Literature Review Discussion Assignment
INSTRUCTIONS
Over the course of the semester, students will develop and investigate a research topic addressing a contemporary ethical issue or problem in the social work profession (e.g., court decision, proposed law or policy change, practice modality, etc.). Using course readings and activities, as well as a search of peer-reviewed, professional literature to guide you, write a research paper on a topic of your interest related to ethical practice and the social work profession. Your finished paper should be approximately 8 – 10 pages in length and include the following essential elements:
- Literature Review: This review should reflect an analysis and synthesis of the literature on your topic in a manner that answers the research question as stated above. Be sure to fully and accurately describe how members of the social work profession currently address the issue of concern, as well as any specific historical movement or theory underlying that strategy. The content of the review should demonstrate proper use of paraphrasing, quotations, and citations using APA Style guidelines. (Matrix of 4 – 6 peer-reviewed sources due Week 3. Annotated bibliography due Sunday of Week 4. Draft of full review due Sunday of Week 5.) Literature Review Discussion Assignment
Steps for Development
First, review the following tutorials:
Saint Mary’s Library Services: Constructing Searches: Standard version (Links to an external site.) | iPad version (Links to an external site.)
Saint Mary’s Library Services: Credibility tutorial: Standard version (Links to an external site.) | iPad version (Links to an external site.)
Second, locate 5-7 scholarly articles relevant to your proposal topic. Articles may include those used for last week’s “Background of the topic” mini-paper if they are deemed relevant and scholarly.
Third, using these 5- 7 resources, create a literature review matrix. The matrix should identify the key themes that emerged from the literature (i.e., the 5-7 resources), identify the resources, and include a snippet of information associated with the theme and respective resources. See rubric for details.
Use this handout from Saint Mary’s Twin Cities Writing Center to structure your matrix.
Here is an example of a completed literature review matrix to help you format your work.