The literature review is an essential component of any research project, including a capstone change proposal project. It serves several important purposes, including providing a comprehensive overview of the existing body of knowledge on a particular topic and identifying gaps in the literature that the research project aims to fill. In the context of a capstone project, the literature review also helps students to map out and move into the active planning and development stages of their project.
One of the primary goals of a literature review is to analyze how current research supports the PICOT (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, and Timeframe) statement. The PICOT statement is a concise summary of the problem or issue that the capstone project aims to address, as well as the proposed intervention and expected outcomes. By examining the existing literature, students can determine whether there is sufficient evidence to support their proposed intervention and expected outcomes.
In addition to supporting the PICOT statement, the literature review also helps to identify what is already known and what is not known in the evidence. This is important because it allows students to determine whether their research project will make a meaningful contribution to the existing body of knowledge. By identifying gaps in the literature, students can justify the need for their research and explain how their findings will add to the current understanding of the problem or issue.
To develop a comprehensive literature review, students should utilize the information from earlier assignments, such as the PICOT statement paper and the literature evaluation table. These assignments provide a foundation for the literature review and help students to organize and synthesize their research findings. The literature review should be approximately 750-1,000 words in length and should include the following sections:
1. Introduction: This section provides a brief overview of the problem or issue that the capstone project aims to address. It should also include a clear statement of the research question or objective.
2. Methodology: This section describes the search strategy and inclusion/exclusion criteria used to identify the relevant literature. It should also provide details on the databases and search terms used.
3. Results: This section presents a summary of the key findings from the literature review. It should include information on the number of articles reviewed, the study designs used, and the main themes or categories identified.
4. Discussion: This section discusses the implications of the findings and their relevance to the capstone project. It should also highlight any gaps in the literature and explain how the research project will address these gaps.
5. Conclusion: This section provides a brief summary of the main findings and highlights the significance of the research project. It should also outline the next steps in the research process.
When preparing the literature review, it is important to follow the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide for formatting and referencing. An abstract is not required for this assignment.
To ensure successful completion, students should review the assignment rubric prior to beginning the assignment. The rubric outlines the expectations for each section of the literature review and provides a clear grading criteria.
Finally, it is important to note that this assignment will be submitted to Turnitin, a plagiarism detection tool. Students should ensure that they properly cite all sources used in their literature review to avoid any issues with plagiarism.
In conclusion, the literature review is a crucial component of the capstone change proposal project. It helps students to analyze the current research supporting their PICOT statement and identify gaps in the literature. By utilizing the information from earlier assignments, students can develop a comprehensive literature review that maps out and moves them into the active planning and development stages of their project. Following the guidelines in the APA Style Guide and submitting the assignment to Turnitin will ensure successful completion of the assignment.
