PSY 440 Research Paper Guide – Fall 2006

Description: 

Your paper is to be a 4-5-page paper that provides an update of an area of the scholarly addiction literature covered in your textbook and/or assigned readings.

Objectives:

The first objective is to provide an opportunity to investigate an area of particular interest to you. The second is to provide an opportunity to gain experience in gathering, reading and analyzing empirical literature.

Steps:

  1. The first step is to select an area of empirical research from those described in the text or the assigned readings. For example, you could investigate research on the loss of control (page 42) or on the self-medication hypothesis (page 130). Pick an area that is of interest to you and about which you would like to learn more.
  2. The next step is to find a recent (i.e., 2005 or newer) research article that directly pertains to the area of research you have selected. Use the computerized PsycINFO database, which can be found on Butler Library's web site, to search for recent journal articles. You can also use the ETOH or MEDLINE databases available on their own free websites (see the Links page on the course website). If you do not have experience with PsycINFO (or a similar database such as ERIC or Sociofile) then I recommend taking one of the brief tutorials available or asking for assistance. When conducting your literature search, read the abstracts carefully to assess how useful the articles will be. Every effort should be made to focus on high-quality journals such as Addiction, Addictive Behaviors, Journal of Studies on Alcohol, Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, and Journal of Abnormal Psychology. All of these journals can be found in Butler Library.  You can also check whether the article is available in a full-text version on-line through the Butler website.
  3. Once you have identified a viable topic for your paper, come talk with me about your topic and the article you have found. This is one way of heading off potential problems early. No two students will be allowed to write on the same article, so sign up for your article as soon as possible.
  4. Now you are in a position to write a draft of your paper. See the section on Organization below.
  5. Once you have completed a draft of your paper, read and revise it at least twice. It can be helpful if you allow for some time between revisions. Please see the Revising section below for tips on making the most of your revisions.
  6. Once the content is just how you want it, go through the paper and make sure the layout conforms to the APA style guidelines (see Format section below).
  7. Paperclip a copy of your empirical article to your paper and turn it in no later than Tuesday, November 21, at 10:50 a.m. Remember, in fairness to other students, late papers will be docked one letter-grade for each day after the due date (papers turned in after class will considered one day late). Handing in a late paper results in doing the same amount of work but getting fewer points - not a wise choice.

Organization:

The brevity of this paper will require excellent writing and editing in order to maximize clarity and impact. The paper should start with an introductory paragraph that provides an overview of the paper. This can often be done in a way that piques the reader's interest. Next, in your own words, provide the reader with a brief summary of the empirical literature as discussed in your textbook or assigned reading. It will be important to cite where you are getting this information.

The next section of your paper is where you will introduce the study you have selected. Again, in your own words, identify the major hypotheses the authors were testing, the methods used to test the hypotheses, the major results, and the major conclusions drawn by the authors. It will be important not to provide too much detail here, as that will not allow enough space for you to present your own evaluation and interpretation. Instead, try to provide more of a "big picture" overview.

The next step is to explain how the findings of the new study inform our understanding of the addiction topic in question. This is the real "heart" of the paper. For example, a common phenomenon is to find that a past finding applies to men differently than it does to women. This section is where you will demonstrate your best critical thinking and analytical skills. You may want to finish this part of your paper by noting some theoretical questions that remain unanswered and require more research. It is important not to simply parrot what was stated by the authors. Finally, end your paper with a conclusion that summarizes the main take-home points for your reader. It may be helpful to think in terms of, "what do I most want the reader to remember after reading this paper."

Academic Integrity:

It is extremely important that all sources of information and ideas be properly cited and documented. Inappropriate documentation can include plagiarism, which must be avoided at all costs. The important underlying principle is to avoid presenting another author's work as your own. While there are no hard and fast rules, if you are going to use more than three consecutive words from another's work then the words should be put in quotes and the original work cited. Rather than use numerous quotes, it is better to paraphrase the author's idea whenever possible (and still cite the ideas as the author's). Also, simply rearranging an author's sentence or replacing words with synonyms is still considered plagiarism. Although it can seem difficult to paraphrase a particularly well-written statement without it losing some of its meaning, plagiarism is academic fraud and grounds for course failure at the least.

Format:

Papers should follow APA style format (e.g., 1-inch margins and 12-point font). This will include a cover page and a reference page (not included in page counts). I strongly recommend you consult the APA publication manual (available at Butler Library) for help in this area. It includes checklists that many find helpful.  Useful information can be found on the Internet (see Links page) or see:

 American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th Ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Revising:

Because a paper that includes spelling and grammatical errors gives the impression of slipshod work, every effort should be made to eliminate all such errors. Some steps that might help in this area include:

  1. Read your paper aloud, listening carefully for sentences that do not make sense or that sound awkward.
  2. Have someone else read your paper, carefully noting any problems encountered. Oftentimes students in class will agree to read each other's paper. This is typical of the process that authors use for their manuscripts prior to publication.
  3. Proofread your paper one final time. Remember that relying on a computer program to catch misspellings is usually insufficient. If possible, it can be helpful to have not looked at it for a day or two so that you can read it over with a "fresh eye."

Evaluation criteria:

Your paper is worth a possible 50 points and will be evaluated on the following criteria:

·         Is the writing clear, including grammar and spelling? (7 points)

·         Does the paper adhere to APA style? (5 points)

·         Is the focus of the paper clearly presented in the first paragraph? (3 points)

·         Is the overview of the literature in the textbook presented clearly? (5 points)

·         Was an appropriate study selected? (7 points)

·         Is the study described clearly and concisely? (9 points)

·         Are the results of the study applied to the current literature in a clear and logical way, evidencing good critical analysis? (14 points)

 I wish you success in your paper-writing. If you have questions at any time during this process, please do not hesitate to contact me.