8 page MINIMUM (no max page specified)
APA Style Literature Review examining 5 peer reviewed empirical research studies from credible journals (no meta-analyses, dissertations, or literature reviews)
Summarize the works: As you introduce new works into your literature review, provide a brief summary that includes the author/s, year of publication, hypothesis, and purpose of research. However, avoid writing summaries like those in your first literature review paper (paper 1); these summaries are a few sentences that provide the reader with a quick overview of the article . These summaries will be synthesized smoothly with the discussion and not separated out from the analysis as in the first literature review paper.
Example: Unlike Jackson and Hewlitt (2010), Bell et al. (2011) studied children from middle class homes in California ranging in age from six to 14. These researchers wanted to determine if children from middle class homes eat vegetables on a regular basis, measuring regular as three times a week (p.2). Bell et al. hypothesized that these children would eat vegetables at least three times a week.
5) Each of the sources should seem as if they are having a flowing conversation among one another about the various methodologies, findings, and discussions addressed in/throughout the literature (studies) on the chosen topic. In other words, integrate the sources throughout the literature review to compare and contrast the literature under review. An example of this is:
Phillips and Hawthorne (2008) determined that young children that had mothers who worked in the home were far less likely to develop addictions as teens and young adults. Rogers et al. (2005) agreed with their assessment and claimed that young adults who reported that their mothers worked from home (or stayed at home and did not work) were far more likely to be productive members of society and less likely to engage in criminal activity (p.52). These claims also aligned with C.H. Workhorse’s (2010) study on mothers who worked outside of the home and the effect on young children. In this study, Workhorse determined that children who grew up in day cares and with nannies/non-parental caretakers were more likely to attach to peers and thus engage in illegal activities (p.7).
6) Include your analysis on the sources being discussed as they answer your research question/s about the overall research discussed on the topic as well as demonstrate inconsistencies, similarities, holes/gaps, prompt further questions, etc. among the literature. Furthermore, this analysis should not be about whether or not you agree/disagree with the arguments.
7) Make sure you document each source correctly (see APA Manual 7th edition) as you write this review. Also be sure to format the paper with headings according to APA standards (review APA Manual as well as Galvan).
8) Include an APA references page (be sure to reference ALL the resources you used in your paper and NONE that you didn’t)
are double spaced throughout
*use 12 point font
*have headings
*have a title page
*have an abstract
*have an opening section
*have a conclusion
Organizational Model:
Title Page according to APA format (includes page number, paper title, your name, department name, university name, course number and title, the professor’s name, and date). (See APA Manual (7th edition)). Page 1 of manuscript.
2. Abstract: a brief (250 words or less) summary of your paper (See APA Manual (7th edition)). Page 2 of manuscript.
3. Opening/ Introduction (approx. 1 page long): Define the research context by giving a general introduction to the topic and by presenting the specific question or problem under study. It is helpful to start the paper broadly with information or a credible non-personal example that captures your reader’s interest. Consider starting with a real life non-personal example (one that transitions into statistics to support it is best) of why this research topic is important, before you get into the previous research. Begins on Page 3 of manuscript.
4. Background/Literature Review (approx. 4 pages long) Summarize the empirical research relevant to your topic and research question, focusing on the main methods, findings, and conclusions of 3-4 empirical, peer reviewed studies.Cite the sources of all ideas that are not your own— APA style focuses on the authors by last name with the year in parentheses. Begins on Page 3 or 4 of manuscript and is several pages long.
When beginning sentences to introduce ideas presented in the studies:
Best: Previous research suggests that …(Mather & Carstensen, 2008).
Better: Smith and Jones (2012) found that….
Good: A study by Smith and Jones…
Avoid: In 2009, Smith and Jones…
Avoid: Smith and Jones, in an article entitled, “How to write a yucky sentence”…
Summaries: Assume the reader is intelligent, but has not read the articles, so make your review concise. In other words, do not review every detail of each article, but rather the points that are important for the question you posed in the Opening. In general, you should focus on the major research question posed in each article, what the researchers did to investigate the questions and what the researchers found.
–Format the literature review summaries the following way for each study reviewed:
Opening: includes the study’s authors, hypotheses, purpose, and additional introductory information. Avoid stating the name of the study.
Methods: includes a summary of the methods used in the study.
Results/Findings: includes a summary of the results/findings described in the study. You may also include any information the author provides in the Discussion that you think is necessary.
5. Synthesis (approx. 1-2 pages long): After you have reviewed the major methods and findings from your selected studies, you should follow up by comparing and contrasting the findings and tying them in with the research question you raised in your introduction. It is crucial that you integrate and tie together your selected studies to give your reader a sense of how they address your research question. How are these studies alike?How are they different? Compare and contrast them and try to reconcile them. You should also point out areas that need further clarification (gaps), seem weak, biased, or inconsistent, or which are not addressed in the literature but need to be.
6. Conclusion (about ½-1page) End your discussion by pointing out the importance of the findings. In other words, come back to the “Big Picture.” Discuss:
a) the implications of the findings (how the findings might be important for future practice, policy, and research),
b) practical applications (e.g., real world applications or ways in which the findings can improve our general ability to understand, predict behavior or solve a problem, and just be better as a society),
c) the next logical, possible next steps in this area of research.
