Testing and Building and Qualitative and Quantitative Research.

Week 4: Theory Testing and Building and Qualitative and Quantitative Research
Book is Research Methods for social work eighth edition
By Allen Rubin and EARL R. BABBIE
• Week 4: Theory Testing and Building and Qualitative and Quantitative Research

Literature Review Assignment
Assignment
Each student will be required to write a 4-6 page paper on their research topic. You are required to submit 15 scholarly, peer reviewed articles. Students must synthesize the information from the articles to support their research proposals. Please see course text (p. 579) and your APA manual for example of writing a literature review (pp. 573-595). This is also a good website for examples and a “how to” http://www.duluth.umn.edu/~hrallis/guides/researching/litreview.html
What is a Literature Review?
A literature review is a summary of the research that has been published about a particular subject. It provides the reader with an idea about the current situation in terms of what has been done and what we need to know. The articles used for a literature review must be from professional journals, which mean we can trust that the authors are trained professionals, and others have examined their work. Some studies are more easily read and summarized than others. Be sure you feel comfortable with your choices, since it is difficult to summarize ideas you don’t understand. Once you have found the articles, read them and take notes. Write the literature review from your notes.
Writing the paper:
A literature review usually has three sections although they will not be identified in the paper.
1) Introduction: Introduce your topic and briefly explain why this is a significant or important area for study. Define terms if necessary.
2) Synthesized summary of articles (not a list): Briefly explain the purpose, how it was conducted (how information was gathered), and the major findings. When referring to an article, use the last name of author or authors and date of publication in the text.
3) Conclusion: Briefly summarize the major findings of the studies chosen. Comments about what questions need to still be answered may be included.
4) References: List the studies used on a separate page according to APA style format.
Grading: Please see Grading Criteria and Rubric in the Syllabus.