research paper

2

Full Title of Paper

Your name

Community College of Baltimore County

PSYC 101

Dr. Alisa Diop, Instructor

Date of Submission

Full Title of Paper (Use the Same Exact Title from Title Page)

Your opening paragraph is considered the introduction of your paper and sets the foundation for the rest of the paper; it helps the reader know what to expect. In this section of your paper, you will a) identify the topic to be explored within your paper, b) address the importance of the topic, c) present a well-developed thesis statement, and d) introduce the main themes/subject areas (at least four) and diversity-related lenses/factors (at least two) that will be addressed within your paper (see guidelines handout for more information). As a reminder, your thesis statement must be presented as a precursor to the rest of the paper (e.g., “Individuals with personality disorders, no matter the type, generally tend to become lost among the living, as they are known to lose sight of what society views as normal, and they often struggle to fit in.”); and your paper should provide a follow-up statement to your thesis that introduces the specific areas of discussion (e.g., “This paper will explore different types of personality disorder, their symptoms, diagnoses, effects on individuals, and treatment options, in addition to various aspects of diversity that may affect prevalence rates, including race, gender/sexuality, social class, and religion.”). Also, your paper should NOT include first person tense until you reach the conclusion/discussion section of your paper (i.e., do not use “I” or “we” ), nor should it include charts, pictures, or bulleted lists.

While you may include direct quotations as appropriate, please write the paper in your own words as much as is possible, giving credit to others’ ideas and contributions when necessary by using correct APA citation format. Direct quotations AND paraphrases must be properly cited throughout the entire paper, and for every reference listed at the end of your paper, there should be AT LEAST ONE related citation—for example (Smith, 2018) OR (Smith, 2018, para, 4)—when citing a “direct quote”. The majority of your paper, however, should be your ideas and in your own words based on the research you gather. Your audience wants to read the connections you have made based on the sources you reviewed. And remember, a paper that lacks citations OR references will not be graded and will earn a score of zero.

Theme/Main Subject Area #1 (E.g., Types of Personality Disorders)

What does the literature say about the theme (and possibly lens of diversity) you selected for this section of your paper? This section should contain at least one or two well developed paragraphs.

Antisocial personality disorder.

The heading above is a third level heading. It is indented with boldface and is followed by a period. Also, only the first major word within the heading is capitalized. While this is generally the highest level heading used in a college paper, fourth and fifth levels may also be incorporated—though it is not suggested, as it can become confusing after a while. This style of heading does not have to be used for every section of the paper, as it may only work for one particular section. In this case, it is used to identify the specific types of personality disorders addressed in Subject Area 1.

Theme/Main Subject Area #2

What does the literature say about the theme (and possibly lens of diversity) you selected for this section of your paper? This section should contain at least one or two well developed paragraphs.

Theme/Main Subject Area #3

What does the literature say about the theme (and possibly lens of diversity) you selected for this section of your paper? This section should contain at least one or two well developed paragraphs.

Theme/Main Subject Area #4

What does the literature say about the theme (and possibly lens of diversity) you selected for this section of your paper? This section should contain at least one or two well developed paragraphs. Additional themes and/or lenses may be added beyond this point but are not necessary.

Main Subject Area and Diversity (e.g., Personality Disorders and Diversity)

In the event that the discussion of diversity was omitted from the above sections of your paper, here is a good place to identify the different areas of diversity you’d like to address as they relate to your topic. Remember, your paper MUST include at least two areas of diversity as part of your discussion and can be based on any of the following: age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, education, ability/disability. You may use level 3 headings to address each area separately, or you can address all areas within one or two paragraphs. If areas of diversity have already been addressed in the main content of the paper, this section is not necessary.

Summary

This section of your paper recaps the overall content of your paper—it includes a summary statement in addition to a brief highlights of the papers content. In general, what does the literature say about your topic or person and the lenses of diversity you selected? Remember, in this section of your paper, you will continue to refrain from using first and second person tense (i.e., “I”, “we”, and “you”). Instead, continue to use third person tense only (i.e., “he”, “she”, “they”).

Discussion/Conclusion

In this final written section of the paper, you will respond to the three questions outlined in the PSYC 101 Guidelines for Research Project handout: 1) Why did you choose this particular topic and how does it apply to you as an individual? 2) How does your topic relate to information presented in the course/course text? And 3) In what ways can you apply information gained from this research to future personal, academic, and/or career growth and development? The questions themselves should NOT be included in your response, and the content should be typed in paragraph format just as is the case for the previous content.

It is also in this section of the paper that students MAY use first person tense, as this is where you will relate your research to your own personal experiences.

References

References go on a separate page. Do not bold the heading References (refer to the handout on how to format an APA Style Paper). Include all references cited within your paper. Ensure references are in the hanging indent format (such as how this paragraph is formatted) and are properly APA formatted; refer to the PSYC 101 Guidelines for Research Paper handout for guidance and examples. There are also sample references presented below. Please remove these instructions before posting and write your sections in black font. Incorporate a minimum of three (3) academically sound sources. All three must be from credible sources, but more may be used, including our text.

Ciccarelli, S.K. & Meyer, G.E. (2006). Psychology (Custom ed. for the Community College of

Baltimore County). Prentice Hall.

Cleveland Clinic (2018). Personality Disorders. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9636-personality-disorders-overview

Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (4th ed.). Wiley.

NOTE: IF USING THIS TEMPLATE AS A GUIDE TO CONSTRUCT YOUR PAPER, WHICH IS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED, PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO REPLACE ALL INFORMATION PRESENTED WITH YOUR OWN, AND CHANGE THE FONT COLOR TO BLACK THROUGHOUT. ALL OTHER FORMATTING SHOULD REMAIN “AS IS”.