You should have already read the instructions for this assignment in Module 2, but I have also pasted those instructions below:
Step 1: Write a First Draft
You will choose a research article that you are interested in learning more about and that is published in any of the following journals, all of which are available in the USF LibraryLinks to an external site.:
Behavioral Sciences & the Law
Journal of Forensic Psychology
Journal of Forensic Psychology Research and Practice
Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law; Law and Psychology Review
Law and Human Behavior
Psychology, Crime, and Law
Psychology, Public Policy, and the Law
You will then write your first draft of a brief paper that summarizes the findings of the article you selected.. That paper will be written in APA style.
Review basic information for how an APA style student research paper should be writtenLinks to an external site..
View a sample APA style student research paper.Links to an external site.
Your draft will be 3-to-5 double-spaced pages using 12-point font consisting of the following:
Page 1 will be a title page written in APA style for a student research paperLinks to an external site.Links to an external site..
The next 1-to-3 pages will consist of your summary of the research article, which should include the following headings:
Introduction: In 1-to-3 sentences, explain to us what the topic of the article is and why it is important.
Research Questions: List the questions the researchers were trying to answer with this experiment, study, or research review.
Hypotheses: Describe the hypothesesLinks to an external site. (i.e., educated guesses) the researchers identified. What did they think they would find? What were they testing out?
Methods: Describe the method the researchers used to try and answer their question.
Did they obtain a sample of participants? How?
Was this a quantitative study, or a qualitative studyLinks to an external site.?
If it was a quantitive study, what statistical methods did they use (you don’t need to understand these methods on a deep level-you just tell us what they said they did)?
Results: Describe what the results, conclusions, and findings were. What answers did the researchers find to their research questions?
Implications for Forensic Psychology: Describe why and how these results are important. For example:
How do the findings apply to the field of forensic psychology?
Why are the results important?
Do the researchers recommend additional research or changes in how things are done in the field? What do they think should be done next?
The last page should include an APA style reference listLinks to an external site., even though it will probably only have 1 reference (the article you selected).
You will need to ensure that your paper:
Includes the components above.
Is written consistent with APA style for student research papersLinks to an external site., including appropriate use of in-text citations.
Is free of spelling and grammatical errors.
Is written with an understandable style that conforms to APA style (i.e., succinct and scientific writing style).
