ntroduction to Counseling
Guidelines for Research Paper
General Information
The assignment is to write a 7-10 page typed research paper using APA style. The paper must contain at least 6 sources, no more than two of which can be Internet sources. If you are using an online version of a published journal, you do not have to count that as an Internet source.
For those of you unfamiliar with APA style there are online tutorials that may assist you. The site: Purdue OWL, is very helpful and easy to use. This site includes links to other references to APA style and sample APA papers. There are also copies of the APA Publication Manual in the library. For those of you who are Psychology majors, it would be in your best interest to purchase the publication manual – you will be using it a lot!
A Complete Paper Should Include
Title Page (includes header, p.#, running head, title, author and class)
Abstract (a one-paragraph summary [150-250 words] of what your paper is
about)
Body or Text (this is what I count in the 7-10 pages)
Reference Page (an alphabetized list of all the sources you used for the paper)
Topic
The topic of the paper must cover some aspect of counseling theory or its application. Do not merely write a biographical sketch of the founder of a theory or an overview of a theory we have discussed in class. A suggestion is to choose an approach or an issue and apply it to a particular situation. Some examples of this would be:
Using Reality Therapy with Adolescent Substance Abusers
Group Therapy Approaches to Helping Children of Divorce
Ethical Conflicts in Applying Confidentiality Guidelines
When to Refer, When Not To
Counseling Children with ADHD
Grief Counseling with Victims of “Downsizing”
These are some examples – this does not represent a total list of topics from which you can choose. Use your imagination and analytical skills, as well as your interests to develop a topic. If you get stuck and can not seem to find something to write about, or you have a topic but do not know if it is acceptable, consult with me and I will help you refine your choice.
Evaluation
The grading rubric can be found in iLearn. I DO count off for errors of grammar, style, spelling, sentence structure, etc., so write carefully and proof your paper well. I also know the content, many of the sources, and check the sources I do not know; so do not turn in inaccurate material and expect a good grade. It is in your best interest to familiarize yourself with the grading rubric and ask for clarification on any point you do not understand.
General Guidelines
Some general guidelines for APA style research papers are as follow:
Paper should be typed in 12-point serif font (such as Courier, Palatino or Times New Roman)
Paper should have one-inch margins on all sides
Each page should have a header (which is the first couple of words from your title – not your name!) placed ½ inch from the top of the page, starting at the left margin; the page number should appear in the header at the right margin. You will need to use your Header Function in order to make this work properly.
EVERY source you use for the paper should be cited in the text using the (Author, Date) format
The page number will be included in the citation if it is a direct quote
you state an idea or provide information that is not common knowledge you MUST cite where it came from (otherwise it is plagiarism!)
Quotes of 40 or more words need to be set apart as a block quote with the left margin indented 5-7 spaces
Terms that are abbreviated are written out completely the first time they are used, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses, then always abbreviated thereafter
For example: Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD)
There should be no one-sentence paragraphs
Each and every citation used in the manuscript should be correctly noted in the References section
