The Literature Review

Overview
The formal search of the literature is an integral part of the research process. After identifying a research
problem or topic for a study, the researcher must begin to gather as much information as possible about his or
her topic. Beyond anecdotal or artifact types of information, the content of scholarly articles— found in various
databases and on the Internet— represent the core of the formal literature review. The articles found in the
literature review may be about research studies on topics similar to the one you have chosen, or they may be
theoretical or conceptual in nature.
For this assignment, you will complete a literature review of best practices to address a hypothetical scenario
presented in the instructions below.
By successfully completing this assignment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following EPAs and
practice behaviors:
C4: Engage In Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice
C4.GP.A Use practice experience and theory to inform scientific inquiry and research.
C4.GP.C Use and translate research evidence to inform and improve practice, policy, and service delivery.
C9.GP.A Select and use appropriate methods for evaluation of outcomes.
Instructions
Scenario: The city of Erickson has allocated 4 million dollars to develop an outpatient mental health treatment
center for people in the community who are homeless. They have asked you to recommend two best practice
methods for the new service.
Conduct a review of the literature and select two intervention strategies from the literature which you will
recommend. Please be sure to cite at least seven journal articles. Include the following:
Select two interventions based on critical analysis:
How might these studies inform the creation of a new service delivery model?
What do you know about the origins, prevalence, and correlates of the problem?
Analyze how a search of the literature on the topic that you have selected can inform both the researcher and
influence the research design process:
What functions does the literature review serve with respect to the scenario provided?
How you might go about conducting a literature review for the intervention strategy? Describe the steps you
might take.
Evaluate sources of information that might be related to your topic:
Evaluate each article.