Description
i need help with writing a Literature Review for a research
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Part 1: Watch videos on how to write a literature review
This website provides a video series that thoroughly describes
the process for writing a literature review. Watch the following
videos in the series: “Quick Run-through”, “Step 3”, “Step 4”, and
“Step 5”. It should take you under 30 minutes to watch the
videos.
Part 2: Rough Draft: Literature Review Introduction and
Identifying Themes
I want you to organize your final literature review
by concepts/themes (how to do this is explained in the video
series). You will likely have chosen articles that discuss similar
concepts related to your research area – state what the common
theme is. You will use your concept/themes as headers for your
Literature Review.
In a Word or Google Doc, begin a draft of your Literature
Review. Specifically:
•
Draft an introductory paragraph to your Literature Review
•
Identify one concept/theme that connects two or more of the
articles you use in your annotated bibliography. Write the
theme/concept as a header, and copy and paste the citations of
the articles under it (this is to help you remember which articles
you will write about in the section.)
Here is an example of what your Thursday assignment should
look like:
Literature Review Draft
This research study aims to quantitatively examine domestic
violence help-seeking strategies among a diverse sample of
American Muslim survivors of domestic violence. The research
questions guiding this study are: How do American Muslim
women seek help for domestic violence? and 2) Does race
influence their help-seeking strategies?
Previous studies have examined how American Muslim women
seek help for domestic violence. This literature review will focus
on two major themes in the research literature regarding help
seeking: 1) barriers to help-seeking and 2) facilitators to helpseeking.
Barriers to Help-Seeking
Oyewuwo-Gassikia, O.B. (2016). American Muslim women and
domestic violence service seeking: A Literature Review. Affilia,
31(4), 450-462. doi:10.1177/0886109916654731
Oyewuwo-Gassikia, O. B. (2020). Black Muslim women’s
domestic violence help-seeking strategies: Types, motivations,
and outcomes. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment &
Trauma, 29(7), 856-875.
————————————————-
I’m also including an example of what your Literature Review
might look like when written in full. Use this as a guide for your
final draft (Major Assignment #4 due next week).
Literature Review
This research study aims to quantitatively examine
domestic violence help-seeking strategies among a diverse
sample of American Muslim survivors of domestic violence. The
research questions guiding this study are: how do American
Muslim women seek help for domestic violence? and 2) Does
race influence their help-seeking strategies?
Previous studies have examined how American Muslim women
seek help for domestic violence. This literature review will focus
on two major themes in the research literature regarding help
seeking: 1) barriers to help-seeking; and 2) facilitators to helpseeking.
Barriers to help-seeking
Recent studies on American Muslim women survivors of
domestic violence have explored barriers to seeking help for the
abuse they experience. Oyewuwo-Gassikia (2016) examined
American Muslim women’s social service help-seeking for
domestic violence. The researcher conducted a systematic
literature review and identified 10 articles and one dissertation
that examined American Muslim women’s domestic violence
service seeking. Results reveled that several factors facilitate
and hinder women seeking help for domestic violence.
Immigrant status, fear, having children, and lack of knowledge
of resources can create barriers to seeking help from social
services. One limitation the author found was the lack of
diversity in the samples of the studies reviewed, arguing that
more research is needed that reflects the diversity of the
American Muslim community.
In a more recent study qualitative that focused on Black Muslim
women who experienced domestic violence, Oyewuwo-Gasskia
(2020) examined Black Muslim women’s domestic violence helpseeking strategies. The study included a sample of 4 African
American and 2 West African women. In-depth interviews were
conducted with each of the participants, and the researcher
analyzed the data using grounded theory methodology. The
findings revealed that women sought help through family and
friends, religion and spirituality, legal system, and through
services. Women expressed varying levels of satisfaction for
each type of help-seeking strategy. For example, some women
found support in the religious community, while others did
not. Additionally, only half of the sample sought services. A
cited barrier to seeking services was the perception that service
providers would not be accommodating to the women’s
needs. Another barrier was viewing services as a last resort
measure. While only half of the sample sought services, all the
participants who sought services expressed favorable outcomes.
While the study is one of few that examines the domestic
violence experiences of Black Muslim women, the author
acknowledged that due to the sample size, the results cannot be
generalized to all Black Muslim women survivors.
A common finding between these two studies is that both
highlight challenges American Muslim women face in seeking
services, including a lack of knowledge of them and a perception
that they might not be useful to them. The current study adds
to this area of knowledge by examining if women utilize services
and asking questions about their beliefs about services.
While researchers have identified possible barriers to helpseeking, a noted gap in the literature is that studies in this area
have come from qualitative studies and small samples. Further,
the studies highlighted have all noted the lack of diversity –
particularly the lack of inclusion of Black women – in the study
of domestic violence among American women. The current
study aims to fill these gaps by qualitatively examining the
experiences of American Muslim survivors and by purposively
recruiting a sample reflective of the American Muslim
community.
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Annotated Bibliography
Alen Abraham
2
Annotated Bibliography
Gerst-Emerson, K., & Jayawardhana, J. (2015). Loneliness as a public health issue: The impact
of loneliness on health care utilization among older adults. American Journal of Public
Health, 105(5), 1013–1019. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2014.302427
In this journal article, Gerst-Emerson and Jayawardhana (2015) seek to establish if
loneliness is linked to increased healthcare care utilization among older people in the United
States. These researchers postulate that chronic loneliness among older adults impacts physician
visits and hospitalization, whereby socially isolated seniors are more likely to seek medical
attention and be hospitalized. The study uses panel data from the Health and Retired Study
(HRS) carried out from 2008 to 2012 among 3530 community-dwelling senior persons aged 60
and older in the United States. A key measure used by the authors is healthcare utilization, where
hospitalization and physician visits are examined to assess and understand the impact of
loneliness. Another measure is loneliness; Gerst-Emerson and Jayawardhana (2015) define this
variable twice, with the first definition comprising 3-items: lacking companionship, feeling left
out, and feeling isolated from others, while the second meaning contains four items: not lonely at
either time (2012 and 2018), lonely at both times, lonely only in 2018, and lonely in 2012. Using
regression analysis to measure the two definitions, this study determines that loneliness is a
significant public health concern, contributing to illnesses and healthcare use among older adults.
This article is helpful for the research topic since the authors indicate that loneliness should be
regarded as a public health concern, thus a barrier that may deter older adults from attending the
“Lunch with Us” program. The main limitation of this source is that it lacks generalizability to
the whole senior population, as not all respondents completed the questionnaires. This source
provides supplementary information for this research but does not form its basis.
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Locher, J. L., Robinson, C. O., Roth, D. L., Ritchie, C. S., & Burgio, K. L. (2005). The effect of
the presence of others on caloric intake in homebound older adults. The Journals of
Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 60(11), 1475–1478.
https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/60.11.1475
In this descriptive study, Locher et al. (2005) understand that undernutrition is a
significanthealth concern among homebound elderly individuals and thus seek to explore the
impact of the presence of others on calorie intake in this population group. Numerous behaviors
influence eating behaviors among older adults, such as social networks, but the authors of this
current study aim to understand the impact of the presence of others during mealtimes and within
the household on caloric intake. Thus, this study posits that older adults are more likely to
increase their caloric intake when others are in the household and when they eat meals with
others. The study uses a sample of 50 elderly individuals, with an average age of 77.1, who have
recently recovered and are getting home health services from caregivers. The data collection
method used is structured interviews on eating behaviors and factors related to these behaviors.
Using a hierarchical modeling analysis to analyze the results, the study found that older people
who consumed their meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack) in the presence of others ate a
mean of 114.0 calories more per meal than those who ate alone. These researchers attribute
various reasons for increased calorie intake, including extended duration of meals, other persons
eating more, and participation of these individuals in meal consumption. These findings are
relative to this research’s topic because Locher et al. (2005) aim to find out barriers (loneliness)
preventing older adults from achieving a high caloric intake. The study is also slightly similar to
the findings by Gerst-Emerson and Jayawardhana (2015), who establish that loneliness among
the elderly population is a significant health concern. With no stated limitations, this resource
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will form the basis of the research because it recommends the inclusion of family and friends in
the lives of older adults to provide nutritional support; this is one of the ways social engagement
can be improved, thus addressing the research question.
Mavegam Tango Assoumou, B. O., Coughenour, C., Godbole, A., & McDonough, I. (2022).
Senior food insecurity in the USA: A systematic literature review. Public Health Nutrition,
26(1), 229–245. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980022002415
Assoumou et al. (2022), in their systematic study, seek to review the published literature to
understand factors linked to food insecurity among the senior population in the United States,
with the aim of developing targeted interventions and reducing the incidence and prevalence of
the issue. As the first review to explore the literature on food insecurity among the older
population, this study includes 20 articles searched from five databases: EconLit, Scopus,
PubMed, JSTOR, and Web of Science. With food insecurity being the independent variable, the
researchers measure the impact of this factor on various variables, including government
assistance programs, weight status, cost-related medication use and healthcare utilization, mental
health, and physical health. Consistent with previous studies on food insecurity, this systematic
review of these factors establishes that lower household income, lower educational attainment,
being of a non-White ethnicity, and female gender are negatively associated with food insecurity.
As a result, these findings confirm that food insecure populations comprise younger (ages of 6480) and less educated females from African-American/Black ancestry who are low-income
earners, smoke, depend on government assistance programs, and have poor health or chronic
conditions. This review is helpful in the research topic because it identifies significant barriers
that could deter older adults from attending the “Lunch with Us” program. The main limitation
of the study is in its inclusion criteria, whereby the authors only reviewed the studies published
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in the U.S. and English, eliminating studies in other languages and those conducted outside the
country. Despite this limitation, this source forms a significant basis for the research since it
identifies barriers pertinent to the population under study.
Van Orden, K. A., Bower, E., Lutz, J., Silva, C., Gallegos, A. M., Podgorski, C. A., Santos, E. J.,
& Conwell, Y. (2020). Strategies to promote social connections among older adults during
“social distancing” restrictions. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 29(8), 816–
827. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2020.05.004
In this qualitative study, Van Orden et al. (2020) posit that social connectedness is vital for
health and wellness among older adults. With that concept in mind and this study conducted
during the COVID-19 pandemic, these authors present a research question seeking to outline
various strategies that clinicians can use to assist the senior population in maintaining social
health in the wake of the social distancing restrictions. The study uses a collective case study
research design to generate an in-depth and comprehensive exploration of loneliness and social
isolation among older adults during the pandemic. This study employs a cognitive-behavioral
framework for social connectedness and creates “Connection Plans” that can guide healthcare
professionals to communicate with seniors virtually. The researchers state these strategies can be
implemented over the phone for brief periods (30 minutes). These strategies include engaging in
mindful activities to communicate with a sense of shared humanity, creating satisfying
sensations for the five senses, and participating in calming activities such as guided imagery
exercises and progressive muscle relaxation. This study is helpful in this research since Van
Orden et al. (2020) state that clinicians can use them to address loneliness and assist older adults
in maintaining social health. Therefore, this research is an authoritative study that will form the
foundation of the paper since it answers the research question.
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Wang, Z., & Chen, S. (2023). Senior’s perceived barriers to accessing an urban charitable food
assistance program. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 55(7), 5–6.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2023.05.014
Wang and Chen (2023), in their research article, acknowledge that low income among
elderly individuals is a significant cause of food insecurity that limits this population from
accessing nutritious foods. Therefore, these researchers examine the senior population’s
perceived obstacles to utilizing charitable food assistance (CFA) programs as resources for
meeting this need. In this study, Wang and Chen (2023) focused on CFA programs serving more
than 1000 households and interviewed the participants. The participants indicated that perceived
barriers included lack of personal transportation, confusion in the distribution procedures, and
pre-packed food needing to be aligned with health and personal preferences. The author
recommended that these programs be improved by implementing various strategies, including
reducing canned foods, enacting a client-choice model, and increasing the distribution of fresh
meat, produce, and seafood. This journal article will form the foundation of the research topic
since it discusses barriers deterring the senior population from participating in the program and
offering solutions.
Research Proposal Guide
Dr. Angel Resto
2020
Contents
Section 1- Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3
Step 1: Defining the social problem ……………………………………………………………………………………………………3
Worksheet1: Defining the Social Problem ……………………………………………………………………………………3
Worksheet 2: Gathering evidence of the problem ……………………………………………………………………….4
Step 3: Identifying the cause of the problem ………………………………………………………………………………………5
Worksheet3: Identifying the causes of the problem …………………………………………………………………….5
Step 4 -Formulating Problem Statements ………………………………………………………………………………………….6
Worksheet 4 – Formulating Problem Statements………………………………………………………………………….6
Step 5: The Significance of the Study ………………………………………………………………………………………………….7
Worksheet 5: Significance/rationale of the study ………………………………………………………………………..7
Step 6: Measurement/Assessment of Variables/Constructs……………………………………………………………….8
Worksheet: Measurements/Assessments (Quantitative Research) …………………………………………….9
Worksheet: Measurements/Assessments (Qualitative Research) ……………………………………………. 10
Step 7: How to Write a Research Question ……………………………………………………………………………………… 11
Worksheet 7 – Research Question(s) ………………………………………………………………………………………… 12
Step 8- Formulating a Purpose Statement ……………………………………………………………………………………… 13
Worksheet 8 – Formulating Purpose statement ………………………………………………………………………… 14
Step 9: How to formulate the Hypothesis ………………………………………………………………………………………… 15
Worksheet 9 – Writing the Hypothesis………………………………………………………………………………………. 17
Step 9: Check up ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 18
Worksheet 9- Summary ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 19
Step 10: Put it all together ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 20
Section 2: Annotated Bibliography …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 21
Section 2: Literature Review ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 26
Section 3: Methodology …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 28
Description of Research Method and Research Design ………………………………………………………………………. 28
Population and sample …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 29
Data collection procedures ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 30
Method of Statistical Data Analysis …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 30
SWK310 2020 DR. ANGEL RESTO
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NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM
Research Proposal Guide
The Research Proposal is a complete description of the intended research, developed under the
supervision of the assigned supervisor. Through the full proposal, the student needs to demonstrate
convincingly that the study will make a contribution to a social work issue or problem. The full
research proposal must be between 5 and 10 pages and should present the following:
Section 1: Introduction
• Statement of the Problem
• Purpose/Significance/Rationale
• Research Questions
• Research Hypothesis (If applicable)
Section 2: Literature Review
• Methodology
• Study Population and Sampling
• Description of research design
• Instrumentation
Section 3: Data collection procedures
• Data analysis methods – if applicable statistical planning must be fully addressed or the
candidate should provide evidence that statistics are not required.
Study period – Timetable for completion of the project
References
Appendixes – (copy of questionnaire, consent forms, etc.)
SWK310 2020 DR. ANGEL RESTO
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Section 1- Introduction
The following pages present several worksheets that you must complete to create your introduction
session.
Step 1: Defining the social problem
As a researcher, you will first need to select a problem topic and then specifically define a social
problem. A social problem is a condition that at least some people in a community view as being
undesirable.
Worksheet1: Defining the Social Problem
1. In one or two sentences, state the nature of the social problem that you plan to study.
2. What is the specific community location of the social problem?
3. List at least three undesirable social conditions that result from this problem:
1.
2.
3.
4. Next, discuss why a research is necessary.
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Step 2: Gathering evidence of the problem –Visit the library
The goal of this step is to develop problem solving skills through using the library/Internet.
Therefore, this step requires you to use the Internet to locate at least one reference to support the
existence of your problem.
Suppose you are doing a social problem with your agency or your community as the geopolitical
location. Try to locate statewide or national data on the problem that best matches your agency or
community. Then, you can contend that the data is applicable to your agency or community as well.
Worksheet 2: Gathering evidence of the problem
Your problem (phrase):
Present evidence that a problem exists. Be as specific as possible and cite at least one source
of data:
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Step 3: Identifying the cause of the problem
Medical researchers try to identify the causes of various diseases. They can develop a vaccine to
immunize people from contracting that disease. For example, Dr. Jonas Salk virtually eliminated
polio when he identified the virus that caused it, and then developed a vaccine. Likewise, if
researchers can identify the causes or factors that contribute to a social problem, then they can try
to develop public policies to eliminate or lessen those causes or factors.
Unlike the specific virus that causes polio, most social problems have numerous causes and
contributing factors. Some of the Internet/library resources that you used to complete the previous
step probably also contain information about causes and contributing factors. Review those articles
and brainstorm the causes and factors that contribute to your social problem. Record that
information on Worksheet 3.
Worksheet3: Identifying the causes of the problem
Briefly list several underlying factors that contribute to the problem that you have identified
(support these factors with evidence):
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Step 4 -Formulating Problem Statements
A persuasive problem statement consists of three parts: 1) the ideal, 2) the reality, and 3) the
consequences for the reader of the proposal. Well constructed problem statements will convince
your audience that the problem is real and worth having you investigate. Your strategy is one of
contrast: by situating the ideal scenario next to the situation as it exists, you cannot only persuade
the reader that a problem exists, but then go on to emphasize the consequences of ignoring or
addressing the problem. Remember, your problem statement is the backbone of the proposal. By
giving careful consideration to how you construct it now (for the proposal), you can use it when
doing your research and writing for the proposal.
Worksheet 4 – Formulating Problem Statements
STATEMENT 1 (DESCRIPTION OF THE IDEAL SCENARIO)
Describe the goals, desired state, or the values that your audience considers important and that are
relevant to the problem.
(BUT)
Connect statements 1 and 2 using a term such as “but,” “however,” “Unfortunately,” or “in spite of”;
STATEMENT 2 (THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION)
Describe a condition that prevents the goal, state, or value discussed in statement 1 from being
achieved or realized at the present time.
STATEMENT 3 (THE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE AUDIENCE)
Using specific details, show how the situation in statement 2 contains little promise of improvement
unless something is done. Then emphasize the benefits of research by projecting the consequences
of possible solutions as well.
Source: http://www.personal.psu.edu/cvm115/proposal/propassign.htm
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Step 5: The Significance of the Study
The Significance of the study describes the contributions of the study as new knowledge, make
findings more conclusive. It cites the usefulness of the study to the specific groups. Cite all the
persons and groups that benefited on your study/research. Include a short explanation regarding
how those persons and groups benefited from the study. (How the research study will help them?)
Worksheet 5: Significance/rationale of the study
Why you are doing the study?
What do you hope to achieve by completing the study?
What benefits will your research bring to the social work field?
How it will be helpful? To whom? And Why?
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Step 6: Measurement/Assessment of Variables/Constructs
Assignment goals:
• If quantitative methods are to be used in your research, your goal is to identify and define
variables/constructs, how they will be measured (that is, locating measures/instruments)
and assess their reliability and validity
• If qualitative methods are to be used in your research, your goal is to review the assessment
of constructs identified in for your research, along with issues of credibility, dependability,
and integrity.
Measurements/Assessments Assignment
For this assignment you will scan your annotated bibliography for information about how others
have identified and operationally defined the variables/constructs that are similar to the ones you
have identified for your research project.
• For qualitative research you will have to identify the variables and how the literature
addresses how these variables are measured. You need to also describe what data collection
tool will be use to collect this data.
For example: if you are interested in measuring “stress level”, you need to search for literature about
how stress can be measured, and what instrument can be used to measure stress. Make sure you
address how reliable and valid these instruments are to measure these variables.
• For qualitative research, you will need to focus on the way in which constructs/themes, etc.,
are to be assessed in a manner that establishes credibility, dependability, and integrity.
For example: If you are interested in describe how people feel after the death of a family member, you
need to search how the literature assess how people feel after the death of a family member. Then you
will replicate what the literature has done.
Use APA style in preparing your paper and citing references (i.e., the paper should follow APA for
all paper and text formatting). The paper should be a minimum of 2 pages in length, excluding the
title page and references. Revisions may be necessary based on faculty mentor feedback.
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Worksheet: Measurements/Assessments (Quantitative Research)
For this assignment you will scan your annotated bibliography for information about how others
have identified and operationally defined the variables/constructs that are similar to the ones you
have identified for your research project.
Dependent variable:
Definition: How does the literature define this variable?
Assessment:
Explain how does the literature measure this variable?
What data collection tool does the literature suggest to use to measure this variable?
Reference: List the source in APA style
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Worksheet: Measurements/Assessments (Qualitative Research)
If qualitative methods are to be used in your research, your goal is to review the assessment of
constructs identified in for your research, along with issues of credibility, dependability, and
integrity.
Describe the construct:
Discuss how the literature measures this construct in terms of credibility and dependability?
(How you as a researcher will ensure the exploration of this construct will maintain credibility,
and dependability).
Reference: List the source in APA style
Credibility
The credibility criteria involves establishing that the results of qualitative research are credible or
believable from the perspective of the participant in the research. Since from this perspective, the
purpose of qualitative research is to describe or understand the phenomena of interest from the
participant’s eyes, the participants are the only ones who can legitimately judge the credibility of
the results. (source; http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/qualval.php)
Dependability
The traditional quantitative view of reliability is based on the assumption of replicability or
repeatability. Essentially it is concerned with whether we would obtain the same results if we
could observe the same thing twice. But we can’t actually measure the same thing twice — by
definition if we are measuring twice, we are measuring two different things. In order to estimate
reliability, quantitative researchers construct various hypothetical notions (e.g., true score theory)
to try to get around this fact.
The idea of dependability, on the other hand, emphasizes the need for the researcher to account
for the ever-changing context within which research occurs. The research is responsible for
describing the changes that occur in the setting and how these changes affected the way the
research approached the study. (source; http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/qualval.php)
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Step 7: How to Write a Research Question
Source: http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/resources-template.php?id=59
What is a research question?
A research question is a clear, focused, concise, complex and arguable question around which
you center your research. You should ask a question about an issue that you are genuinely curious
about.
Why is a research question essential to the research process?
Research questions help writers focus their research by providing a path through the research and
writing process. The specificity of a well-developed research question helps writers avoid the “allabout” paper and work toward supporting a specific, arguable thesis.
Steps to developing a research question:
Choose an interesting general topic. Even directed academic research should focus on a topic
in which the writer is at least somewhat personally invested. Writers should choose a broad
topic about which they genuinely would like to know more. An example of a general topic
might be “Slavery in the American South” or “Films of the 1930s.”
Do some preliminary research on your general topic. Do a few quick searches in current
periodicals and journals on your topic to see what’s already been done and to help you
narrow your focus. What questions does this early research raise?
Consider your audience. For most college papers, your audience will be academic, but always
keep your audience in mind when narrowing your topic and developing your question.
Would that particular audience be interested in this question?
Start asking questions. Taking into consideration all of the above, start asking yourself openended “how” and “why” questions about your general topic. For example, “How did the slave
trade evolve in the 1850s in the American South?” or “Why were slave narratives effective
tools in working toward the abolishment of slavery?”
Evaluate your question.
Is your research question clear? With
