PSYC336 Research Paper Requirement
Research Paper 1. Select a recent news story that cites research on the topic of adolescence from a reputable source (e.g., CBC, New York Times, etc.). 2. Identify the research source if possible. 3. Find 5 recent additional primary research articles on the same topic 4. These articles may either corroborate or contradict the original news story. 5. Critique the 5 research articles (i.e., the state of knowledge). 6. Objectively evaluate how well the news story represents the state of scientific knowledge on this topic based on your review of these 5 research articles. 7. Conclude with the implications of the news story and how it could be improved to fully capture the current scientific literature.
The paper should be at least 6 pages long, double-spaced and no more than 8 pages (not including references). APA format. Use 5 additional primary sources (i.e., empirical research studies) to critique that news articles. These studies can support or negate (or both) that news article and must be published within the last 10 years.
Grading Criteria • ATTACH THE NEWS STORY • Quality of research (appropriateness of empirical articles, relevance to the topic, quality of synthesis). /5 • Quality of critique (compelling argument, interpretation and application of research findings). /5 • Conclusions and implications. /5 • APA Standards, organization and structure (coherence in writing, grammar, provide reference list). /5
Structure & Organization • Demonstrate ability to create an argument and provide supporting evidence • Maintain good structure and organization – demonstrate that thoughts are coherent and succinct. – Incorporate thesis sentence throughout • i.e., support or counter the news story & original source?
Resources • UVic writing centre: http://www.uvic.ca/learningandteaching/students/resources/writing/index.php
• UofT writing resource: http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/general/essay-topics
• APA formatting: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/