PSY 2007 Assignment Literature Review
PSY 2007 Assignment Literature Review
Selected two empirical articles on a research topic of interest. Provided a summary of both articles, including the following:
Explained whether the authors used a population or a sample. Explained how this could have affected the results. Analyzed and justified whether a sample was used and whether it was representative of the entire population.
Described the hypotheses of the studies. Stated the null and research hypotheses.
Described the major independent and dependent variables. Described one additional independent and one dependent variable to provide novel information.
Provided an example of a measure of central tendency and explained why the authors chose this measure as opposed to the other measures. Explained how the results might have differed if the authors had chosen another measure.
Provided an example of a measure of variability and explained why the authors chose this measure as opposed to the other measures.
PSY 2007 Assignment Literature Review
Explained how the results might have differed if the authors had chosen another measure.
Selected a result that includes the mean and the standard deviation, converted the values to a z-score, and interpreted how this score compares to the average.
On the basis of the statistics used and the authors’ interpretation of the results, described which study did a better job and justified your stand with a specific example.
If you have to write an undergraduate dissertation, you may be required to begin by writing a literature review. A literature review is a search and evaluation of the available literature in your given subject or chosen topic area. It documents the state of the art with respect to the subject or topic you are writing about.
A literature review has four main objectives:
- It surveys the literature in your chosen area of study
- It synthesises the information in that literature into a summary
- It critically analyses the information gathered by identifying gaps in current knowledge; by showing limitations of theories and points of view; and by formulating areas for further research and reviewing areas of controversy
- It presents the literature in an organised way
A literature review shows your readers that you have an in-depth grasp of your subject; and that you understand where your own research fits into and adds to an existing body of agreed knowledge.
Here’s another way of describing those four main tasks. A literature review:
- demonstrates a familiarity with a body of knowledge and establishes the credibility of your work;
- summarises prior research and says how your project is linked to it;
- integrates and summarises what is known about a subject;
- demonstrates that you have learnt from others and that your research is a starting point for new ideas.