Assignment #5 Instructions Literature Review
Chapter 1 — Introduction
Maximum length: less than 1 page
In this section, clearly introduce your study by addressing:
1. Your research topic
• Select a social problem (e.g. homelessness, trauma, substance use, mental health disparities, child welfare, intimate partner violence, etc.)
• Select a Target Population (e.g. African American Youth, older adults, veterans, LGBTQ+ individuals, refugees, rural families, etc.)
• Your topic should connect to your practice or your field placenta interests and allow you to explore how to reach isomers and is informed by social work practice.
2. Why this issue is important to social work practice, policy, or research
3. Your research question or purpose statement
4. A brief overview of how the paper is organized
Your writing should be focused. Provide only vital details — no fluff. Tell the story of your topic, question, and the importance of the work directly.
Chapter 2: Literature Search
Locate 15 peer-reviewed empirical research articles published within the last 10 years. Each must present original research using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods.
Recommended databases:
● PsycINFO
● Social Work Abstracts
● PubMed
● Academic Search Complete
Step 3: Writing the Literature Review (9 total pages, excluding cover and references)
1. Introduction ( 1 paragraph )
● Introduce your chosen social problem and target population.
● Explain why this issue is relevant to social work practice.
● Identify the scope and purpose of your literature review.
● State a clear thesis or guiding question.
● Explain how understanding the literature supports practice-informed research and research-informed practice.
2. Review of the Literature (5-6 pages)
● Summarize and critically analyze findings from all 15 empirical studies.
● Compare research methods, sample characteristics, and outcomes.
● Identify recurring themes, gaps, contradictions, and limitations.
● Discuss how practice experiences and theory have influenced research on your topic.
● Demonstrate how research evidence informs social work interventions, programs, or policies.
● Integrate Competency 4 by showing the reciprocal relationship between research and practice.
3. Implications for Social Work Practice (2 pages) FOCUS ON GAP, WHY this focus on gap is needed, and how it will inform practice, policy and future research (this is the research study you will developing).
● Discuss how the research findings can guide evidence-informed practice, program design, and policy advocacy.
● Describe how social workers can apply these findings ethically and effectively with diverse populations.
● Identify implications for culturally responsive and equitable practice.
● Propose recommendations for practice, policy, or future research based on identified gaps.
4. Conclusion (1 page)
● Summarize key insights and their significance for advancing social work knowledge and practice.
● Reaffirm the importance of using research to inform interventions and evaluating practice outcomes to inform new research.
● Reflect on your development of Competency 4 behaviors through this process.
Chapter 3 — Project Analysis
Maximum length: no more than 2 pages
Students must provide at least one (1) peer-reviewed source to support their choice of theory.
In this section, you will complete a Project Analysis by:
● Naming the theory you selected
● Explaining why this theory is appropriate for your research topic
● Demonstrating how your theory:
○ Follows logically from your literature review
○ Frames your research question
○ Helps explain the social problem being studied
● Describing how the theory will guide:
○ Your understanding of the problem
○ Your proposed intervention, policy focus, or analysis
● Clearly connecting your theory to your research proposal
This section should show that your theoretical choice is intentional, evidence-based, and aligned with your project goals.
Formatting Requirements
● Total length:11 pages (excluding title and reference pages)
● Font: 12-point Times New Roman
● Spacing: Double-spaced
● Margins: 1 inch
● Citation style: APA 7th edition