1. Summarize each article in 450 words or more —meaning, no less than 450 words per
article summary (summary titles & reference information is not included in the 450-word
requirement). You will NOT receive partial credit for partial work. Partial work is a
failed requirement. You get zero credit for failed requirements.
2. Each summary should include a discussion of the goal of the article (what the researchers
were trying to do find – what are the article hypotheses?), the literature review (past
research), the research methods (the steps taken to conduct the research study –data,
population, sampling type, statistical techniques – ANOVA, ANCOVA, Logistic
regression, etc.), the results (what they found), and the discussion/conclusions of the
research article (were the findings consistent with the hypotheses?, why what they found
is important to the particular field of study, etc.). It is tremendously important to discuss
the policy implications/directions for future research/limitations of each article. It is
recommended that you outline each article with all of the components you are responsible
for providing.
3. All pertinent Journal, Article, & Author information (article title, author name(s), journal
name, date, journal volume #, issue #, page #s) must be provided in the REFERENCE
page. EMAIL your reference page to mario.****************. DO NOT include the
reference page in your SafeAssignment submission.
4. Each article summary should be well written and in NO way mirror the abstract. This
WILL result in severe penalties. In other words, paraphrase—read the article and
summarize the information using your own words, do not just copy and paste.
5. Do NOT use any quotes—you must paraphrase the information from each article (use
your own words). If you use quotes (even if they are properly cited) you will be severely
penalized.
6. You will only need ONE cover page for the entire assignment, with your name, the class
name, and the date.
7. Each subsequent research article summary should be separated from the last by using the
“Insert” and “Page Break” feature provided by your word processor (“Insert” function
using Microsoft Word). There will be a 25-point penalty for failing to use Page Breaks.
8. A “peer reviewed” journal article is not a magazine article. Do NOT get the two
confused. A general rule of thumb is that peer-reviewed academic journal articles are
usually over 10 pages in length, they do not have pictures/ads (aside from tables), and
they all start with an “abstract.”
9. You need to provide a cover page and only use: (a) double-spacing, (b) Times New
Roman font, (c) 12 font size, and (d) 1” margins.
10. APA Format is required. There will be a 25-point penalty for failing to use APA format.
11. I will NOT accept any paper that exceeds 20% replication (this is essentially reserved for
references). Be absolutely sure you are paraphrasing. I will NOT accept any paper that has
an AI match exceeding 10%.
12. I do NOT want to know your opinion on the research article summaries. This is a
research project, not an opinion piece. You will be penalized 25 points on every article
that includes your opinion.
13. You are required to submit your paper in WORD (or a word processor) format. Do NOT
submit your paper in PDF (or any other non-WORD) format. Failure to meet this
requirement will result in a 25-point penalty.
14. There will be a 25-point penalty if you submit the incorrect file. Make sure you are
submitting your final product.
15. If you need an extension on your research paper, you must request a research paper
extension. There is a 10-point daily penalty for late research papers (2 days maximum).
Receiving a research paper extension does NOT preclude a research paper from being
penalized, it is simply giving you permission to submit a late paper. If a student does
NOT request and/or receive a research paper extension, and they subsequently submit a
late research paper, that research paper will NOT be graded, and the student will earn a
failing grade. A research paper extension request must be in writing (email will suffice).
Being granted a research paper extension request must also be in writing.
Note: Students are required to summarize 5 research
articles (a mix of White-Collar Crime and Organized Crime research articles). Each article
summary must be a minimum of 450 words (2250 words for all 5 summaries). You should be
producing a research project roughly between 8 and 9 pages. Your research project grade is
based on 5 summaries, each a minimum of 450 words. For every summary that fails to meet the
minimum requirements, you will automatically lose 20% of the research project grade.
Research Paper Guide
I: Goal/Hypotheses of the Research Paper
II: Literature Review (a summary of the past research presented by the authors)
III: Research Methods (should include data, population, sampling type, and statistical
techniques)
IV: Research Results (the research results will be linked to the hypotheses – only provide
statistically significant results)
V: Discussion/Conclusion/Policy Implications/Directions for Future Research/Research
Limitations
