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Your task is to present your library research and field research as a research paper. Your manuscript should include the basic sections that virtually all research papers include-- introduction, findings/analysis, and discussion/conclusion. If you are not familiar with developing a research paper, see the recommendations of one research gerontologist. Another sociology site reviews how to develop a research paper. In the introductory section, your aim is to familiarize your audience with the general issue and your own paper's specific focus. To do this, you must provide enough of a review of prior research to demonstrate that you are also familiar with the current research. You are expected to use and cite at least five (5) journal articles in the paper. When introduce your own research findings, you need to have a very brief methods section -- a paragraph on how & where you collected your data. To get a sense of detail included in a method section, examine the method sections in the published journal articles you are reading. The remainder of your paper presents your findings and your analysis of what these findings mean. At the very end of the paper, there should be a summary and/or concluding paragraph. Remember, this is a research paper, not an ethics paper. Soapboxing throughout the introduction and discussion/ conclusions is unacceptable. When people engage "soapboxing", the writer makes value statements about how awful things are and about what "should" be done. These "should" statements are personal opinions; they are often unsupported by the research evidence. Instead of flooding your presentation with unfounded opinion and loose generalizations, write about what we know and what can be verified. Notice how the authors in the journal articles you read present their introductions and discussion/conclusion. Many even critique their own paper, discussing the limitations of their research and sometimes how the findings fail to support theory. Also, authors typically discuss the implications of their findings. This paper requires physical entry into the library (and, perhaps, use of the electronic searching resources). You build your ideas from other people's ideas. Thus, you cite your sources. When you summarize (paraphrase) someone else's ideas, you are borrowing the general idea even though you are not using their actual words to help develop your own work. A citation to the author(s) is still necessary. Obviously, when you quote word for word what another said, a citation is necessary. In the text of the manuscript, citations replace MLA-type footnotes, as illustrated in the following -- (Coverman & Sheley, 1986:415-16). Observe that parentheses surround the name of the author, the year of publication, and pages you are directly referencing. When several authors make virtually the same point and you cite them, the format is (Coverman & Sheley, 1986; Luddy & Thompson, 1996). If you quote someone, you identify the quote by referencing author, date, page --as in the first Coverman & Sheley citation at the beginning of this paragraph. At the end of the paper, your list the sources you used. You can find additional instruction on formatting in psychology (using the APA style) or sociology at the Purdue University Writing Lab.
You are encouraged to pay attention to the general style within the sociology
and psychology journal articles. It is this style of presentation
of ideas that is your goal. The submitted paper should include the following
items:
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