Child Development Research Paper

Child Development Research Paper ( About Children Bullying Anxiety)

Expectations for the Research Paper

1.This paper must be done following APA style. Remember APA style refers to a style of technical writing in the field, it is different from the style you learned in your composition class. Writing in different fields vary, so be prepared to hear rules different from what you might have heard from your biology or English teacher. Be sure to read the APA manual.

2.Papers must be word-processed, double spaced in 12 point font using Times New Roman with 1 inch margins (with no additional spaces between paragraphs).

3.The goal is to develop a 10-15 page paper. Your paper must be a minimum of 10 full pages and no more than 15 pages long. Page number includes title sheet, abstract, and references. Papers less than 10 pages will not be accepted and receive a grade of zero.

4.Your references are very important, both in the number used and the quality of the sources. You need a minimum of 10 references. They will be evaluated for type: i.e., peer reviewed journal articles, significant books, government documents, etc. You are expected to use a variety of sources and give credit to your sources. At least 7 of your references should be peer reviewed articles. Demonstrate you know the relevant research literature on the topic. In writing your review paper, keep in mind that you are not trying to prove some point of view, but rather are trying to give as accurate a picture of the current literature on your topic as possible. Avoid relying on one source too much.

5.You should present a balanced, but critical picture of the present state of research on your topic. Remember your critical analysis of the research must be based on a balanced evaluation of the hypothesis, methodology, design, procedures, materials, and analysis of the research.

6.In line with APA style, be sure to document the literature constantly. Always paraphrase and use your own words but be sure to give credit to the author. Do not use any quotations! Remember it is considered plagiarism to use someone else's work and not give credit. Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty (cheating) with serious disciplinary consequences. (See Student Conduct)

7.This paper is a demonstration of your achievement as a student of child development and accomplished writer in the field. It must be an example of thoughtful, honed, and polished technical writing, and therefore it will be the result of multiple rounds of revisions and editing.

8.Organization is very important in professional, technical writing. You will use an outline to logically organize your information and use headings and subheadings in your writing. My experience suggests that the use of headings and subheadings forces the writer to focus and clarify his or her writing.

9.The best writing in child development is able to integrate the theoretical ideas and research findings within a particular area. A theoretical framework is expected of you in your review paper. By theoretical framework, I do not mean just the broad general theories of Piaget or Vygotsky – but the more specific and narrow theories/ideas that now dot the child development/developmental psychology landscape. Your theoretical framework must be well explained as related to your topic, and integrated throughout the paper.

10.This is not a self-analysis paper. It is a research paper. It is not a case study. Long references to a single case are not acceptable. Neither are value judgments or personal stories.

11.Get started early – the multiple assignments on the paper will help you get started. If the article you desire is in a journal we do not subscribe to, the library will do an interlibrary loan for you. Fill out the form you get at the front desk, or even better use the online web form at http://www.calstatela.edu/library/ill.htm and within 10 days or so the article will be ready for pick-up in the library.

12.Meet the deadlines for assignments that I have set up in writing the review paper. It is for your own benefit – this means that you should have assignments submitted on DUE dates.

Late assignments will affect our ability to follow the course schedule and will therefore not be accepted.

13.To assist you in the writing process, components of this paper will be due throughout the semester.

APA style reference list: A list of 10 references that will be used in the paper. Of these, 10 need to be peer reviewed, with 7 being empirical studies. In addition to the APA reference there should be a one paragraph paraphrased description of each of the references (150 words or less per description). You will be graded on APA style and on the description. See sample posted on Canvas.

Main Sections of the Research Paper:

Title Page: The title page includes your name, title of the research paper, date, and other relevant information. Please review examples of title pages from Owl Purdue (student version).

Introduction: A draft of your introduction of your research review paper should address the following concerns: Why is this topic relevant to developmental professionals or society in general? Identify statistics, current politics or events that exemplify the need to further understand this topic. Craft a preliminary thesis statement and research question that outline your paper. You will be graded on the content addressed as described above, and thesis statement. See sample posted on Canvas.

Theoretical Framework: Every research paper needs a theoretical lens through which the topic is viewed (i.e. Theoretical framework). The theoretical framework should clearly define and explain tenets of the theory. It should provide examples how this theory provides an understanding of the topic (e.g. relationships between variables, people, or institutions; timing of events; explain outcomes, etc). Along with the theoretical framework, you need to submit revisions to introduction via Canvas. You will begraded on definitions of key concepts of your theory, explanation of your theory in reference to your topic, and revisions to introduction and headings. See sample posted on Canvas.

Literature Review: This section will include an analysis of 4 peer reviewed journal articles. Importantly, each of the 4 studies must include your 3 main variables (e.g., depression, parent involvement, and children). In addition, each article needs to include the purpose of the study, participants in the study (number of participants, gender, ethnicity, SES), results of the study and explanations for the results which are located in the discussion section of the journal article. The analysis should be similar to what we did for our journal article analysis on 6/15 online module.

Conclusion:

References: You must have a minimum of 10 references and 7 of the 10 references must be peer reviewed journal articles. APA formatting is needed.

Instructor feedback is part of the writing process. Feedback will be provided in writing and during a meeting with the professor.

In writing your paper, pay close attention to the grading information below and on the final grading rubric posted on Canvas. Final papers will be graded on the following areas for a total of 50 pts (Review the rubric at the end of this syllabus):

The conclusion statement is a recap of the entire research paper. Therefore, you do not

want to include new information. Typically, the conclusion includes similarities and differences between

the journal articles such as participants (e.g., gender, age, ethnic background, SES). Similarities and

differences between the journal articles in results.