Assignment Overview: In this assignment, you will be tasked with creating a policy brief on a real-world issue of your choice. A policy brief is a concise document designed to inform and persuade policymakers and other stakeholders about a particular issue and propose actionable policy recommendations. The goal of this assignment is to develop your research, writing, and persuasive communication skills, while also deepening your understanding of a specific policy issue. Please submit PDF.
Assignment Objectives:
1 Identify a relevant and current policy issue.
2 Conduct research to gather information and data related to the chosen issue.
3 Develop a clear and concise policy brief, including an executive summary, problem statement, policy options, and recommendations.
4 Demonstrate your ability to communicate complex ideas in a straightforward and persuasive manner.
Assignment Instructions:
Step 1: Select a policy issue that is of personal interest or relevance to your chosen field of study. It could be related to healthcare, education, media, environment, social justice, or any other area. Make sure it is a current and significant issue that can benefit from policy recommendations.
Step 2: Research and Data Collection
• Conduct thorough research to gather data, facts, and information related to the chosen policy issue.
• Utilize a variety of reputable sources, including academic articles, government reports, and credible news outlets.
• Keep track of your sources for proper citation in your policy brief.
Step 3: Draft Your Policy Brief Your policy brief should include the following sections:
Title: A descriptive and attention-grabbing title.
Executive Summary: A concise summary of the entire policy brief, including the problem, options, and recommendations. This should be no longer than one page.
Introduction: An introduction to the policy issue and its significance.
Problem Statement: A clear and well-defined explanation of the problem, including its causes and effects.
Policy Options: An objective assessment of possible policy options to address the problem.
Recommendations: Your well-justified and actionable policy recommendations based on your research and analysis.
Conclusion: A brief summary of the key points and the importance of the issue.
References: A list of all the sources you used for your research, properly cited.
Step 4: Writing Guidelines
• Your policy brief should be written in clear and concise language.
• Use section headings, bullet points, and graphics (if relevant) to make the document visually appealing and easy to navigate.
• Be sure to support your statements and recommendations with data and evidence.
Nota Bene: You are encouraged to seek feedback and clarification from your instructor during the assignment preparation process.
Good luck, and remember that your policy brief should aim to make a positive impact on the policy issue you choose to address.
Paper instructions:
The paper is required to be written in APA style for review articles (Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)). Rough drafts are welcome for feedback (must be given to me at least one week before paper is due). I will not accept late papers. If you require an accommodation please let me know asap.
Things to do list for Research paper:
1 Try to find review articles and other basic information to use for background (outside of what is provided in textbook)
2 Find 6 empirical articles (papers have method/results sections) I prefer that you use the Southern University library database to search for articles
3 Write the paper Background information to topic; research question/hypotheses (Introduction; Policy Statement)
4 Policy Options
5 Recommendations
6 Conclusion
Requirements:
1 The six empirical papers must have methods/results sections. You may use as many extra review articles or other empirical articles as you would like, but there must be at least 6 studies that are discussed and critiqued in detail.
2 Provide your own “take” on the topic in the form of a critique and future research ideas. You MUST show that you have gone beyond a summary, and have critically thought about the topic.
3 The paper must be written in APA format. There are 2 primary ways you will use APA formatting: referencing and use of section headers.
4 Referencing must be in APA style. Please see below for details or my website for APA style information sheets. You can use your textbook as an example of how to reference. Any ideas or conclusions that are not your own (information that you have learned), you must cite – _give credit to the person that had that idea!
5 Section headers are required in your paper. These should be descriptive of the paragraph in that section (e.g. Overview of false memories and children” then “Theories for false memories” then “Examination of familiarity”, etc.) The headers should be italicized and on their own line.
1 There is a page requirement (5 pages) but there is no limit, but typical papers are approximately 5 pages, double-spaced, 12-pt font, with additional, separate title page and reference page. Please include page numbers. Other APA style formatting, such as running heads or an abstract, are not required but welcomed.
2 Reference page: Only include references of papers that YOU have read. If you have any questions about how to correctly cite a source, please ask, or see the OWL website for help!
Grading scheme includes:
Content: 40 pt
Full explanation of topic
Introduction to topic
Background, method, results, conclusions of 6 studies
Conclusion to paper
Depth of thought: 30pt
Provided own conclusions and thoughts
Critical analysis of research
Provide future directions
Clarity: 20pt
Written in clear and understandable language
Logical order
Provides connections among papers
Succinct language
Grammar/Technical aspect:
APA style / other requirements: 10pt
Includes section headers
Referencing within paper
Reference page at end (with all references from paper)
Attached 1st page of empirical papers
Specific APA style information:
Components of paper
Title page: Name, title, class, section, date
Body (use headers where appropriate)
References: end of paper with centered title “References”
Margins – _One inch margins are required on every side. (File > Page setup)
Spacing – _Double-spaced
Font – _Times New Roman, 12 point
Page numbers – _Make sure to put page numbers at top right corner of every page (in header)
