How Religion and Spirituality Impacts Physical and Mental Health

Literature Review/Research Paper Assignment

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The instructions below pertain to the final copy of the assignment. The first draft should demonstrate positive dynamics towards meeting all of the below requirements, but may, by definition, not meet all of them yet.

Length:

• 16 -18 pages (double-spaced), not including introductory pages or references.

Format:

• Follow the guidelines for APA formatting, 7^th edition (please note that this sample business report that follows a different style sheet and is based on a first year communications assignment. You should not base your content on this model, only the formatting).
• Include an appropriate running header (do not use design templates, no headers on title page).

Outline:

• Title Page
• Table of Contents: use the Word TOC functionality, do not type out manually
• Executive Summary (no more than 1 page in length): provides a quick but persuasive, at-a-glance summary of the entire contents of the report. Highlights or gives an overview of the main points that you make in each section. This is the most important page of your research document, since this is what goes to senior executives for a decision on the report. The Executive Summary must be impeccable; typos or grammatical mistakes can mean that this report will “crash and burn.” The Executive Summary is written after the rest of the report has been completed, and is in past tense, never future, since it presents the results of your research.
• Introduction (no more than 1 page in length): if through your analysis, you have been able to demonstrate that one of the camps of thought under discussion has a stronger argument (as defined by Lewis), you can make this your thesis statement. However, you are not to take sides when it comes to the topic itself. Write in third person and be as objective and inclusive as possible. The literature review must be structured so that it is not just an annotated bibliography – remember that the main purpose here is not only to talk about different viewpoints on a topic but, more importantly, to discuss how these different viewpoints are presented in different ways. If your analysis points to the strength of the argumentation employed by a particular camp of thought, you will introduce this idea in your introduction and give an overview of the main ideas in each of your sections. As you write your sections, remember to relate your information back to the main idea. Additionally, use the introduction to introduce the scope and types of sources you are analyzing.
• Background (no more than 1 page in length): in this section, you will summarize some basic facts/background information about your issue using a variety of sources. Describe what the issue is and why it is important. Use subheadings where appropriate. You will probably wish to organize this section like a mini-essay, with a short introductory paragraph to introduce your main idea and main points, and a conclusion that wraps up your ideas in a satisfying manner and relates them back to your overall idea.
• Viewpoints (no more than 4 – 6 pages in length): in this section, you will group the different viewpoints that your authors have about this issue into several different categories or camps of thought, with a separate subheading for each category. Discuss each viewpoint and analyze/explain why the authors approach the topic in the way they do. You will also want to set the viewpoints in context by discussing how they relate, respond, or appear to be influenced by each other. You will probably wish to organize this section like a mini-essay, similar to the section above.
• Analysis, Language, Evidence, and Techniques (usually around 10 pages in length): this is the main section of your review where you will discuss the different types of rhetorical approaches that authors take. Remember that Kent Lewis’s introductions to Chapter 3 on “Questions” and to Chapter 8 on “Argument” will provide you with the rhetorical and analytical tools (inductive and deductive reasoning processes, measureable and testable evidence, as well as logical and emotional fallacies) that will help give your discussion the level of complexity and professionalism that it deserves. Do not review sources in isolation – compare and contrast their approaches within the same paragraphs instead. You should not group the sources here by their viewpoints – the subheadings should refer to language features, evidence types, and rhetorical techniques employed instead. Again, you may organize this section as a mini-essay.
• Conclusion (no more than 1 page in length): relates back to the material in the introduction by summarizing the main ideas from each section and making clear how they relate to your overall viewpoint. Your conclusion should bring everything together in a manner that is interesting and convincing for your reader. You do not need to conclude that one side has a stronger argument than the other, but if it is evident from your analysis, you can state so (objectively).
• Organization: Be sure to sort your information into logical sequences that work best for your subject matter.
• Quality of Sources: Be sure to conduct a complete search for resources.  Be aware that not all sources are created equal.  The “best” sources are those from unbiased and vetted researchers and writers.  Be sure to use the library sources as they generally fit this criteria.  “Peer Reviewed” sources, those that have been scrutinized by professionals and academics in their field are considered the best.  Be aware of the biases that can exist in news sources – including newspapers, journals, and television news.  Also, be sure to examine “new media” sources that can provide a different perspective than mainstream media.  Be aware that these sources may have some challenges in terms of credibility, but the difference in perspective may worth it.  Keep in mind that you are the responsible for the overall credibility of your paper by monitoring the overall credibility of your sources.  Wikipedia is not a suitable source for this level of writing.
• Readability, Style, Tone: This should be straight forward, remember this is a writing class.  Your goal is to get your message across as clearly and concisely as possible.
• In-text Citations: It is very important to give credit where credit is due. This can be partially accomplished by ensuring that you make use of proper in-text citations. Remember, failing to include in-text citations is a very easy way to violate the plagiarism standards and to receive a zero for your completed work.  Remember, paraphrasing is usually better than using direct quotes.  Citations need to include the name of the “speaker” the date of the publication, and the location of the statement or paraphrased information.  Be sure to include your reasoning, for the inclusion of cited material.  This is your “voice”.  Remember, to feel free to use and cite “new media” sources as well.  Be sure to refer to your Cites and Sources text for a refresher.
• References: must include at least 15 high quality sources. I will be looking to see that you have picked resources that have some depth to them. I hope that you will look for and find different types of articles and different viewpoints or approaches in these articles. I will also be looking to make sure that you have accessed them using a mixture of different resources, e.g. online, library databases, news websites, and print material. Of the sources you use in the final report, no more than 3 can be dated older than 6 months ago but no older than 3 years ago; no more than 2 can be videos (that must have text spoken or written on the screen); no more than 1 can be in a language other than English; at least 3 need to originate from Canada. You do not have to use all of the sources you had listed in your research proposal.
• Mechanics: Be sure to proofread and edit your final drafts. We will go through a peer evaluation process to assist with this.