Writing a Literature Review

Each summary of a selected journal article should include a section that addresses the main points or ideas found in the article. It should conclude with your own statement evaluating the quality of the article and relating the article to your own evidence-based practice topic.

The literature review assignment has two parts: Part 1 is the summation of six or more peer reviewed current articles that relate to your evidence-based practice project; Part 2 is the abstract and keywords assignment.

Unit 2 Assignment Part 1:

 When summarizing the articles, address the following for each entry:

Introduction:

• What parts of the topic does the source emphasize or de-emphasize?

Methodology

• What assumptions does the author make about the topic or audience?
• Did there appear to be any bias or slant in the source?
• Were there any obvious omissions that seem important to the ideas being discussed?

Findings

• Does the evidence clearly support the author’s main points?

Conclusion

• What is the ‘take home” message that you learned from this article?

Relevance

• How is this article going to be of benefit to you in the design and implementation of your evidence-based practice project?

Anyone reading your summation of each of the articles should be able to understand how each one individually contributes to your EBP topic.

Use the following process for Part 1 of this assignment:

1. Title of the article and keywords used
2. Summary of the article, addressing the bullet points listed above
3. Reference list
4. Each article summation should be one page (approximately 250 words).

For full credit, a minimum of six (6) peer reviewed articles less than 5 years old should be reviewed. 

Part 2: The Abstract and Keywords:

The abstract should be a synthesis of the chosen articles for the literature review. It is important that the abstract has a conclusion that addresses the cumulative strengths and limitations that were discovered within the chosen articles. An abstract is typically between 100-250 words and is on a separate page from the main text.

Keywords represent both the EBP topic and the words frequently used to describe the topic. Choosing the most appropriate keywords will facilitate the literature review process and ensure that the most relevant articles are found. Combining search terms in a way that a database can understand is important. Use the Boolean operators to narrow the results to those sources that best represent the chosen topic. Avoid using keyword phrases. Keywords should be listed after the abstract and are written in lower case.

To view the Grading Rubric for this Assignment, please visit the Grading Rubrics section of the Course Resources.

Assignment Requirements

Before finalizing your work, you should:

• be sure to read the Assignment description carefully (as displayed above)
• consult the Grading Rubric (under the Course Resources) to make sure you have included everything necessary
• utilize spelling and grammar check to minimize errors

Your writing Assignment should:

• follow the conventions of Standard English (correct grammar, punctuation, etc.);
• be well ordered, logical, and unified, as well as original and insightful;
• display superior content, organization, style, and mechanics; and
• be 5-7 pages in length, not including the cover page, abstract or references
• follow APA, 7th ed. formatting of content and references