The purpose of this assignment is to conduct a review of the research literature in a particular area of criminology. The assignment will be completed in three stages. The first stage is already completed and is attached as a file a long with two PDF files of peer-reviewed studies that you will use as sources for your literature review topic
1: Topic Approval
To begin the project, you must choose an outcome (dependent variable) that is typically studied in criminology and criminal justice. Examples include, but are not limited to, juvenile delinquency, drug use, homicide offending, self-control, sentence length, crime rates, etc. You must then choose one independent variable that is commonly used to explain variation in the outcome you have chosen. You may not use a typical control variable (age, gender, race, SES) as your independent variable. You can come up with the variables on your own, use prior literature to guide you, or refer to theory.
2: Summary Worksheets
After your topic is approved, conduct a search of the academic (peer-reviewed) literature and find studies that may form the basis of your literature review. Eligible sources must meet the criteria stated on the “finding sources” document on Canvas.
Select five studies that are appropriate for inclusion in your review. Thoroughly read these five studies and complete a summary worksheet (attached as a file down below) for each study. Two or three of your selected studies must either find no relationship between your chosen variables or must find a relationship in the direction opposite to the one that you hypothesized.
3: Completed Paper
Write a 5-6-page literature review. The completed paper must include the following three sections:
1. Introduction (approximately 1 page)
At the beginning of your paper, you must introduce your topic. First, clearly state your approved research question and thesis statement. Then introduce the topic to your reader. For example, you may briefly describe the concepts (if necessary), state relevant statistics, or briefly discuss relevant history and theoretical background. You must also provide a rationale for studying this particular topic. Also clearly state why the independent variable may have an effect on the dependent variable. The introduction section of your paper will rely on the understanding that you have gained on your research topic from the five sources you have selected and must cite two of your five sources (e.g., when discussing the prevalence of the outcome, history, or theory). Do not cite more than two sources in the introduction section. (In this section use the two sources I have already provided from the topic approval section.
2. Literature review (approximately 4-5 pages)
In this section, you will review the five studies you selected with a specific focus on how the authors examined the relationship between your chosen variables as well as what their findings were. Your review must go into detail on all of the points covered on the summary worksheets completed earlier. Each study reviewed must have its own subheading comprised of the authors’ last names and year of publication (but not the title of the article).
For example: Browning, Smith, and Wesson (2010)
3. Bibliography (approximately 1 page)
You will not submit copies of the articles you review. Instead, you will create a properly formatted bibliography using ASA 7th format. The easiest way to do this is with citation software (Zotero). The bibliography should be on a separate page at the end of your paper.
Original Wiriting:
Any quoted text will result in a reduction of points as described on the grading rubric. Plagiarism, including simple restructuring of other authors’ work, will result in a grade of zero.
Professional Writing Skills:
Your completed paper must demonstrate professional writing skills. In order to satisfy this requirement, you must adhere to the following guidelines:
1. Provide a title page with your name, a short title (not “literature review assignment” or similar), the course name and number, the instructor’s name, and the date of submission.
2. Include page numbers at the bottom of each page, excluding the title page
3. Double-space all lines except for the references page which should be single-spaced
4. Use correct spelling and grammar
5. Use Times New Roman font, size 12
6. Include headings and subheadings a. Include a heading for the “Literature Review” section b. Include a subheading for each study reviewed c. Include a heading for the “References” page
7. Use correct citation and reference formatting (APA 7th)