peer Review APA STYLE ESSAY

SIGNATURE WRITING ASSIGNMENT   SIGNATURE WRITING ASSIGNMENT - Alternative Formats

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Writing Assignment

The purpose of this paper is to assess your critical thinking, writing, information literacy, and technological competency. This is an academic writing assignment, which includes the title page, body (content paragraphs), and reference list.

Overview: 

1. Identify a theory or concept in the text.

2. Explain the theory or concept (definitions, main points).

3. Locate a peer-reviewed journal article that examines the theory or concept that you selected. You will look for your article using the Library Research Help link on the left-hand menu. The articles chosen should not be a review or theoretical articles, but published in peer-reviewed journals (e.g., Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Developmental Psychology, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Journal of Experimental Psychology). Articles must include methods and results sections. Only empirical research from a peer-reviewed/referred psychology journal is acceptable. You are required to read the article. Do not use the abstract to respond to the questions below.

4. Critically evaluate the article by identifying the different parts of the research study and identify where this research can be applied/used in the real world. The paper should use APA style formatting. Refer to the  APA Student Paper Formatting Checklist  included in the APA Style Writing Tools folder in Course Content to ensure that your assignment is properly formatted. Correct grammar and spelling are important and will be assessed. The paper should include proper citations in the body of your paper as well as the reference list again using APA style. The WRL may be contacted for assistance with writing mechanics, citations, and paraphrasing. For assistance and questions including choosing a research article, contact the reference librarian.

a. Describe the psychology research question/topic presented in the peer-reviewed journal article. How does this article relate to your research question/topic? You must attach a PDF copy of your article when you submit your essay.

b. What is/are the hypothesis(es) of the research? Describe the hypothesis(es) of the research in your own words.

c. What are the research variables? Identify the independent and dependent variable(s).

d. What did the researchers do? Describe the subjects/participants within the methodology of the study in your own words. Be sure to identify what kind of research method was used (survey, experiment, correlational study), the variables that were measured in the study, and any other relevant aspects of the methodology. [Hint: This information is described in the section of the article titled “Method or Methodology.” Explain how the research was conducted well enough that someone who has not read the article will know what the researchers did.]

e. What was the research design (e.g., descriptive, correlational, or experimental and/or quasi-experimental)?

f. What did the researchers find? Describe the main results of the study in your own words. [Hint: The results are described in the section titled “Results” and then often summarized again in the section titled “Discussion/Conclusion.”]

g. What do the results mean? Describe the main conclusions drawn from this study in your own words. [Hint: The researchers’ conclusions are usually discussed in the section titled “Discussion/Conclusion.’]

h. What are the strengths and weaknesses of this study? In your own words, describe at least one strength and one weakness of the study, explaining why these are strengths and weaknesses. This is your opinion, rather than strengths and limitations as identified by the researchers in the articles.

i. How would you improve this study? If you were to do the study over again, describe what changes you would make and why these changes would improve the study.

j. Based on what you have read and learned in the course, draw an intellectual conclusion. Give your opinion about the issue. Why is this empirical research important? State what all this means for the theory or concept. How does this empirical research impact society, policy, or future empirical research?  What have you learned from the theory or concept? How will you apply that new knowledge to your everyday life?

5. You must complete the Scholarly Writing Tutorials and Quizzes including 1) Library Tutorial/Quiz Academic Integrity and Avoiding Plagiarism, 2) Library Tutorial/Quiz Choosing and Using Keywords, 3) Library Tutorial/Quiz How to Read Scholarly Material, 4) Library Tutorial/Quiz Why Citations Matter, 5) Library Tutorial/Quiz Begin Your Research, 6) Library Tutorial/Quiz Evaluating Information, and 7) Library Tutorial/Quiz Primary Sources. These provide guidance on how to read a peer-reviewed journal article, write an article summary, and how to cite sources in APA style. As a part of this assignment, you must take all the Tutorials/Quizzes.

6. The writing assignment MUST be submitted using Microsoft Word or PDF (preferred). It MUST be uploaded into Blackboard. All submissions will be checked for plagiarism through SafeAssign.

Additional tips for reading and evaluating journal articles:

· Examine whether the information (e.g., hypotheses, procedures, researchers interpretation of results) is clearly outlined or stated.

· Additional questions to consider include:

· Are all tables and graphs clearly labeled?

· Do researchers provide enough statistical information?

· Did the results support their hypothesis?

· Do the conclusions drawn by the researchers seem reasonable?

· Take note of pertinent information (e.g., results/findings).

· Document any questions you have while reading the article. Refer back to these questions and whether they were addressed as you write your critique.

Writing Assignment Checklist

The following is a checklist that must be followed to earn full points.

 Library Tutorial/Quiz Academic Integrity and Avoiding Plagiarism 

 Library Tutorial/Quiz Why Citations Matter

 Library Tutorial/Quiz Begin Your Research

 Library Tutorial/Quiz Evaluating Information

 Library Tutorial/Quiz Primary Sources

 Library Tutorial/Quiz How to read Scholarly Materials

 Library Tutorial/Quiz Choosing and Using Keywords

 Writing, Reading, and Language Center Scheduled Tutor Visit – before completing the final draft

 Using the Psychology 102 Research Toolkit to locate a journal article

 Adhering to all associated deadlines (points are deducted for late submissions)

 Adhering to all six associated essay requirements (points are deducted for missing elements)

 Adhering to rules of English for punctuation and grammar (points are deducted for errors)