EXTRA CREDIT PAPER GUIDELINES
The project must be a research paper on a topic of your choice, as long as it is concerned with phenomena relevant to psychology (any topic discussed in the text is fair game for this paper). The paper can review the research literature on a topic that we have discussed in class, or that is mentioned in your text.
Important: Make sure that you have cleared your topic with me before you start your paper!
The paper should: A) Present a problem or question (the first 1-2 paragraphs) B) Review the relevant research literature concerning that problem C) Arrive at some conclusions concerning that question/problem D) Present your ideas for future research that should be done addressing your particular topic (no more than 1-2 paragraphs at the end of the paper)
GUIDELINES:
1. PAPER LENGTH: The paper MUST be typed, double-spaced, and must be at least 8 pages long, but no more than 10 pages. Note: this does NOT include title page, or references/bibliography, I mean 8 pages of TEXT.
2. MARGINS & FONT: Margins should be 1" on all sides (not wider). Type font should be 12 point (if on a computer -- not larger and not smaller).
3. NUMBER AND TYPE OF REFERENCES: You should use a minimum of 10 journal articles for your paper. You should use no more than 2 books in your research.
4. CITATIONS: You must cite all references you discuss in your paper. Citations in the references section should generally take the following form:
Johnson, S, & Wilson, T. (1997). Effects of dorito eating on cognitive ability. Journal of High Quality Nachos, 56 (3), 221-235.
5. DUE DATE: Papers are due in class, on the date specified in your syllabus.
PLAGIARISM Plagiarism (passing off someone else's work as your own ideas either by copying it directly or changing a few words) is a serious offense, and is treated as such by the university. I will know if you have plagiarized an article or book, and I will treat plagiarism offenses as follows: you WILL receive an F for this course, and the offense will be brought to the attention of the University for a decision on disciplinary action (students have been expelled/suspended for plagiarism.....don't take this lightly ). Do NOT copy anything from articles (unless you put quotes around it and cite the reference after the quote). In general, the rule of thumb is, UNLESS IT IS TRULY YOUR OWN IDEA, CITE YOUR REFERENCES AT THE END OF THE SENTENCE to tell the reader where you got the information.
GRADING Your papers will be reviewed and evaluated according to their scholarly merit. That is, those papers that are written well, and show a clear, logical, and thoughtful structure, will be more positively evaluated. Specifically, your papers will be reviewed according to: Originality, Clarity, and Argument Logic.
IN SUM: those papers that: 1) adhere to the guidelines above, and 2) show that you obviously put a lot of work & thought into them, will receive a higher grade.
**I ENCOURAGE YOU TO TURN IN ROUGH DRAFTS FOR FEEDBACK TO ENHANCE YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING THE FULL POINTS OF EXTRA CREDIT FOR THIS PAPER. .