Literature paper LJ

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PED 598 - Narrative Literature Review Research and Inquiry Project

Dr. Terry Conkle - Fall 2021

Some Key Expectations / Requirements

*APA format for everything (running head on upper left, page numbers in upper-right, matching in-text citations, references, etc.)!

*Completely computer-generated

*Times New Roman Size 12 font, text should be left-aligned NOT “justified” with a ragged right edge – no part of the

Narrative Literature Review should have Arial, Calibri, or Verdana fonts

*1-inch margins all 4 edges

*3rd-person, generic, matter-of-fact perspective

*No contractions, unless in a quotation/quote - summarize, paraphrase, synthesize (do not over-quote)

Topic:

Submit, to Dr. Conkle, a list of 3 – 5 Research well-considered Questions on topics of interest to you personally (specifically related to Physical Education, Sport Management, or the broad Sport Science sub-disciplines) that are workable.

Key Dates:

3 - 5 RES Questions are due on 09 – 01 – 2021

Topic(s) approved no later than 09 – 08 – 2021

Completed Term Paper (Narrative Literature Review) due via Blackboard / Dr. Conkle by NOON on 11 – 02 – 2021

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Narrative Literature Review Research Source Requirements for PED 598 and The AAMU Masters’ Report in Kinesiology

Length requirement, NOT COUNTING Cover Page / Abstract / Reference Pages The paper should include the absolute best, most credible, and most pertinent sources!!!	15 pages MINIMUM or 4,000 Words MINIMUM
Number of References Required - The paper should include the absolute best, most credible, and most pertinent sources!!!	15 MINIMUM
Peer-Reviewed Original Research from Scholarly Journal Articles Required (minimum #) (These should be top-notch well-designed studies) - The paper should include the absolute best, most credible, and most pertinent sources!!!	13 or more
Meta-Analysis Studies (These will count for the previous category) – The paper should include the absolute best, most credible, and most pertinent sources!!!	No more than 2
Published Narrative Literature Reviews	ZERO
Internet Blogs, Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, Forums, or Web-sites, etc.	ZERO
Newspaper Articles are optional but may not exceed TWO (2)	No more than 2
Popular Magazine Articles are optional but may not exceed ONE (1)	No more than 1

Student’s Table for Recency of Materials/Sources Cited in a Literature Review

Years	Recency	# Citations	%age
Last 5	Very Recent (Ideal)
6 – 10	Recent (Good)
11 – 15	Not Very Recent (but Okay)
> 16	Not Recent (but possibly vital)
Total

* See recommendations for percentages on the following page.

How many references suffice for a scientific literature review, or course Narrative Literature Review?

The purpose for a literature review dictates length and number of sources. A professor (at any level) or Major Professor (graduate level) will typically specify a minimum number of references for any assignment, Masters’ Thesis, or Doctoral Dissertation. The following rule-of-thumb can be useful:

Undergraduate Course Assignment: 05 – 20 sources cited and referenced

Undergraduate Capstone or Honors Project: 20+ sources cited and referenced

Graduate School Literature Reviews in General: At least 15 sources cited/referenced, and may be far more

Masters’ Thesis: 40+ sources cited and referenced

Doctoral Dissertation: 50+ sources cited and referenced

A reasonable goal is identifying and using sources published within the past 5 years (35% – 45% or more), with at least 75% being from the past 15 years. It is important to locate and use the most recent relevant literature (which could mean anywhere from 25 to 500+ sources, with the latter being more appropriate for in-depth dissertations or a publishable literature review manuscript. Some (Bibliometrics and Citation Analysis) research suggests that, on average, an undergraduate term paper will have 11 sources, with a research article or a Masters’ Thesis having maybe 20 - 30 sources, and a Doctoral Dissertation 20 - 50 sources.

Be mindful that conducting a narrative literature review is a method of demonstrating one's knowledge concerning a particular topic in a field of study, including: vocabulary, theories, key variables and phenomena, its methods, and its history. Conducting a literature review also informs a student of influential researchers and research groups in their given field. One should be thorough and include all important sources for a given line of study.

Some sample wording for how research questions can be asked/phrased (Read research articles carefully to see how those authors ask their research question, or phrase a thesis statement or problem statement – those latter 2 can be easily re-worded as questions that require an answer):

Which geological creations, configurations, and foundations are safe for storing nuclear waste?

What is the incidence of ___ and prevalence of ___-related disability in the United States; what are the common interventions for rehabilitation and their effectiveness; what factors influence differential outcomes; and what therapies can prevent or remediate development of secondary issues?

Does Tilapia contain more Omega-3 fatty Acids than other edible fish?

Do marble colors chosen by children, when playing, reflect their dominant personality traits?

Is a child’s knowledge of their parents' home safety rules an accurate predictor of child residential injuries?

Which type of hammer is most efficient for driving 16-penny nails: Left-handed, Right-handed or Ball-Peen?

The idea is to choose a “narrow question” that is workable (one that the scholarly literature has reported answers or solutions ) for the length and breadth of basic graduate-level investigation and writing. The question should also be “challenging” (personally interesting to and informative) since you will spend considerable time researching it. Boring or weak research questions do not provoke thought or engage a reader, not to mention the author of the Narrative Literature Review that will be developed. Finally, the research question should be worth asking and answering, but not be “overly-theoretical” - they should be grounded and supportable by/from existing knowledge (i.e., Scholarly or Scientific Literature).

Poor Questions (These are the types of questions submitted far too often and slow the approval process!)

What causes homelessness?

What countries use wind energy?

Is corporal punishment moral?

Better Questions

How has moving mentally ill people to federally-funded mental health centers contributed to the homeless problem?

Does it make economic sense to invest in wind energy?

Does corporal punishment deter misbehavior?

A research problem, for our purposes, is a question about the relationship between two or more variables. It can potentially have more than one answer. The Literature Review is a way of determining if there are multiple answers, or if there are multiple (acceptable) answers or solutions to date (and some determination of gaps in the existing research) and ideas or outright recommendations for future research.

Moving from Research Ideas to Developing a Good Question

Possible Title or Idea	Research Question
“American Football” – Game performance variables that contribute to winning interscholastic championships	Which game performance variables best explain the winning effort at the interscholastic football level?
The length of a football player’s foot is / is not related to the level of success for kicking field goals	Does foot length influence field-goal kicking success in American Football?
The amount of body hair on a human being is associated with their health-related fitness level	Is the amount, length, or thickness of one’s body hair associated with health-related fitness?
A comparison of beef, turkey, and venison burgers to determine which is healthier	Which has greater nutritional benefits and health value – beef, turkey, or venison burgers?
The best martial art style for self-defense	Which is the most effective martial art style for self-defense: Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Karate, Kung Fu, or Tae Kwando?
Fastest route for running from home plate to second base in baseball	What is the best method for running-out an extra-base hit from home-plate to 2nd-base?
The best fast-food restaurant in the U.S. featuring chicken	How do fast-food chicken restaurants in the United States rank according to annual average sales, average profits, and average sales to investment ratio, by year, since 1930?

Basics of Conducting a Narrative Literature Review (aka, Term Paper)

Selecting a Topic

The ability to develop a good research topic is a vital skill. When deciding on a topic, if one was not assigned specifically, there are some key steps involved:

· brainstorm for ideas

· choose a topic that will enable you to read and understand the literature

· ensure the topic is manageable and that adequate material is available

· make a list of key words

· be flexible

· define your topic as a focused research question, a problem statement or thesis statement

· research and read more about your topic

Be aware that selecting a good topic may not be easy . It must be narrow and focused enough to be interesting, yet broad enough to find adequate information. Before selecting your topic, make sure you know what your final project should look like. Each class or instructor will likely require a different format or style of research project.

Use the steps below to guide you through the process of selecting a research topic.

Step 1: Brainstorm for ideas

Choose a topic that interests you. Use the following questions to help generate topic ideas. Formulation of research question (RQ) is essential when starting any type of research. It aims to explore a topic in an area of concern and points to a need for further study. It is, therefore, important to formulate a good RQ.

· Do you have a strong opinion on a current controversy in the field?

· Did you read/see/hear a news story that stimulated your interest, made you angry, or caused some level of anxiety?

· Do you have a personal issue, problem or interest about which you would like to know more, related to your field?

· Is there an aspect of a course, your major, your prospective field of work about which you are interested in learning more?

Write down any key words or concepts that may be of interest to you, related to your topic(s) of interest. Could these terms be used to form a more focused research topic?

Be aware of overused ideas when deciding a topic. You may wish to avoid topics that are over-worked, boring, or simply is not of interest to researchers and scholars. And, it should be relevant in professional and scientific circles.

Step 2: Read General Background Information

· It may help to read general articles concerning topics you are considering. Reading a broad summary enables you to get an overview of the topic and see how your idea relates to broader, narrower, and related issues. It also provides a great source for finding commonly words that describe the topic (Key words or Subject words). These words may be useful to your later research. If you cannot find an article on your topic, use broader terms and seek help from a librarian.

For example, browsing the Encyclopedia Britannica Online (or the printed version of this encyclopedia) or other encyclopedias for information on your topic ideas can help. Note that online encyclopedias provide links to magazine articles and Web sites.

· Use periodical indexes to scan current magazine, journal or newspaper articles on your topic. Ask a librarian if they can help you browse articles on your topics of interest.

· Once some research articles, published literature reviews, etc. are found, scan their reference lists for ideas and material

· Use Web search engines. These are not ideal for the Lit Review itself, but is a good starting place for ideas as to what existing literature there may be on a topic

Step 3: Focus on Your Topic

Keep it manageable

A topic will be very difficult to research if it is too broad or narrow. One way to narrow a broad topic is to limit it. Some common ways to limit topics are:

· by geographical area

Example: What issues are most important in the Southeastern United States, the entire US, North America, World-wide?

· by culture

Example: How does the issue affect people by race, ethnicity, religion, SES, gender, other cultural demographics?

· by time-period

Example: The last 10 years, 25 years, 50 years, 150 years?

· by academic discipline, field, specialization, etc.

Example: How does the topic influence the profession(s) practices today in kinesiology and the Sport Sciences?

· by population group

Example: various age groups, geriatrics, mid-adulthood, young-adulthood, teens, adolescence, early childhood, etc.?

Remember that a topic may be too difficult to research if it is too:

· locally confined - Topics this specific may only be covered in these (local) newspapers, if at all.

· recent - If a topic is quite recent, books or journal articles may not be available, but newspaper or magazine articles may. Also, Web sites related to the topic may or may not be available.

· broadly interdisciplinary - You could be overwhelmed with superficial information.

· popular - You will only find very popular articles about some topics such as sports figures and high-profile celebrities and musicians.

If you have difficulties or questions focusing a topic, discuss the topic with a professor or librarian

Step 4: Make a List of Useful Keywords

Keep track of words that are used to describe your topic.

· Look for words that best describe a topic

· Look for them when reading articles and background or general information

· Find broader and narrower terms, synonyms, key concepts for key words to widen the search

· Make note of these words and use them later when searching databases and catalogs

· When finding good articles in the AAMU Library Databases, note the descriptors and keywords shown relative to an article – these can stimulate your thinking on the topic

Step 5: Be Flexible

It is common to somewhat modify your topic during the research process. You can never be sure of what you may find (you must the literature guide you to some extent – take the “blinders” off). You may find too much and need to narrow your focus, or too little and need to broaden your focus. This is a normal part of the research process . When researching, you may not wish to change your topic, but you may decide that some other aspect of the same topic is more interesting or manageable.  

Keep in mind the assigned length of the term paper. Be aware of the depth of coverage needed and the due date. These important factors may help you decide how much and when you will modify your topic. Dr. Conkle will provide specific requirements, but the table below provides a rough guide:

Length of Term Paper or Lit Review	Suggested guidelines for approximate number & types of sources needed
1 - 2 page paper	2 - 3 sources
3 - 5 page paper	4 - 8 sources
Annotated Bibliography	6 - 15 sources
10 - 15+ page Lit Review paper	12 - 20+ sources

 Step 6: Define Your Topic as a Focused Research Question

You will often begin with a word, develop a more focused interest in an aspect of something relating to that word, then begin to have questions about the topic. 

For example:

Idea = What wins football games, other than having the most points? Research Question = Are there variables that influence winning interscholastic football championships? Focused Research Question = Which variables influence winning interscholastic American Football championships in Alabama?

Step 7: Research and Read More About Your Topic

Use the key words you have gathered to research in the catalog, article databases, and Internet search engines. Find more information to help you answer your research question. You will need to do some research and reading before you select your final topic, which means working early and quickly. Can you find enough information to answer your research question? Remember, selecting a topic is an important and complex part of the research process.

Focus as much as possible on Original Research Reports, Empirical Research, Systematic Observations (all synonymous with Primary Sources or Primary Works) – they are first published accounts of research studies. They include an Introduction with pertinent literature review, detailed Methodology of the study, Results found, and a Discussion of findings compared and contrasted with the previously existing relevant literature.

Step 8: Formulate a Thesis Statement

Write your topic as a thesis or problem statement. This may be the answer to your research question and/or a way to clearly state the purpose of your research. Your thesis statement will usually be one or two sentences that states precisely what is to be answered, proven, or what you will inform your audience about your topic.

The development of a problem that needs an answer or solution assumes there is sufficient evidence to support the thesis statement.

For example, a thesis statement could be: The team that scores mor points in the 2nd Quarter of a football game is most likely to win. Or, the team with the fewest turnovers is most likely to win, etc. 

The title of your paper may not be exactly the same as your research question or your thesis statement, but the title should clearly convey the focus, purpose and meaning of your research.

Remember to follow any specific instructions from your professor.

Practical Exercises to Extend Your Learning

Identify three narrower aspects of the following broad topics. In other words, what are three areas you could investigate that fit into these very broad topics?

Sport science Physical education Kinesiology

Exercise science

Human Performance

Identify a broader topic that would cover the following narrow topics. In other words, how could you expand these topics to find more information?

Menus and Nutrition in Alabama prisons Urban and Rural Recreation in Alabama

Think of 5 keywords you might use to look for information on each topic you develop.

Identifying Good Information Sources

There are so many different types of information on the Internet, it is sometimes difficult to identify what you see on the screen, or to know if it has quality. Knowing the type of information you need or are hoping to find will help in accessing the information and using it appropriately. Review the broad categories below to help identify different types of information formats and publications.

Identifying Information Sources

Basic research tools

· Article Databases - especially useful in finding scholarly and academic journal articles.

· Library Catalogs - use to find location and holdings of books, periodicals and other material within libraries.

· Reference Resources - finding aids such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, almanacs, .etc.

· Search Engines - use to find Websites and other Internet resources. Google Scholar is okay, but do not fall into its trap!!!!!

Different types of Web pages

· Advocacy

· News

· Personal

· Professional

· Scholarly

Scholarly vs. Popular Publications

The terms, periodicals, serials, journals, and magazines can be and often are used interchangeably.  This does not mean they are all the same.  Periodicals are publications that are printed; daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually.  Serials are publications intended to be published indefinitely into the future.  Journals are generally held as being scholarly and authoritative, including references and citations.  Magazines are referred to as being popular publications and having less credibility.

	Scholarly Publication	Popular Publication
Examples	Nature, Cell, Journal of the American Medical Association	Time, People, Sports Illustrated, New Yorker, Rolling Stone
Author	A professional or expert in the field	Journalists, students, popular authors, or maybe no author
Audience	Specialized audience, has a broad knowledge or is able to understand specialized vocabulary presented	General Public, or persons with basic vocabulary
Advertising	Few and highly specialized pertaining to the publication topic	High amounts of advertising for a broad range of products
References, Bibliography, Works Cited, Sources	References listed at the end of each article, or contains footnotes, or endnotes	Rarely includes references or works cited
Indexing	Articles are listed in specialized databases and indexes	Articles are listed in general databases and indexes
Level of Language	Higher level of language, more scholarly and serious, vocabulary pertains and relates to discipline	Simple, more broad language used to relate to a higher number of people, easier to understand
Purpose	Discuss and display research, findings, trends and information in a scholarly manner	More general interest, current events, gossip
Review Policy	Peer reviewed. Editors are scholars in the field	Editors or other magazine staff

To ensure that a publication is peer reviewed, the library databases allow specifying and searching titles that are peer-reviewed or refereed. Asking a librarian or well-read professor can be helpful too.

Primary and Secondary sources

· Primary sources: Primary sources are the original documents of an event or discovery such as results of research, experiments or surveys, interviews, letters, diaries, legal documents, and scientific journal articles.  Primary sources are also records of events as they are first described. These might be videotapes, audio recordings or eyewitness news reports.

· Secondary sources: Secondary sources offer an analysis or a restatement of an event or discovery described in primary sources. They interpret, explain or summarize primary sources. Some secondary sources are used to persuade the reader. Secondary sources may be considered less objective.  Examples of secondary sources include: dictionaries, encyclopedias, textbooks, articles and editorials that interpret or review research works.

Files, Formats, and Media on the Web

· html - all web pages are developed using HTML, although each basic page may contain links to many other types of files including graphics, java, video, etc. The file extension may be .htm or .html, for a web page.

· audio - real audio, .wav, .au and .mp3 are the most common audio file types.

· video - real player and shockwave are common video and multimedia viewers

· graphics - .PDF, .GIF, .JPG, and animated GIF files are the most common types of graphics files on the Web.

· text - many types of word processing files, spreadsheets, databases, and hypertext can be seen on the Web or easily translated to HTML. Common text file types include

· .txt - for plain ascii text files that can be used in any word processor or read in a Web browser. 

· .doc for Microsoft Word files

· .wpd for Word Perfect files

· .pdf for Adobe Acrobat files usually viewed on the Web with the Acrobat reader, these are really graphic representations of text

· other Internet Protocols - Many other resources using protocols other than http may all be retrieved via a Web browser

It is important to decide on the type of information or media  you need before you start looking, and to know what type of information or media you are viewing as you critically evaluate it. Being able to accurately evaluate the information you find while doing research is a useful skill to have.  Academic libraries and the Internet are both large sources of information with extensive resources.  Both, libraries and the internet, develop their resources differently and evaluating what is there and available is not always easy.

In Libraries:

· librarians develop plans and use specific criteria to add materials to the library

· librarians try to only purchase high quality materials

· each item collected is carefully cataloged or recorded into the library catalog

· the size of the library is determined by its budget and physical space limits

On the Internet:

· almost anyone can add anything to the Internet at anytime

· no one makes plans for the entire Internet and how to present it

· many Internet resources are poorly indexed or not indexed at all

Use the criteria listed below, and your search experience, to improve your ability to quickly and efficiently identify and evaluate library and/or Internet information references and resources.

Accuracy or credibility

· Is the information provided based on demonstrated facts?

· Is it published in a scholarly or peer-reviewed publication?

· Have you found similar information in a scholarly or peer-reviewed publication? 

· Are sample sizes in the study sufficient, or too limited?

· Does the methodology and measurement seem ethical and logical (we need a lot of practice reading studies to assess this!)

· Was the research question and problem fully studied and by many researchers?

Author or authority

· Who is the author?

· Is (s)he affiliated with a reputable university or organization?

· What is the author's educational background or experience?

· What is their area of expertise?

· Has the author published in many scholarly or peer reviewed publications?

· Does the author provide contact information?

Coverage or relevance

· Be highly selective in identifying, citing, and referencing - choose only those that are most important and/or most current

· Research as many potential sources/works as necessary to ensure that you are writing a high-quality comprehensive literature review on your topic.

· Does the information covered meet your information needs?

· Is the coverage basic or comprehensive?

· Is there an "About Us" link that explains subject coverage?

· How relevant is the article material to your research interests?

Currency

· When was the information published?

· When was the Web site was last updated. 

· Is timeliness important to your information need?

Objectivity or bias

· How objective or biased is the information?

· What do you know about who is publishing this information?

· Is there a political, social or commercial agenda?

· Does the information try to inform or persuade?

· How balanced is the presentation on opposing perspectives?

· What is the tone of language used (angry, sarcastic, balanced, educated)?

Sources or documentation

· Is there a list of references or works cited?

· Is there a bibliography?

· Is there information provided to support statements of fact?

· Can you contact the author or Web Master to ask for, and receive, the sources used?

Publication and website design

· How well designed is the Web site?

· Is the information clearly focused?

· How easy to use is the information??

· How easy is it to find information within the publication or Web site?

· Are the bibliographic references and links accurate, current, credible and relevant?

· Are the contact addresses for the author(s) and Web Master(s) available from the site?

Some Final Thoughts Regarding Writing a Literature Review as a Term Paper for a Course

(That will in This Case Become Your AAMU School of Graduate Studies’ Masters; Report)

· Select a topic (or group of prospective topics) that is interesting to you and a reading audience.

· Identify and locate an appropriate number of research articles using reputable databases with which you may not be familiar

(steer away from Google!!!!!).

· Write and edit a well-developed synthesis are the best and most relevant research on your topic (in less than 2 – 4 months).

· Be certain you understand the assignment and expectations as quickly as possible early in the semester!!!!!

· Pace yourself and manage your time with this project and all other “iron-in-the-fire” that are family/personal/school/work-related.

· Remember: you must select a worthy topic or topic list for your professor to assign a topic; read and evaluate (become an intelligent consumer of research) research articles; and, synthesize and organize your notes, write, revise each draft; and edit it for correctness and adherence to the required style manual (APA) – often all within 8-12 weeks.

· Be fully aware that there is a short time-frame for preparing your literature review and that opportunities for feedback are limited (regardless of who is proofing each draft). It is ultimately on the student to get it right, in the end, but having other trusted individuals provide feedback is suggested. Create a time-line and try to stick-to-it religiously – be reasonable but there should be some sense or urgency and challenge to meeting the deadlines you set. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!!!!!

· An example of a time-line might be:

· Stage 1 = Preliminary Library Database Search (Complete in 5-10 days)

· Stage 2 = Develop a Master Reading List of all potential articles to include & begin your paper’s Outline from those

(Complete in 10-40 days)

· Stage 3 = Write Draft 1 and subsequent drafts of the paper (Complete in 30-45 days)

· Stage 4 = Write Final Draft of the paper (Complete in 50-60 days)

Be mindful you are NOT conducting a study. You are writing a Lit Review. A Research Report will follow IMRaD and SIP. You are developing a Lit Review that would be the introduction of background and context – it is an essay (so-to-speak) that informs readers about the topic and the purpose(s) of key research concerning that topic – it provides an educated overview of the most relevant literature associated with the topic.