component of the research concept paper. You are expected to refine this literature review before submitting the final project. Use the research concept paper template to complete the literature review. There are additional details in the template to help guide the completion of this assessment.

Attached is the research concept template required to complete this paper along with the Annotated Bibliography.