Research

DBFA 610

Research Paper Assignment Instructions

Instructions

You will select a research topic related to Divorce, Remarriage, or Blended Families. Then, you will complete a 10-12 page Research Paper Assignment in current APA format related to the focus of the course and course material. The Research Paper Assignment should be a minimum of 10 pages in length (not including Title Page and References page) and follow APA guidelines, with at least 10 supporting sources from peer reviewed research/journal articles. If you have questions about a topic, email the course instructor by the end of the first module of class. Make sure your topic is specific. Instead of a topic like -  The Effect of Divorce in Children, try focusing more. For instance -  The Psychological and Interpersonal Effects of Divorce Among Children Under 13 Years of Age.

Other specifics:

· The Research Paper Assignment is to be an original work of the author and written solely for this course.  Although past papers can be used as reference, papers previously submitted cannot be used to fulfill this Research Paper Assignment.

· The Research Paper Assignment must be written using the most current APA formatting standards and include title, abstract, and reference pages.

· Must be submitted as a Word document (.doc or .docx).

· Any charts, pictures, etc. must be put in an appendix, and do not count toward the minimum number of pages

References

· A  minimum of 10 scholarly references must be used. 

· All references must be from  the past SEVEN years.

· As a research paper, students must utilize and properly cite references within the text of the Research Paper Assignment; without such references the paper is merely an opinion.

· A complete reference section, properly formatted according to APA standards, must be included at the end of your Research Paper Assignment.

Regarding Plagiarism

Failure to cite all sources used in your papers, or plagiarism of any kind will result in a grade of zero.  Plagiarism occurs when a student either includes the words of others in a paper without properly attributing the source, or 'cuts and pastes' from a source directly into a paper without including quotation marks with source attribution.

Suggested schedule for research project:

Module 1: Week 1

· Choose topic

· Check with the professor if you have questions about your topic

Module 2: Week 2 

· Submit your topic selection for approval

· Research your topic through LU’s online Library database. 

Module 3: Week 3

· Complete outline of topic.

Module 4: Week 4

· Complete first rough draft of paper.

Module 5: Week 5

· Consider utilizing the LUO writing center.

· Work towards final draft of paper.

Module 6: Week 6

· Have someone read the paper to catch spelling and grammar errors. 

· Read paper aloud to ensure that it flows as was intended.

Module 7: Week 7

· Write your final draft

· Submit final paper.

Upload your finished Research Paper Assignment as a Word document (.doc or .docx) by the deadline date. Your Research Paper Assignment will be uploaded directly to Turnitin, which will produce an originality report.  Turnitin is a plagiarism detection service utilized by LU.   Any  plagiarism, intentional or unintentional, detected by Turnitin will result in a grade of 0.

Be sure to review the Research Paper Grading Rubric before beginning this Research Paper Assignment.

Page 2 of 2