Your Literature Review

    When we approach making change, we can either: (1) attempt to reinvent the wheel, or (2) use the wheel that has been developed and refined over the last several millennia. Perhaps it is impatience on my part, but I prefer the latter strategy when I am working with clients or students, or making change myself.

    Your literature review should do two things:

    1. Demonstrate your understanding of the issues raised in your project (e.g., stress management, increasing assertiveness, starting to exercise, etc.), and

    2. Tie this to your project. That is, given what you have learned about (fill in the blank), what are you going to do? Recognize that some of you will need to make some changes in your project as a result of your research. This last section can be about a paragraph at the end of your paper and may simply be a strong integrative summary.

    Now, not all of us are the same. Be aware of these differences and how they influence your project, rather than willy-nilly making your project into a cookie cutter of other things your read. That is, we eat for all sorts of different reasons: boredom, hunger, its incentive value, social reasons. Look at those interventions that make sense for you based on the observations you have already made.

    Things to keep in mind:

    • I expect that your literature review will be at least five pages long.

    • Your paper should include at least five professional references (e.g., American Psychologist, Learning and Memory, Appetite). Your text and nonprofessional references (e.g, Reader's Digest, Sports Illustrated, Redbook) do not count toward this number but can be used as additional references nonetheless.

    • Your poster is due at the end of April, your graphs in mid-April. You should be making change at this point (Mid-March) rather than only observing your behavior.

    • Remember that you can continue to tinker with your methodology throughout the course of your project. Keep track of when you make changes.

    Page by jms
    URL= http://psy1.clarion.edu/jms/btlitrev.html

    Last updated January 30, 1999

    University / Department / Home / Syllabi / Skills / After graduation / Schools