Paper #1: Literature Review and Critique

 (worth 100 points)

 

Paper #1 is a literature review and critique. The purpose of the paper is twofold. The assignment is intended to both (a) encourage you to think about your broad interests and conceptual hypotheses in light of previous research and (b) familiarize you with relevant research and a variety of ways in which you may approach the task of designing an experiment to test your predictions. Achieving these goals requires that you are able to think critically about and identify potential flaws with published research, as well as being able to read and understand research.

 

Requirements: What to do and what to turn in

  1. Title Page in APA format (see Ray)
  2. The Literature Review: Components of a Good Review
    1. Begin with a clear statement of the topic of interest. What are you interested in and why is this topic important?  This broad statement should start the paper.
    2. Note the goals of the paper.  What are you going to do in the present paper?  In other words, why are you reviewing the articles you selected? How do they related to and/or inform your topic.  Note this at the outset so that the reader understands why you have selected the articles you are reviewing.
    3. Once you have noted the goals of the paper, review the articles. Reiterate and clearly restate why each article is relevant to your research question. Then

                                                    i.     Note the thesis or hypothesis addressed by the article

                                                   ii.     Methods used

                                                  iii.     Findings and how they are consistent with or inconsistent with the hypotheses

                                                 iv.     Comments on how the research informs (or fails to inform, because of oversights, shortcomings, confounds, different definitions/operationalizations of variables) your thinking about your own work.

    1. End with a summary or conclusion statement, noting the important points raised in the review
  1. References in APA format.

 

If you do this well, Paper #1 should be a good introduction to your research proposal (Paper 2).

Thus, in Paper #1 you should be sure to

 

Your paper must be in APA format, as described in lab, Chapter 15 (and Appendices A, B, and C) of the Ray text:

1)     Attach a copy of the evaluation sheet with your name and the title of your paper

This should be attached at the end of the paper

2)     No authors notes or footnotes are necessary

 

The body (or text) of your paper should be approximately 7 to 9 pages in length (not counting the title page, abstract and references) and should review at least 3 published research articles (one of which you may have already done given lab assignment #3). Although we are not grading on the basis of length, if your paper is much shorter or much longer than this you are probably doing something wrong and you should talk to you TA.

 

Name_________________________________________                                   Section_______

 

 

Title_________________________________________________________________________

 

 

GRADING CRITERIA

 

APA-Styled Title Page                                                                           (5 points)          ______

 

Review & Critique of relevant research                                                    (40 points)        ______

 

            Statement of broad focus of paper          

            to which all articles are relevant and

the goals of your review                                                 (5)        ______

 

            Description of the research questions, methods

            and findings of each research article                                (20)      ______

 

Critique and thoughts about each article, with
focus on how they relate to your topic and thinking          (15)      ______

 

Narrative discussion of the important issues your review raises

with respect to your specific interests and a discussion of how you would

 test the hypothesis (or hypotheses) in light of your review (25 points)                                ______

                       

Discussion of how your review informed your

thinking about research hypothesis and your

operationalization of variables                                         (15)     _____

 

            Discussion of relevant design issues                                 (10)      _____

 

Writing: Clarity, Grammar, and APA format                                            (30 points)        ______

 

 

Notes: 

1)     It is assumed that your paper will be clearly written and use proper grammar. A paper lacking these features may lose more then the 30 points noted above. As a rule, a poorly written and grammatically flawed paper (even one that that covers all of the other points perfectly) will earn a grade of no higher than a C. Please allow enough time to complete the assignment and proof read your work. 

2)     A 10-point penalty applies if you do not cite at least 3 research articles. An additional 10-point penalty applies if you do not include a copy of the abstracts from each article cited.

 

NOTE: You MUST turn in a copy of each of the articles you review. If you do not turn in these supporting materials your paper will receive a score of zero.

 

TOTAL (out of 100)                                                                                                     ______

 

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