500 words Minimum not including title page and references – roughly 6 pages.
MINIMUM of 3 original research papers.
Grade break down:
20 pts. Correct APA format (citations, 12 point font, double spaced, 1” margins, references)
40 pts. Grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, paragraph structure, spelling, word choice etc.
20 pts. Research article selection and review. Were the articles current and relevant, were the details of the studies reported with an appropriate balance of detail and conciseness.
20 pts Student perspective. What unique perspective did the student bring to the paper? What question was the student trying to answer with this particular selection of studies?
sources: any 3 original research papers. (may be from google scholar)
The Paper Structure
You must have all the elements below although you may vary things to suit the ‘story’ you are telling. You do not need sections with section headings.
Theories Theories range from metaphors to models, from general ideas to describing how things work. Theories can include a history of a problem, with the current best thinking on it. Most importantly, theories make predictions about the outcomes of experiments, the hypotheses. Explain the theory so as to make the hypotheses seem inevitable.
Present the broad, over-arching question the studies ask. “How would you explain it to your Grandma?”
Hypotheses What specific predictions did they make about the measurements in the different conditions? What would the different outcomes imply about the theory?
Methods Describe the experiments, what was important about how they manipulated the conditions of the independent variable and how they measured the dependent variable? Focus on the causal link between the manipulation of the IV and the change in the DV.
Results When you discuss of the study do not present statistics just whether they supported the hypothesis. What were the outcomes, which hypothesis was supported.
Interpretation What did the results mean? Do not use the word “prove.” What are the limitations, what should future research focus on And Why? Consider whether there were any research design or methodological flaws in the study that might threaten its internal validity?
professor note: How do I grade? I automatically assume you have a B+ by fulfilling the requirements stated above (introduction to the problem and the main theories, the predicted hypothetical outcomes, brief summary of results, and interpretation of the results with your own perspective on them) written in APA format and minimal grammar errors. If the paper does not meet the requirements, your grade drops down. Papers which rise up into the A range demonstrate command of the concepts, insightful analysis and critique of the study limitations, as well as clear and compelling composition.