Research Paper: Literature Analysis Assignment Instructions
Overview
Research is the essence of scholarly discourse. The graduate student should, at a minimum, be given to critical thought in a way that exposes gaps in the literature and offers new insight to more improved methodologies and policymaking. The Socratic method is the workhorse of the young scholar. Succeeding in failing to disprove a hypothesis is the hallmark of achievement in this regard. For this course of study, you should identify critically apparent flaws in current criminal justice policymaking and offer improved pathways to intelligence, enforcement, crime reduction and prevention.
Instructions
The exact requirements of the assignment are outlined as follows:
Length of assignment: 10-12 pages; double-spaced; Arial or Times New Roman font; 12 pt.
Title page, abstract, reference sections are excluded from the page length requirements
Format of assignment: APA
Number of citations: 12
Acceptable sources: Peer reviewed scholarly articles published within the last five years, scholarly volumes and books, and white papers or technical journals.
You may not copy and paste portions of the previous written assignments for this course into this document.
You will write a Research Paper: Literature Analysis Assignment on a specific problem in criminal justice that was identified by you during the Research Paper: Thesis Statement and Annotated Bibliography Assignment. It should not be a descriptive paper but one that critically examines the problems and the competing solutions. As the body of your analysis will require an argumentative paper, be sure to identify scholarly resources that serve to answer the following questions (as the research paper must provide answers to all of the questions a person would ask if one defended the hypothesis to another person):
What is the current problem?
What does the literature say about the problem?
What is the solution?
What gaps in the literature will my solution address?
What do my critics say about the problem and my particular solution?
What are the implications of my research?
And a conclusion.
The paper must utilize at least 12 significant, scholarly resources that are significant to the topic (current, relevant, credible, and each carries its weight) with a clear and meaningful connection between all the resources. The paper must properly follow current APA style. If a student is struggling with current APA format, he/she may refer to the LU Writing Center for help. Organize and format your paper according to APA style. If you need more help understanding how to analyze scholastic literature consult the corresponding section in your APA manual.
Include the following elements in your paper:
Title page
Abstract and key words
Body
References
Review the Research Paper: Literature Analysis Grading Rubric to see how this assignment will be evaluated.
