Draft Literature Synthesis

Example Template for Literature Synthesis Paper due Week 4:

Hi all,

I have had several good conversations with some of you regarding how to pull together your Lit. Synthesis. To make things easier, here is an additional template outline I can suggest which meets all criteria in the grading rubric. I would suggest working on your JH table first, so that you are immersed in all the results, and then writing your paper.

Very Important: Be sure that you have a core of at least 8 studies in your JH Table that are Level 1, 2 or 3 per the JH Appraisal definitions; then 2 additional studies may be qualitative studies, for a total of 10 core studies to support your work. In addition, of course, you will have any clinical guidelines you are following as additional references, and perhaps some CDC, HRSA, AHRQ, ADA, AAP, or other professional body type of references, but these should not be listed in your JH Table.

Here is an example:

                                        Title Page (comes first) - full page

Implementation of a Type 1 Diabetes Support Group in a High School Setting

                                                Student Name

                                      Course Number & Name

                                       Etc. Per APA title page

Top of next page:

                                           Literature Synthesis

  Implementation of a Type 1 Diabetes Support Group in a High School Setting 

Introduction (left-aligned)

          This is the problem statement similar to your Project Navigation form, a paragraph or two here is fine................Why do teens with T1DM need support groups? Why is your project important?

PICOT  (restate PICOT here)       

          In school aged students grades 9-12 with Type 1 Diabetes, what is the impact of a peer support group for Type 1 Diabetic Students on improving their self-management of diabetes as measured by the Type 1 Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire (DSMQ) compared with those without a school support system over a 10-week period?

Search Methodology

            Description of your search method, criteria, search terms and results go here (refined from DB #2).

 

Review of the Literature (this is the main section)

 

Type 1 Diabetes and It's Impact on High School Students (Subheading 1) (Make this first subheading a logical pick that you will build upon with the next subheadings; i.e., if several research teams found common issues that drive the current problem in particular, start with that subheading topic; be sure for each section and for each sentence, that you cite multiple ref.s appropriately in parentheses at the end; using this style improves flow rather than trying to begin all your sentences with authors' names).

           

          Start with a very broad, "juicy" topic sentence based on similar results or commonalities from multiple studies; An example topic sentence for the first paragraph is from my talk with Ashley, here is the brainstorm: "Based on a review of the literature, several studies revealed that teens with type 1 diabetes (TID) often feel bullied or excluded from activities at school." Then go on to discuss and summarize all the similar results and outcomes from these studies in successive sentences, and then also any unique results from perhaps just 1 or 2 studies. [This is what you would call a "Problem" subheading]

 

Potential Benefits of Support Groups (Subheading 2) (Introduce the next logical subtopic here): 

           Start with another very broad, "juicy" topic sentence based on similar results or commonalities from multiple studies; Next example brainstorm: "There are many benefits to the implementation of support groups that have been reported for teens with TID and other illnesses to help them adjust well and feel more included at school." Then go on to discuss and summarize all the similar results from this group of studies with similar results in successive sentences, and then also any unique results from perhaps just 1-2 studies. [Solution subheading]

 

Parents of T1D Students Need Support Too (Subheading 3) (Introduce the next logical subtopic here): 

            Start with another very broad, "juicy" topic sentence based on similar results or commonalities from multiple studies; Next example brainstorm: "In addition to the need to support teens who have been diagnosed with TID and who are feeling excluded and unsure about self-management of their diabetes, several studies have revealed that parents of children with TID also need to be heard and supported in regard to learning how to support their teen in self-managing their TID at school." Then go on to discuss and summarize all the similar results from this group of studies in successive sentences, and then also any unique results from perhaps just 1-2 studies. [Solution subheading]

Anywhere from 2 - 4 subheadings is likely to suffice for your paper, depending on the evidence you have found :-)

Then -- 

Conclusions

          Wrap up your findings in broad strokes and finish with mentioning the intervention you will implement to address these evidence-based issues and concerns.

Note that this will then flow beautifully into your next paper, which is your Week 5 Assignment:

               Evidence-Based Intervention

 Ok, to be continued for your next paper -- I hope this outline is helpful!