SWK 344: Research & APA: Teaching

Two Journal Critiques – QEP - 50 points - LO: 3 and Competency 1bc

The student will select two peer reviewed journal articles.  One article will be chosen from a group provided by the faculty. The other article will be chosen by the student and will be a topic that appeals to the student to build on for their literature review topic. Students will follow APA guidelines for conducting a scholarly critique of the articles. Work is to be in APA format, typed, double-spaced, 12 point font and approximately 2- 3 pages in length (not including a title and reference page). Typographical and grammatical errors will be penalized.  Appropriate citation of sources is expected using APA format. Each Journal Article critique is worth 25 points.

The first journal article critique will be an instructor-led in class active learning assignment to teach the students how to complete a scholarly journal critique. Journal Article One is worth twenty five points. If the student scores a 15 or below, Journal Article two submission is to be a revision of the Journal Article One. If the student scores a 16 or above, the Second Journal Article is to be completed as an independent student activity. Both Journal Articles will be reviewed and assessed using the QEP rubric.

2.     Literature Review – QEP - 100 points - LO: 3 and 4.

Students will select five peer-reviewed social work journals and write a clear and concise literature review based on their findings.  The literature review will be between 4- 6 pages and will include an abstract and reference page.  The student will focus on leadership, policy, or a social justice issue (immigration/education/voting rights etc.) in a social work setting.  The student will make a strong case for why a literature review of this topic is important. Students will be expected to use critical thinking skills and be able to determine if the literature review proves the hypothesis or thesis statement. Students will be able to identify any gaps in the literature and suggest methods that may be effective for future research. The literature review will be in APA format.  Points will be deducted for grammatical errors.