Posted: February 20th, 2015

Literature Review

Paper, Order, or Assignment Requirements

 

 

Assessment 1: Literature Review –

 Method Section-500 words

Assessment

Group/

Me  (1 mark for each item) Checklist

1. Include research question
2. Identify all databases searched; it is expected that you identify at least five

Databases(pubmed,cinahl,wiley online,medline,Cochrane library)

3. Identify all search terms as a) MeSH, b) database thesaurus compatible and c) free

text search in Table 1

4. Identify all limiters including the 20-year period of literature search e.g. 1995 to

2015; Boolean operators; use of wildcards; truncations etc.

5. Define and explain the inclusion criteria:
6. a) Identify the study designs (e.g. quantitative studies and/or qualitative

studies)

1. b) Identify the nature/type of intervention (for experimental studies)
2. c) Describe subjects and settings (i.e. the population characteristics)
3. d) Identify the publication type and language (e.g. peer-reviewed

articles published in English)

Define and explain the exclusion criteria

6. Explain process of first cull of articles. Identify number of duplicates and number

of articles rejected

7. Explain process of second cull of articles. Identify all studies ‘excluded with reason’

(second cull of articles). Cite up to four reasons for excluding these studies.

Correctly apply APA referencing method, using author/date only

8. Include PRISMA graphic
9. Adopt Method section template
10. Produce a transparent, reproducible Method sectionator

Min

 Literature review-3000words

Assessment

Group/

i choose a problem or topic from within the field ofcardiac nursing. Your literature review needs to demonstrate your capacity to identify the most important studies relevant to your research question, and to critique the work of other researchers. In relation to your topic of interest, conduct a thorough literature review and present it in a length and format suitable for publication. You need to nominate, and provide a justification for, the peer-reviewed journal most suitable for your literature review. Just include this information as a sentence or two before the Abstract.

The abstract is the only section of this task where you must comply with strict word limits,consistent with the expectation of many scholarly, peer-reviewed journals. There are no other word limits that apply to the sections of this task. I suggest that you distribute the remaining word count across the other sections of this task in general alignment with the allocation of marks. So, more words in the Discussion section compared with the Introduction, for example.

Abstract (5 marks) 250 words maximum

Provide a structured abstract of your review: Background, Method, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion.

Key words and key points (5 marks)

Include at least four key words or search terms used in the review, consistent with the terms included in Table 1. Include five key points (i.e. the take-home messages from the review) relevant to your discipline that reflect the salient findings from the literature review. These key points need to be composed as complete sentences, not as a series of bullet points.

Introduction (10 marks)

In this section you will need to:

• provide a background and context to the topic, include relevant theory
• define terms, if appropriate
• justify the importance or relevance of conducting the review:

◦ why is this review important and to whom?

◦ ‘set the scene’ for your reader

• include the purpose and/or aims of the review that explains what the review intends to accomplish, for example ‘The purpose of this review is to:

◦ ‘analyse the relationship between … ’

◦ ‘explore the impact of … ’

◦ ‘critique the evidence for … ’

The statement about the purpose of the review needs to be included in the last paragraph of the Introduction.

Methods(10marks)

resullts (10 marks)

 

Present a summary of the study designs and findings for the articles that meet the inclusion criteria For a literature review that includes quantitative studies, Table 2 should include information such as the sample size, age range of participants, the method of data collection, the findings,

and any other relevant study variable. You will need to prepare a separate table for qualitative studies because the study design features will be different to that of quantitative studies. Table 2 essentially provides the reader with an overview of the results and key study features orvariables of the studies included in your literature review.You need to summarise the key issues or themes to emerge from the analysis of the studies.

Present this information in a few paragraphs. Do not provide any interpretation of the study findings.

Discussion (15 marks)

In this section you will need to:

• discuss the extent of current knowledge related to the topic
• provide a critical analysis of the studies
• identify current issues, concerns, viewpoints and arguments
• comment on the strengths and weaknesses of study designs and literature findings

Refer to the information you have compiled presented in Table 2

• discuss the limitations, shortcomings and/or inconsistencies in the studies. Refer to the information presented in Table 2.
• briefly discuss implications for future research. This information will inform your approach to Assignment 3, which builds directly on this final point. It is expected that you also identify the appropriate study design/s necessary to build on the body of literature on your topic of interest; provide a justification for the proposed study design; this is your segue to Assignment 3.

Conclusion (5 marks)

In this section you will need to:

• summarise the main ideas presented in the review
• only include information presented and discussed in the review i.e. don’t introduce any new material or ideas in this section.

Presentation and reference list – For your information

Ensure all tables and Graphic 1 are numbered and given a title that tells the reader what information is presented in these tables/graphic. As previously stated it is expected that you obtain ideally no fewer than 12 relevant primary sources of literature for inclusion in this review. Secondary sources of literature (e.g. other reviews or scholarly articles) can be used to support material in the Introduction and Discussion sections only.

The marking criteria are designed to assess your ability to evaluate the breadth and significance of the literature relevant to your topic, identify the strengths and weaknesses in study designs and findings, and to meet the standard for submission of a manuscript for publication.

assignment 3: Research Proposal-3000words

A you need to present a research proposal designed to address the shortcomings or inconsistencies in the literature (identified in Assignment 2) and to address

your research question.

The research proposal needs to be sufficiently detailed to allow your project to be replicated. In other words you must provide a reproducible, step-by-step approach to the implementation of your proposed project. In writing this research proposal, focus on the following points.

Background and rationale (10 marks)

From your critique of the literature (Assignment 2) develop the background and rationale of your intended project. Do not make reference to ‘the literature review’. Instead cite the relevant studies from the review. You need to explain how this research project will address a gap in our knowledge or understanding of a topic, according to Assignment 2. This proposal needs to be a ‘standalone’ document, uncoupled from the literature review, which is considered a separate

assessment task. Also discuss the theoretical or methodological framework that best describes the types of studies already conducted on this topic. Provide aims and objectives for your research proposal.

Methods (10 marks)

Explain how this method will address your research question or why it is appropriate to your topic. Again, refer to the information in Table 2 in Assignment 2 in order to locate this project in the context of existing study designs. Describe the data collection method(s) to be used, what data will be collected and why, how it will be recorded, and examples of questions that

will be asked. Report validity indices for validated instruments i.e. provide information on the sensitivity and specificity of the instrument/s. Describe how you will ensure rigour and reliability of your study design and findings for quantitative studies and trustworthiness and credibility for qualitative studies.

Setting and participants (5 marks)

Describe where the research will take place and why this setting is appropriate. Provide details of how you will access your participants. Describe how you will select participants and how this sampling strategy fits with your methodology and/or research question. Describe the inclusion and exclusion criteria for selecting participants.

Analysis (10 marks)

Describe the analytical approach you intend to use and how this fits your data and research question. The approach to data analysis will be determined by the type of data, and the nature of the variables collected. You need to make some reference to the type/s of statistical tests appropriate to the type of data/variables obtained. For example you need to identify whether you are obtaining numeric and/or narrative data, and then describe the process of data analysis. In the Method section you will need to explain how you plan to collect data e.g. to

administer a questionnaire, to conduct focus groups, to conduct in-depth interviews etc. In the Analysis section you are required to identify what type of variables these approaches yield. A questionnaire for example might have statements that are categorical variables, or nominal variables, or continuous variables. Interviews on the other hand will obtain narrative data. You

will need to drill down to this level of information in order to explain the process of analysingthese data. So, the relationship between the Method section and Analysis needs to be made on the grounds of the different types of data variables that you will be collecting and analysing.

Resource and ethical issues (5 marks)

Discuss the resources needed for your project, if any. Identify any ethical issues pertinent to your project with a description of how you plan to deal with these. Provide a timeline and budget for your research proposal.

 

 Table 1: Databases and search terms used to identify literature for review.     

Database

Search terms

Citations reviewed

 

 

 Table 2: Key study design features of the eight articles included in this review           

First author (year) Country

Study design

Sample

Data collection & tools used

Outcome measures

Results * significant <0.5

 

 

References-APA

Word limit including references,tables and graph

 

graph: Modified PRISMA flow diagram of article screening and selection