Feel free to compose the piece based on the provided outline. Minor alterations or deviations are acceptable. If deemed necessary, you may pivot to a theme of similar nature—it’s at your discretion. Please ensure that the final draft adheres to the specified requirements.
The final paper gives students the opportunity to choose from one of three paper options: Evaluation Proposal, Research Proposal, or Empirical Analysis Paper / Systematic Review. There are descriptions and guidelines for each paper below.
General Formatting guidelines for an APA style paper can be found in the term paper folder of Blackboard.
The term paper consists of five assignments are worth a total 20% of the course grade. These assignments are designed to build on each other so that the final submission of the term paper is of excellent quality.
Term paper outline
Term paper draft
Term paper peer review
Final term paper
Term paper 2-minute talk
70 points are awarded for the paper and 8 points are awarded for the two minute elevator talk or abstract reading and 2 points are awarded for participation in this experience either by attending live or commenting on the discussion board. The criteria of this is that it takes no longer than two minutes and the audience clearly understands the “pitch.” Here you are developing an important skill in the professional world where you come up with simple descriptions of what you do and why it is awesome so that people want to see more of it, fund you, or collaborate. Asynchronous online students will record their 2-minute talks and post them to the finals meeting discussion board and provide feedback for classmates on the discussion board.
In-person students will attend the meeting in-person to deliver their 2 min talk. In-person students will be able to participate in giving feedback in-person and/or on the online discussion board.
Evaluation Proposal Paper:
The evaluation proposal paper will give you an opportunity to plan an evaluation of a program or policy utilizing the following general criteria
(2.5 points) State the Program Goal (0.5 pages)
(2.5 points) State the Program Objectives (0.5 pages)
(5 points) Write the Program Description (2 pages)
Details of how it works and is being implemented.
(20 points) List the Program Evaluation Questions and justification for asking them (1.5 page)
Examples: need for the program, cost/benefit analysis, description of the structure, description of the program outputs, impacts/outcomes
(5 points) List the Sources of Evaluation Data (1 page)
What data will you collect and from who.
(20 points) Describe the Methods of Data Collection (1.5 page)
When will you collect data and how will you measure the variables of interest?
(5 points) How will information on program evaluation be presented and why this makes sense? (1 page)
Who are you trying to inform (donors, public, government).
Graphs, charts, pamphlet, online report.
(10 points) Provide references and in text citations as needed.
Research Proposal Paper:
This paper will require you to come up with a research idea of your own! First, come up with a hypothesis related to some developmental topic. You will need to come up with background and significance for this hypothesis. Then, design a study that includes sampling, measurement, and data collection approaches sufficient to answer the questions you have posed. You must also come up with an analysis plan and expected results from those analyses. The expected results should be, in part, based on your background reading or pilot studies.
(15 points) Introduction and Background (2 pages)
(5 points) Hypothesis or objective statement (0.25 pages)
(5 points) Aims clearly defined (0.2 pages)
(20 points) Approach and Analysis for each aim (2-4 pages each)
(15 points) Expected results (0.5 – 1 pages per aim)
(10 points) Potential Pitfalls and Solutions (0.5 – 1 pages for each aim)
Empirical Analysis Paper / Systematic Review:
This paper will focus on delving into a critique of the literature. Focus on one paper from your review and critique the methodology and analyses of that particular paper. Finally, spend some time reflecting on the literature, and come up with a potential study that could be done to address the holes you may have found in the literature. The structure of the paper should include:
(10 points) Description of the methods for the literature review. Mention the search parameters (e.g., key terms), search tools used, inclusion and exclusion criteria used in literature search, total number of papers found and included/excluded.
(30 points) An evaluation of the literature on your topic (both theoretical and empirical). Provide a cohesive look at the studies that have already been completed on your topic (5 pages).
(15 points) Choose one paper from your review, and critique the methodology and analyses of that paper (2 pages).
(15 points) A section to review the limitations of the literature as a whole, and offer some indication of where future studies should go. (1 pages)
