Overview
The ability to write an effective literature review is key to your development as a scholar. Essential to that effort is an exhaustive search of the literature based on an appropriate search strategy and the skills to analyze sources and identify main themes in the literature.
This assignment provides an opportunity for you to execute a search strategy that produces optimal results, analyze the sources you have found, and identify main themes.
Instructions
Complete this assignment in three steps.
Step 1: Develop and Execute an Appropriate Search Strategy.
Write a detailed, 2–3 page description of an appropriate literature search strategy. Then, use that strategy to locate a minimum of 20 scholarly sources, published within the last five years (unless seminal, practice guideline, or consensus statement), addressing your PICO or PICO(D) question. You may need to locate additional sources if you do not have at least two sources that address the same main theme (see Step 3). You may find it helpful to view the media presentation, Forming a Search Strategy, linked in the course room navigation menu.
Note: In Week 6, you will have the opportunity to refine your search strategy based on faculty feedback and on lessons learned executing your initial strategy in this assignment.
Step 2: Document and Analyze the Evidence.
Analyzing the evidence you have gathered in a literature search will enable you to develop a coherent synthesis of your findings. Use the Evidence Table linked in Resources to document and analyze the source materials you have located for this assignment.
Step 3: Identify Main Themes in the Literature.
Organizing your evidence by main themes or ideas addressed in each source will help you identify commonalities and differences in research questions, methodologies, and findings, as well as gaps in the research. Use the Main Themes Table linked in Resources to document the main themes addressed in each of your sources. If you do not have at least two sources that address the same main theme, continue your search.
Graded Requirements
The following requirements correspond to the assignment rubric criteria, so be sure to address each point. Read the performance-level descriptions for each criterion to see how your work will be assessed.
- Describe an appropriate literature search strategy.
- Include search terms, medical subject headings (MeSH), hand searches, the number of pieces found, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the number of pieces retained and why.
- Consider a search strategy that extends beyond published studies, which may include systematic reviews, government publications and, as applicable, dissertations or thesis reports, also known as gray material.
- Limit your search to sources published within the last five years. Sources older than five years should only be included in your literature synthesis if they are influential or clearly valuable and professionally relevant to your project.
- Analyze the literature addressing your PICO or PICO(D) question.
- Accomplish this task by using the evidence table for your analysis of each source.
- Organize the literature by main themes.
- You will accomplish this task by completing the main themes table.
- Look for points of synthesis among sources related to a particular theme.
- Consider supporting and opposing viewpoints.
- Write clearly and concisely in a logically coherent and appropriate form and style.
- Write with a specific purpose and audience in mind.
- Adhere to scholarly and disciplinary writing standards.
- Proofread your writing to minimize errors that could distract readers and make it difficult for them to focus on the substance of your literature synthesis.
- Apply APA formatting to in-text citations and references.
Literature Search Format and Organization
- Format your literature synthesis description using APA style. Use the APA Style Paper Template linked in Resources. An APA Style Paper Tutorial is also provided to help you in writing and formatting your document. Be sure to include:
- A title page and references page. An abstract is not required.
- Appropriate section headings.
- Your assignment should comprise 2–3 content pages plus title and references pages. Submit your search strategy description, evidence table, and main themes table with this assignment.
Refer to the helpful links in Resources as you prepare your assignment.
