Literature Review: (500 points). This is a major written undertaking. Generally, a literature review is used to introduce a particular research project. It provides the theoretical and methodological basis for the research as well as a critique of previous studies that explains the need for the current project (e.g., extending norms, applying theory to a different population, etc.). You will pick a SPECIFIC area of research within psychology (DIFFERENT FROM YOUR DISCUSSION TOPIC) to provide a comprehensive (not exhaustive) review of the extant literature with an eye toward the quality, quantity, and applicability of the research. Your job is to lay out the previous research in such a way that the reader understands the topic, can see where the research strengths and limitations are, and can ultimately see where the next stage in the research should go. This is not an annotated bibliography, so merely listing findings of previous research is not acceptable. You need to present the information in a narrative form using elements of scientific writing. Scoring will utilize the following format: 100 points: Depth of research Do not omit studies with significant findings (using only peer reviewed journals) 100 points: Breadth of research Include studies that may indicate generalizability 100 points: Critical thinking your ability to explain why the literature is adequate/inadequate, applicable/narrow, how it may direct future research etc.
