Research Paper Assignment

MINI-RESEARCH PAPER DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS:

General Idea:
Each student will complete a mini-research paper as explained below.

* See student sample Research Paper... * See another excellent student Paper...	Click Here. (pdf) Click Here. (pdf)
* USE THE ASSIGNMENT CHECK LIST so you don't forget something:	Get Check List
* How to tell the difference between a "study" and a "discussion" article??	Click HERE
* How to know if your selected article meets the assignment criterea??	Click HERE
* How do you attach a digital copy of article 1st page ??	Click HERE
* How to search the library for articles... video demo * If you don't know how to search for articles... see this demo	Click HERE

You will be including a photo copy of the 1st page of each study report you use in the paper. That will be 3 photo copies total. You can photo copy the 1st page of the study report, or attach a digital copy of the page to your paper. Since you may be using the library resources online for your references, you might need to know how to attach a digital copy of the 1st page of the article.
SO... How do you attach a digital copy of the 1st page of the article to your paper?
Click HERE for instructions (pdf file).

The Task: The student will be required to complete an independent paper on a topic relevant to human development. The paper should be an extension of an area of study presented and/or discussed as part of this course. The topic of your study should be one of interest to you personally. This paper cannot be substituted for material missed on tests or used for extra credit.

The Process: After selecting the topic of study, the student will go to the Periodical Section of the University library and locate and review at least three (3) current research report articles (published within the past 5 years). That means the author(s) conducted a study, and this is their report of what the data indicated.
You can go to the library in person, or you can go electronically on the internet as a remote user. You must use library resources for this paper, DO NOT simply "Google" your topic and hope to find what you need. That would be a big mistake.
The references for the studies must be from peer reviewed journals,
NOT chapters in books, News Releases, Newsletters, or interesting articles from magazines.

So... what is a research study report ?
The article is a report of a real research project, NOT just someone's opinion, or a "think article" on the topic.

A research report article is a report of a specific research project conducted by the author(s) and written by the author(s) and describes the research sample, methods of data collection and findings of this specific research project. Be sure your articles are actual studies and are published in a professional peer reviewed journal.

A minimum of three research articles of this type from professional journals (i.e. Child Development, Journal of Experimental Child Psych., etc.) must be reviewed in the paper. Professional journals are located in the Periodical Section of the University library. Do not go to the public library and expect to find the material for this paper.

DO NOT simply "Google" your topic and use internet pages for this assignment.
Be sure your articles are actual studies and are published in a peer reviewed journa
Oh... Did I say, look in the journals section of the library... DO NOT GOOGLE FOR ARTICLES.

Caution: Do not include Newsweek, Redbook, Parents Mag., Psychology Today, etc. or books that review research topics, these references will not be acceptable.
Do not use Newsletters or News Release reports that describe a research study.
Ten (10) points per reference will be subtracted for each reference which is not an actual report of a specific research study by the author, and published in a peer reviewed journal .

Remember... Do Not use an article that simply reviews the topic you have picked (a literature review). Although these articles are very interesting and informative and talk about other peoples research, ... they are not what you are to use in your report.

How to tell the difference between a "study" and a "discussion" article??
Click HERE to find out...

Now... That should be clear (crystal clear). Use actual studies, written by the person who did the study, published in peer reviewed journals.... GOT IT ??
Believe or not... after reading these instructions, some students still do not GET IT RIGHT.
If you desire approval on your selected articles, I would be glad to look at them and tell you if they are appropriate, JUST ASK. Email the article to me for approval if you are in question of whether it is an appropriate article.

Research Summaries: Each research article should be reviewed separately (about a 1 1/2 page summary double spaced) and the review should include the complete source reference (reference should be at the top of the summary page... see example paper), research methods used, sample population and size, variables studied and major findings of the research.

The summaries should be written in your own words, do not simply copy and paste material from the article.... use your own words.

How do you format the reference ??
Reference format: When citing references use the following format:

Author(s) name. (year). Article/Study title. Journal reference, Vol. #, pg.

Example of what a Reference should look like:

Wallerstein, J. (2008). Children of divorce: Preliminary report of a ten-year follow-up of older children and adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 24, 545-553.

A reference like this should be at the top of your summary report page... see sample paper.

If using an internet reference source, (such as an online journal) the complete URL address should also be cited in the reference, after the Authors(s), (year). Article title. (URL address).

Example:
Smith, J.L. & Jones, S.B. (2008). Correlates of Birth Defects to Adolescent mothers [online]. Available: http://www.peer.reviewed.research.org/research/bdadol.html

NOTE: These papers should not be research papers you are doing or have done for another class. They are to be designed to enhance your extended knowledge and understanding of research on a particular topic of interest in the study of human development. And remember... they should be published within the past 5 years for full credit. 5 points will be deducted for each article older than 5 years, unless prior approval has been given for specific articles. If you have a request, ASK.

So, what should the paper look like ??
Final draft of Paper: In addition to the research summaries, the paper should also include a title page, an abstract page (to introduce the paper), a photo copy of the first page of each study, a general synthesis summary page (at least one page) of how the three articles helped answer questions related to the research topic, and a reference page (see example reference).

The general synthesis summary page is your attempt to summarize how the three research reports were similar in methods and findings, and your reaction or response to the research.

The finished paper will be about 13 pages (typed, double spaced); composed of:
a title page, abstract page, 3 research summaries, copies of the first page of the actual article (3), a general summary page, and a reference page. Use the "Research Paper Check List" to be sure you have included everything.

SUBMIT THE PAPER ONLINE IN YOUR ASSIGNMENTS FOLDER... OR TURN IN A HARD COPY TO THE INSTRUCTOR.
NO PLASTIC COVERS, BINDERS, ENVELOPES PLEASE ..
JUST STAPLE THE PAGES TOGETHER, AND TURN IT IN !

Remember:

The summaries should be written in your own words, do not simply copy and paste material from the article. PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS ABOVE.

* See student sample Research Paper... * See another excellent student Paper...	Click Here. (pdf) Click Here. (pdf)
* USE THE ASSIGNMENT CHECK LIST so you don't forget something:	Get Check List
* How to tell the difference between a "study" and a "discussion" article??	Click HERE
* How to know if your selected article meets the assignment criterea??	Click HERE
* How do you attach a digital copy of article 1st page ??	Click HERE
* How to search the library for articles... video demo * If you don't know how to search for articles... see this demo	Click HERE

When is it due ???
Research papers can be submitted any time during the course time line, but must be completed on or before the due date. See due dates for assignments for the specific due date of the paper. Papers will NOT be accepted after the due date
After you submit your paper... you should check the assignments folder to be sure your paper is actually there, and that it is the correct assignment.