GERN 6000: Integrated Studies in Gerontology

Integrated Studies in Gerontology

This course is designed to provide you with the opportunity to synthesize and integrate the learning experiences acquired in gerontology and to evaluate the research and current topics relative to this area of concentration. In order to achieve this objective, you are required to write an extensive literature review and create/conduct a two hour workshop for gerontological professionals on a specific topic related to aging and older adults. As both of these tasks require an intensive effort, work on these projects must begin as soon as possible.

While you should already be familiar with the concept of a literature review and what it entails, I would like to just reiterate some basic information.

The basic format and structure of a literature review is discussed in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (remember, you are not conducting empirical research or writing a theoretical paper, thus the information concerning these two types of articles is not relevant for this class). The Publication Manual also provides all necessary information concerning referencing and writing style.
You can find examples of literature reviews in gerontology journals. These are articles not discussing a specific study conducted by the authors but rather reviews, evaluates, and critiques all of the research in a specific content area. Often, the words "a review of the literature" or simply "a review" will be part of the article title. My two articles on Ageism and Life Review are examples of small-scale literature reviews.
Most literature reviews are approximately 50 - 60 pages (10 pt font; double spaced; one inch margins)
Note: You are not conducting an empirical study. You are not to interview subjects or collect data in any fashion other than library research.
Do's and Don'ts

Do:
Develop an extensive bibliography

Critically evaluate the research

Draw connections and correlations between the various research studies

Examine points of contradiction and hypothesize the reasons for these discrepancies

Organize your paper into appropriate sections (you should outline before you write)

Provide the reader transitions between ideas

Reference appropriately

If your writing skills need work - check out the writing center (poorly written papers will not be accepted towards fulfilling the paper requirement)

Don't:
Paraphrase an existing literature review

Rely heavily on secondary sources (no textbooks or magazines should be used - use primarily articles published in professional journals)

Rely on popular literature (e.g. books from Borders - these tend not to be empirically based)

Include anecdotal information (e.g. information from your personal life or stories you heard about someone else's life/experience)

Discuss each article separately as if writing an abstract on each

For more information, see also: Bem, D. J. (1995). Writing a review article for Psychological Bulletin. Psychological Bulletin, 118, 172-177.

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Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have or to arrange a time to discuss your topic prior to the second week of class