Chapter 3 � Reviewing the Literature � Lecture Notes

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PSY 650 – Dr. V 1

PSY 650 – Lecture Notes
Chapter 3 – Reviewing the Literature

Learning Objectives
1. To understand the components of a literature review.
2. To present methods for organizing your literature.
3. To have knowledge of counseling-related databases.
4. To identify methods of analyzing the current Literature.
5. To identify potential goals for conducting a review.
6. To delineate the basic components of APA style.
Reviewing the Literature
 Writing the literature review is an extensive process you must undergo that entails searching
for, organizing, and summarizing the related research and literature on a particular topic.
 5 Steps in Writing the Literature Review
1. Identify a topic for investigation
2. Locate the relevant literature
3. Critically evaluate the existing literature
4. Organize the quality and relevant information outlining the writing process
5. Present the information identifying the existing research and _________________________
___________________________________________________
Researching a Topic
Area of Interest
 Begins with your idea, question, or topic
 Caution in investigating topics that are:
 _____________________________________________
 _____________________________________________
 _____________________________________________
 _____________________________________________
 It is important to search and sift through all of the information encasing the topic of interest
 Are there areas to expand upon within this topic?
 What are the benefits and limitations of existing studies and will a new study add to
the literature? – i.e., __________________
 What are the limitations of the study under consideration?
 What do previous studies suggest for future research?
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Contributions of the Existing Literature
 Conducting a literature review will orient the researcher with existing literature.
 The researcher will seek to demonstrate how a topic or question ______________________
___________________________________________________________________________
 The researcher seeks to demonstrate that work is not an unnecessary replication of a study.
 Is there an “added value” to the literature by way of expanding and clarifying the
existing literature?
o ______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Locating, Exploring, & Analyzing the Literature
 Relevant literature may take several forms including books, book chapters, published journal
articles, conference papers or presentations, unpublished theses or doctoral dissertations.
 When choosing sources consider:
 Is it scholarly work?
 Does it have application to the topic?
 Is it based on theory?
Scholarly Sources
 Published ___________________ are the most common and respected source of literature.
 Published journal articles require an editorial board to review the work, make corrections,
and determine publishability.
 The work has been reviewed (“blind”), edited, critiqued, and corrected.
 Decision is based on quality of article, not reputation of the writer.
 Other quality sources: Edited books (typically by chapters), conference
papers/presentations, theses/doctoral dissertations
 Need to be cautious with information found on the internet – need to corroborate
information with scholarly sources
 ____________________________________________________________________
 Primary sources are typically better than secondary.
Libraries
 Libraries often hold archival pieces of information and other types of primary sources that
cannot be retrieved online. Good researchers get acquainted with the library catalog,
reference desk, and programs and systems for accessing information.
 The above statement is sort of true, but not really…
 ___________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________
Electronic Databases
 Online databases are electronic sources the library pays a fee to have access to. Published
articles are found through electronic databases. They search thousands of journals, books,
chapters in edited books, government documents, newspapers, and theses/dissertations.
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Common databases for social and behavioral sciences:
 *_____________________________ - largest scholarly, multi-disciplinary, full text database.
 Dissertation Abstracts Online – dissertations accepted from U.S. accredited institutions.
 Education Abstracts – indexes abstracts of articles from periodicals.
 Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) – clearinghouse for all areas of educational
research
 Mental Measurements Yearbook Database – text for the most recent versions of the Mental
Measurements Yearbook.
 *_________________ – produced by APA and includes citations and summaries of scholarly
journal articles, book chapters, books, and dissertations in psychology and related disciplines.
Assumption College’s Electronic Databases
 http://www1.assumption.edu/dept/Library/
 Go to Assumption College’s homepage
 Click on “Academics” (at top of page)
 Click on “Library” (on the left of page)
 Click on “Search Databases”(middle of page)
Search Criteria
 Most researchers begin with the general terms familiar to the subject.
 Consider pairing terms as key words.
 Be aware of key words highlighted by the database being utilized.
 Can search within “title,” “text,” “keyword,” etc.
 Typically best to focus on published work within the last decade (excluding seminal work)
Organizing and Presenting the Information
 The literature review _____________________________________________________________
 It informs the reader of the rationale for the research and how the research is relevant to their field.
 Begins with an introduction to the topic.
 Present an overview of the relevance of the subject.
Before Writing
 Read the Abstract of each article to make sure it is appropriate
 Read the complete article and take notes
 Create a “literature review” sheet with major themes, quotes, and conclusions (and any
other pertinent information) for each article
 Number your articles, create an outline, and determine what articles will be discussed
within each section of your outline
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While Writing
 ___________________________________________________________________________
 Organize the existing research by points of relevance and elaborate on conclusions in the
existing body of research.
 Organize by theoretical foundation and draw relationships between the current project and
previous studies.
APA Style
 The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition (2009)
provides a standardized formatting style for writing, organizing, and referencing research.
 http://www.apastyle.org/manual/index.aspx
 http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
 http://www.amazon.com/Publication-Manual-American-Psychological-
Association/dp/1433805618
 It facilitates the communication of new ideas and research.
 Includes organization of ideas, syntax and grammar, language bias, and references.
 Format your writing when the first draft is initiated including:
 12 point Times New Roman or Courier
 Margins set at 1 inch at top, bottom, and both sides
 Page numbers in the upper right-hand side (beginning with Title Page)
 Running head in the upper left-hand side
 Software programs may be utilized to eliminate potential errors in basic APA Style.
 But be careful… only as good as one’s knowledge/ability to use the program
Title Page
 Running head for publication
 Title of paper
 Author’s name
 Author’s institution
 (If for a class: Include course number, professor’s name, date)
 The title page is numbered page 1
_______________
 Located on page 2
 ________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________
 Intended to provide a succinct and accurate snapshot version of the writing.
 Typically one of the last pieces written.
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_______________
 “Levels of heading establish via format or appearance the hierarchy of sections to orient
the reader”(APA, 2001, p. 111).
 APA recognizes five levels of headers depending on the number of subheadings needed.
References
 Providing accurate sources for the research being reported is critical to the well-written
literature review.
 APA style offers formatting guides for all types of references including journal articles,
books or portions of books, electronic media, and personal interviews.
Plagiarism
 Plagiarism is presenting another’s ideas as your own.
 Plagiarism is often unintentional.
 Sourcing material involves providing the information to access the full body of the work
being referenced.
 ________________________________________________________________________
Quotations
 Before using quotations consider the following:
 _________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
 Is it critical to present the work in the original author’s tone and intent?
 Are the phrases used idiosyncratic to that author and worthy of quoting?
The Art of Writing
 Write from broadest point, a general overview of the topic at hand, and end with the narrowest points
 ______________________________________________________________________________
 Allow time for editing following the production of the first version
 Use sentences simple in structure
 Present ideas in well-formed paragraphs
 ______________________________________________________________________________
 Avoid jargon and hyperintellectualizing