Research Paper

Your paper must meet 3 requirements in order to be accepted: 1. You must have highlighted In-text Citations: A minimum of 2 present in each paragraph/section for this class. You will add in-text citations wherever you refer to any information you've discovered via video, reading, or personal communications. Your paper is not a life narrative. It is a composition of reading scientific research on the topic. The idea is for you to gather information from the experts on the topic and put it all together. You must give credit to those experts and authors. Please refer to the Student Example paper and the Plagiarism Self-check information posted for you to learn more about formatting these. For papers in this class, parenthetical in-text citations need to be highlighted in yellow in order for easier identification as I review papers.

2. You must have a ‘References’ section as a final 6th page, in which you list in APA or MLA style all the sources you used to write your paper. Each source listed must correspond to an in-text citation and each in-text citation much have a corresponding source listed in this section.

3. After you submit your paper to the dropbox in Canvas, you must review your Similarity score on the Plagiarism Self-check that will automatically run. You must attain 25% or lower on this score prior to your paper qualifying for grading.  Papers rating above this mark cannot be accepted.  (Scores of 26% will not be accepted.) Wait 10-30 minutes, then click on the percent icon to view your Similarity report. You will see highlighted areas of your paper in need of further rewording. Reword and resubmit until you achieve an acceptable score, then write a note to me stating, “Please grade this one.” Please read more about this software check in the document titled: Plagiarism Self-Check under Modules/Documents Helpful to Completing Assignments)

Term Project Instructions & Learning Outcomes:  It is important for you to find the relevance of psychology in your own life and to deepen your understanding through evidence-based research. In order to facilitate these objectives, you will complete this term project using research on a psychological disorder.

Completing this assignment also is a core task in achieving the General Education Learning Outcomes in this course which include application of critical thinking via synthesis and analyses of scientific research.

1. Choose a Psychological Disorder: You will select one of the Psychological disorders (mental illness) listed in the Diagnostic Statistics Manual, Fifth ed. (DSM V). You may also find listings by conducting a search for “List of Psychological Disorders.”

2. Locate Three Credible Sources: Select a minimum of three credible, scholarly sources for you research paper. You may use your course textbook as one. Wikipedia is not a credible source. Dot org and dot edu domains are usually more credible than dot com domains.

3. Six Pages - Double spaced.  Compose a 6-page paper (not 5 1/2 pages!) With appropriate first page headings, section headings, and formatting, including a reference page. APA or MLA style of formatting are accepted. Overall, you will have 5 pages of text body with one added reference page for a total of 6. Do not forget to include sufficient in-text citations, highlighted in yellow. This is a must in order to avoid plagiarism.

4. Include appropriate headings, an Introduction section, and a thesis statement on the first page: List the course name, your name, the title of your paper, the date, and the instructor's name. Compose an adequate grabber of an introduction that invites the reader to continue on! Be sure to include a detailed thesis statement highlighted in yellow.

Thesis statement sentence starters:

“The goal of this paper is to…”

“This paper will discuss…”

“In this paper… (enter a detailed list of your topics here) …will be discussed.”

5. Include Section Headings for the information you select. Your section headings do not have to completely match the student example paper. For instance, you do not need to include ‘Common Terms.’ Compose sections that complement the information you find in your research. You should be able to discuss most of the following aspects:

●An introductory paragraph including a thesis statement.

●Why you chose the disorder

●The prevalence of the disorder in the US or in the world

●How it is diagnosed: The symptoms including biological, social functioning, cognitive and emotional symptoms

●How it effects the social life and relationships of those afflicted

●The area of the brain and the neurotransmitters involved

●Treatments and helps available 

●Where is research lacking on the disorder. What scientists still do not know (optional - if you can find information on this)

6. Compose a Conclusion Section: This is a must so you don’t leave the reader hanging. Summarize the high points of your paper and touch on what might still be needed in research.

7. Add a Reference Page: Your finished paper will be 6 pages long with 5 pages of text body, and one final Reference page listing your three sources. 

8. Review the Rubric: The rubric will show you precisely how points can be earned or lost as you compose and format your paper.

9. Review the Research Paper Formatting tips posted for you in Canvas under Modules.