Research paper in regards to Children Murders.
Topic Selection: Through exposure to various subject areas within this course, you should gain an appreciation of the need for future research that could provide a more substantial scientific basis for many of the claims and findings made by practitioners in the fields of profiling, criminal investigative analysis, terrorism, threat assessment, sex offending, Internet offending, cognitive biases, and psychological assessment of violent offenders. The assignment – for you to produce an academic paper as part of your grade for this course – is intended to provide opportunities for you to explore these and related topics, some of which (due to time constraints) cannot be covered in detail in the course itself, but which relate, directly or otherwise, to the larger topics that are addressed. For your paper, you are not required to choose from the topics or the texts below; you are welcome to explore other areas that you find of interest, as long as they relate in some way to the content of this course. If you have any concerns about your choice of topic, you should arrange a specific discussion with me in order to ensure you are adhering to the course expectations.
Readings: As will be emphasized in the course lectures, two of the required readings (Dr. Hare’s book on psychopathy and the Behavioral Criminology text, edited by Van Hasselt and Bourke, from which several chapters were selected for in-class discussions) are books of immense potential value for anyone considering further study or a career within the field of forensic psychology or law enforcement, along with – of course – your own personal copy of the DSM-V (expensive but well worth the money, particularly if this becomes your chosen field of specialization). While those three books are hugely important, for your current/future enlightenment you are also being provided herein with two lists. The first cites five books that you might find worthy of additional consideration within the broad topic areas covered in this course. The second is a collection of 57 items – books, book chapters, articles, podcasts, & video documentaries/docudramas (organized by topic) – that you may wish to consider as springboards to help you select a topic for your paper.
General expectations: An ideal length for your submitted paper (notcounting title page and reference pages) is 10 to 15 pages. An acceptable range for the total number of references that you use is 5 – 10; less than 5 suggests a less-than-adequate grasp of the variety of materials available on your chosen topic, while more than 10 could become unwieldy for a paper of the length referenced herein.
Important: If you choose a topic or readings/videos/podcasts from either of these two lists, please understand that for purposes of your submitted paper,these items are intended to serve only as a launching point; a thoughtful, well-researched, and well-written paper must go beyond the suggestions offered herein. You will need to apply what you have learned in this course, then seek out, include, & cite additional references on your own, in order to augment & support your position or emphasize your major points within that subject area. By applying what you have learned, finding and utilizing further sources, and writing a well-informed and thorough analysis that puts all this together, your paper should convincingly demonstrate your fuller understanding of your selected topic & its relevance to the course. Finally, it is acknowledged that there now exist newly developed writing/editing platforms supported by artificial intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, that are increasingly being used by students in various educational institutions. While some colleges and universities, as well as individual professors/instructors, may allow or even promote the use of such tools, be aware that your use of these assistive products could lead you to run the risk of including inaccurate information, or worse, committing plagiarism in the process. My policy regarding implementation of AI for your paper is this: I remain, so far, highly skeptical regarding the benefitsof AI. While I do not specifically discourage you from employing it, I will insist that if you do so, you at least admit that to me up front, and then provide some detailed evidence as to how and to what extent, in your opinion, it made the final product better than what you could have created on your own. (Your assessment of any potential benefits realized should address the accuracy and quality of the text itself as well as the validity, relevance, and appropriateness of the citations that you incorporate to support your ideas and opinions.) Remember that you are the final judge as to the accuracy of your completed paper when it is turned in, so preparation and proofreading by you, in the end, is essential, whether you use AI tools or not. If you have concerns about these requirements and expectations, or the contents of the course rubric, feel free to communicate with me directly.
Rubric: A rubric is provided for your reference for preparation & submission of your course paper. It can be found in the “Rubrics” section and in the “Files” section in Canvas. Citations: Use APA Style for your paper.
