What are the psychological issues with children with cancer and their families?
1. Select a research topic and identify relevant articles.
Choose a current, well-studied, specific topic
Pick a topic that interests you
You may need to narrow (or) broaden your topic based on whether you are drowning in research articles or having trouble finding sufficient research
Consider several topics, and keep an open mind. Don’t fall in love with a topic before you find how much research has been done in that area. By exploring different topics, you may discover something that is newly exciting to you!
You can conduct your search using popular online databases. This link provides info on how to find research articles using online and library resources – https://www.apa.org/education-career/undergrad/library-research
Links to an external site.
Select 5-6 research articles that are no older than 10 years
2. Read the articles until you understand what about them is relevant to your review.
Scan the article to identify the answers to these questions:
Why did they do the study?
Why does it matter? (The research question and hypotheses)
What did they do? (Methods)
What did they find? (Results)
What does it mean? (Discussion)
3. Digest the articles: Understand the main points well enough to write about them.
Create a summary sheet of each article’s key points. This will help you to integrate each article into your paper. Read for depth.
4. Write the review
Main Goal: Your goal is to evaluate a body of literature; i.e., to “identify relations, contradictions, gaps, and inconsistencies” and “suggest next steps to solve the research problem” (APA Publication Manual 2010, p. 10). Begin writing when you have decided on your story and how to organize your research to support that story.
Organization: Organize the literature review to highlight the theme that you want to emphasize – the story that you want to tell. Literature reviews tend to be organized something like this:
Introduction:
Introduce the research topic (what it is, why does it matter)
Frame the story: narrow the research topic to the studies you will discuss
Briefly outline how you have organized the review
Body:
Use theme headings to organize your argument
Describe, compare, and evaluate studies for each section of your argument under your headings
Describe the relevant parts of each study and explain why it is relevant to the subtopic at hand.
Compare the studies if need be, to discuss their implications (i.e., your interpretation of what the studies show and whether there are important differences or similarities)
Evaluate the importance of each study or group of studies, as well as the implications for the subtopic, and where research should go from here
Conclusion: Final evaluation, summation and conclusion
Final evaluation and summation: On a broader scale, relating to your main theme, tell your reader what you conclude and why. Reiterate your main claims and outline the evidence that supports them. Conclusion: How does your evaluation change or add to current knowledge in the field? What future studies are implied by your analysis? How would such studies add to current knowledge of the topic?
Research Paper Guidelines
Your paper should be 6 pages in length. Type and format your assignment in 12 pt. font size; one inch margins; and double-spaced.
Don’t forget to cite using APA format in the body of the paper
Include a title page. This page is separate from the 6 page requirement.
Include a Reference/Bibliography page at the end using the APA format. This page is separate from the 6 page requirement.
Rubric is provided as a separate document
Introduction (Paragraph 1 & 2)
Describe the topic you investigated
Significance of the topic: Why is it important to the field? Why is it important to explore the topic?
Background information on the topic
Body of the Literature Paper (Paragraphs 3 to 10)
Locate 5-6 research articles, and for each article discuss the following information
Summary of the Research
Analysis of key findings and trends, and
Discussion of any conflicting information in the research
Paragraph 11 & 12
What are some common points and contradictions in all the above research articles
Discuss limitations of each research
Identify gaps – is there more info needed in each research conducted
Conclusion (Paragraph 13 and possibly 14)
Summarize the main findings of your investigation
Suggest potential questions for future research
Reiterate why more research may be needed on this topic
