Action Research Proposal: Literature Review <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The purpose of a literature review is to know what others have discovered about your topic before you begin your own investigation. Relevant, peer-reviewed articles help you better understand the identified problem (issue, concern, or need) and locate <\/p>\n\n\n\n
information and evidence for best-practice problem solutions and interventions you may want to incorporate into your action research proposal. Use the three research questions you <\/p>\n\n\n\n
wrote in Module 1 to guide your exploration of the potential solution\/intervention you <\/p>\n\n\n\n
proposed and other possible solutions\/interventions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Research Question One: Will ____ improve ____? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Research Question Two: Why would ____ impact ____? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Research Question Three: How will ____ improve ____? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Based on what you learn from the literature, you may decide to keep the potential <\/p>\n\n\n\n
solution\/intervention you proposed in Module 1, modify the strategy, or select a different <\/p>\n\n\n\n
strategy. The literature review should also help you decide on a research method (qualitative, quantitative, or a mix of the two) and give you ideas for collecting data and <\/p>\n\n\n\n
planning what to do next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the Module 1 assignment, you selected a problem (issue, concern, or need) in <\/p>\n\n\n\n
professional practice, discussed the problem and purpose and developed 3 research <\/p>\n\n\n\n
questions to guide the literature review for your action research proposal. As a part of <\/p>\n\n\n\n
your purpose, you also proposed one or more potential solutions\/interventions for the <\/p>\n\n\n\n
identified problem (issue, concern, need) in your professional practice\/workplace <\/p>\n\n\n\n
setting. In this assignment, you will complete the literature review by selecting, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
evaluating, and synthesizing 5-6 peer-reviewed articles from the ACE library. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your goal in conducting the literature review is to identify best-practice solution(s) or <\/p>\n\n\n\n
intervention(s) you may implement related to the identified problem (issue, concern, or<\/p>\n\n\n\n
need) and then decide on the solution or intervention you will implement in your action <\/p>\n\n\n\n
research proposal. See the Learning Objects page for literature review resources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 1. Access and Review <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Access and review the Action Research Proposal Overview page, the Action Research <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Proposal Outline (linked on the Module 1 Learning Objects page), and the draft of your <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Module 1 assignment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 2. Locate <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the ACE library, locate 5-6 current, peer-reviewed articles relevant to your topic. In <\/p>\n\n\n\n
your search, place a check in the box for peer reviewed. “Current” means <\/p>\n\n\n\n
the article has a publication date within the past 5 years. NOTE: To develop an effective <\/p>\n\n\n\n
literature review, you must (1) analyze (disassemble) the individual articles to obtain the main ideas and other key information and (2) synthesize (reassemble) the main ideas <\/p>\n\n\n\n
and other key information from the multiple sources under thematic headings to <\/p>\n\n\n\n
develop the paragraphs forming the body of your literature review. The analysis is <\/p>\n\n\n\n
preparatory work, and the synthesized paragraphs become part of your action research proposal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 3. Read and Analyze <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read each article you selected carefully and analyze the <\/p>\n\n\n\n
article by identifying the main ideas and other key information related to your selected topic. Look specifically for potential best-practice solutions and interventions for your identified problem (issue, concern, or need). You should also look for information on research methodologies, the action research design, and data collection and action planning ideas. Follow this process for each of the 5-6 articles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 4. Determine <\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the article analyses, determine 7-8 themes or patterns in the information. Potential themes include the extent or prevalence of the problem (issue, concern, need); causes of the problem; methodologies; description of the action research design; best-practice solutions and interventions; and gaps in the literature or \u201cunknowns\u201d related to the problem, and action planning ideas. The selected themes will serve as <\/p>\n\n\n\n
headings in the literature review in Step 7. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 5. Synthesize <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Using the themes and the main ideas\/key information from the multiple sources, <\/p>\n\n\n\n
synthesize or combine the related ideas from the articles into paragraphs. Be sure to include best-practice solutions and interventions. These paragraphs become the body of your literature review in Step 7. See the Learning Objects page for information on how to write a literature review and synthesize articles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 6. Introduce <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Write an introductory paragraph for the literature review. Start with an<\/p>\n\n\n\n
introductory sentence on the problem (issue, concern, or need) that hooks the readers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Include an explanation of your approach to the literature review, including the research <\/p>\n\n\n\n
questions from Module 1 used to guide the review and the best-practice solution and <\/p>\n\n\n\n
intervention strategies identified in the articles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 7. Write <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Write the body of the literature review. Introduce the section with a discussion of the articles as a group (1-2 paragraphs detailing the common themes you found in the articles). Then, insert the synthesis paragraphs (Step 5) with headings for each of the common themes\/ideas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 8. Conclude <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conclude the literature review with an explanation of how the <\/p>\n\n\n\n
literature review informs your action research proposal. Identify and explain the best-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
practice problem solution or intervention you have selected for implementation and information you may have gained on action research techniques.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 9. Cite and Reference <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Use APA format for in-text citations and the reference page(s). Add to the reference <\/p>\n\n\n\n
page(s) as you progress through the module assignments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 10. Compile <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Compile your work from Module 2 in one Word document. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 11. Submit <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Submit the literature review for your action research proposal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Save a copy of the Module 2 assignment for use in Module 5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Resources: Articals to read<\/p>\n\n\n\n