TOPIC: adaptive and maladaptive outcomes among youth aging out of foster care
Students will conduct a Literature Review on an issue relevant to the social work profession.
SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
MSSW621: RESEARCH 1 PROF. SALLY J. VAN WRIGHT
SPRING 2017
LITERATURE REVIEW: A GUIDE*
A literature review is a written document whose purpose is to: (1) review past research studies and (2) review relevant
theory which addresses your topic. Students will select a research topic relevant to social work.
Some possible topics include: cognitive-behavioral techniques with depression in adults, the use of motivational interviewing with
adolescents with SUD’s, international approaches to reduce homelessness, play therapy with children at risk for learning disabilities,
efficacy of certified batterer’s intervention programs, the effect of race difference / sameness between therapist and client, perceptions
of elders on social work staff, solution-focused therapy in xyz setting… You want to provide the reader up-to-date knowledge of
what is currently known about your topic. Based upon your literature review, you then form a hypothesis of your own.
This paper accounts for 30% of your course grade and may be submitted 3/19, 4/2, or 4/23/16.
WRITING A LITERATURE REVIEW: The Literature Review will consist of a: about 6-page text plus 1-page list of
References; double spaced; 1-inch margins; 12-point font; & Times New Roman. APA 6th edition is used by social work
scholars. Write in third-person, with the exception you may use the royal we as appropriate.
Introduction (1-page)
Introduce the social problem or practice issue. How? You must incorporate two or three descriptive statistics to show the
importance of the social/practice problem to society. For example, if you were studying dementia, you might state: Recent
studies reveal that dementia affects 35% of elderly over age 85. This represents a significant hardship for the individual
and their families impacted by dementia. Furthermore, it is costly for society accounting for 2% of annual hospital
expenditures (Smith, 2014). In the last paragraph indicate how the social or practice problem is relevant to social work.
Review of Literature (4 pages)
A Literature Review provides a substantive rationale for your hypothesis. It is very specific to your hypothesis and the
variables that make-up your hypothesis. What do current study findings say on your topic? What does current theory say
on your topic? Incorporate empirical and theoretical literature by integrating study findings of a number of researchers. In
the last two or three lines of your Literature review state: Based on the above literature review, we will present the
following hypothesis.
Hypothesis and Definition of Variables (¾-page)
Present a clear statement of relationship between the independent and dependent variable. State the Independent Variable
prior to the Dependent Variable. Use future tense. If your hypothesis is directional, use specific terms such as: will
decrease, will increase, will reduce rate, will increase academic achievement, will decrease depression, and will reduce
recidivism rate.
Variables:
▪ Describe your Independent Variable. For Example, marital intervention is your Independent Variable: The
independent variable in the current study was marriage intervention. The intervention consisted of a group of six
newly married couples who met two times per week under the supervision of a psychologist who was an expert on
marriage. The objective of the Marital Intervention was to reduce the number of daily arguments with his/her partner.
▪ Define your Dependent Variable: First, tell the reader how your Dependent Variable is defined in the professional
literature and (2) tell the reader how you plan to measure it. For Example: daily arguments is your Dependent
Variable. The Dependent variable in the current study is daily arguments. Daily arguments are heated disagreements
or conflicts between spouses occurring on a regular basis. Arguments were operationally defined as self-reported
record of the number of arguments experienced by each spouse.
References: one page; must start on a separate page. Please select at least three journal articles from among the
following. Social Service Review, Journal of Aging and Social Policy, Journal of Contemporary Health Law and Policy. Journal of
Gerontological Social Work, Research on Aging, Any journal article you find through Academic OneFile is acceptable, as are articles
from journals accessed through Sage, ERIC, PsychInfo, Rehabilitation Reference Center, Social Work Abstracts.
Research Methods & Basic Statistics—We will use five quizzes this semester to evaluate knowledge gained.
*Springfield College School of Social Work, material originally developed by Professor Roy, PhD in 1/2003; updated by Terri Haven: 1/04, updated by Steve Bogatz,
MBA, MSW 8/2011; and updated by Professor Roy: 11/24/14.