Synthesize conceptual information pertinent to the research question; this is information that you extract from the articles selected for this review. Submit a draft literature review.

Note: Developing a research proposal requires specific steps that need to be executed in a sequence. The assessments in this course are presented in sequence and must be completed in order. You may only turn in one assessment at a time. Subsequent submissions should include highlighted changes.

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Literature Review

A literature review is a classification and evaluation of what scholars and researchers have written on a topic, organized according to a guiding concept, application, or practice, such as the topic that you have selected to develop your Integrative Project: Chapters 1–5. Your objective is to demonstrate your ability to recognize significant and integral information, to synthesize and evaluate that information, and to provide a description, summary, and critical evaluation of each work. The purpose is to offer an overview of significant literature published on your topic. The process of finding, reviewing, synthesizing, and writing the literature review provides greater definition to the theoretical framework and gives you a strong foundation from which to work when developing your actual application or intervention.

Your Literature Review (CHAPTER 2) should include a conceptually organized synthesis of the results of the review that clearly delineates what is known, what is not known, and what is controversial regarding your topic or area of practice. The process will also give you a strong foundation from which to work when developing your methodology in CHAPTER 3.

It may be helpful to use the following questions as you review the literature:

What findings are pertinent to your specific issue?

Are the concepts key to the research as you prepare the Literature Review?

Analyze the relationships among the related studies instead of presenting a series of seemingly unrelated abstracts or annotations. “The introduction should motivate the study. The reader should understand why the problem should be researched and why the study represents a contribution to existing knowledge” (Rudner & Schafer, 1999, pg 2). The study should be motivated by its scientific importance.

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

Competency 1: Determine the scientific merit of the professional literature. Evaluate sources applicable to the history of the chosen topic.

Summarize sources applicable to the theoretical background of chosen topic.

Summarize sources applicable to the history of the chosen topic.

Summarize sources applicable to the best practices for engaging in research.

Summarize sources that add significance and relevance to the knowledge base of psychology.

Competency 2: Apply theoretical and research findings from the discipline of psychology to professional and academic activities.

Describe an area of research.

Competency 4: Embrace, respect, and respond to individual differences and diversity in the practice of psychology.

Identify practices and research guidelines that address respect for individual differences and diversity.

Competency 5: Communicate psychological concepts effectively using the professional standards of the discipline.

Describe the significance of the chosen topic.

Competency 6: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for members of the psychological profession.

Adhere to APA style and formatting guidelines; writing is concise and well-organized.

Preparation

For this assessment, you will submit the current draft of your literature review for feedback and grading.

Do not organize the paper by referencing each article in order one by one. Your task is to synthesize conceptual information pertinent to the research question; this is the information that you extract from the articles selected for this review.

Plan to identify articles and research that:

Describe an area of research.

Describe the area of research chosen and justify the choice.

Summarize sources applicable to the theoretical background of the chosen topic.

Provide information about theoretical underpinnings such as empirical or behavioral or constructivist and humanistic orientations of the literature reviewed.

Summarize sources applicable to the history of chosen topic.

Shed light on the historical context and dominant themes in the evolution of the topic; connect common themes and discuss counter opinions.

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.

Identifie practices and research guidelines that address respect for individual differences and diversity.

Address individual variation and diversity within and across groups.

Organize and summarize sources thematically.

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

This assessment is one component of the integrated project. It is expected that you will continue to refine this literature review before submitting the final project.

Instructions

Format your assessment as follows:

Table of Contents (TOC).

Title page.

Chapter headings (should start on new page).

Subheadings.

Please note: It is important to keep in mind that paragraphs are not comprised of two sentences and paragraphs should be indented. Additionally, refrain from quoting unless paraphrasing disrupts the integrity of the original quote. If direct quotation is used, it should be in the proper APA format.

Additional Requirements

Font and spacing: Times New Roman, 12 point font, double-spaced pages.

Style and format: Follow the current APA guidelines for style and format.