09 Nov Jazz article
You will write a 3-4 page paper analyzing a peer-reviewed
research paper on any topic in psychology.
Purpose
1) This assignment is to give you experience with
reading journal articles and
identifying and analyzing the most important parts
of the article (purpose, method, results,
implications).
2) This assignment will also test the three global
objectives of the core curriculum, so that you
demonstrate:
The ability to communicate effectively in
writing.
The ability to use logical reasoning to support
conclusions.
Competence in information literacy by
selecting, utilizing, and documenting
appropriate sources.
3) This assignment will also serve as an introduction
to reading peer-reviewed research papers in
psychology and an introduction to writing
according to the guidelines set by the American
Psychological Association (APA).
Product
1) You will choose a peer-reviewed article on any
topic in psychology.
2) You will then write and submit a 3-4 page paper
that describes the purpose of the article, why this
topic is important, what the authors did, the results,
the conclusions the authors reached, and your own
Outlining Your Paper
The next step will be to create an outline organizing your
ideas for writing the critical thinking paper. It is important
to think about the organization of information as this will
help your paper remain focused. Use general outline form
and remember that you need a thesis statement in the
introductory paragraph and each subsequent paragraph
should support that thesis. Create this outline with specifics
about where information will go and the major points you
want to make in each paragraph. Make sure that your
analysis contains a logical progression of ideas with
appropriate evidence where needed.
The critical thinking paper is not just a summary of the
article. You summarized the article in the previous
assignment to help you understand and organize the
information it contained. The paper should contain a
summary; however, the analysis needs to go beyond what
the researchers did and/or concluded.
Some questions you can ask for your analysis:
Was this article well-written?
Do you think the procedures made sense?
Was there a real need for this experiment to be conducted?
Were the research questions clear/unclear?
What are some advantages/disadvantages of this
procedure/implications?
How is/are this article/these findings applicable or not
applicable today?
What are some pros and cons of the procedure?
What is your opinion of the procedure? What can you use
to support to your opinion?
Please note that you do not have to answer all of these
questions, but rather they are a starting point as you think
about the point you want to make in your paper. However,
your paper should contain all four levels of critical
thinking.
I highly recommend that before you start outlining your
paper, you think about these questions and write your
thesis statement. This will help you build your outline as
you think about what evidence you can provide and what
issues you will discuss. For tips on creating a strong thesis
Please note that you do not have to answer all o1 these
questions, but rather they are a starting point as you think
about the point you want to make in your paper. However,
your paper should contain all four levels of critical
thinking.
I highly recommend that before you start outlining your
paper, you think about these questions and write your
thesis statement. This will help you build your outline as
you think about what evidence you can provide and what
issues you will discuss. For tips on creating a strong thesis
statement, please visit: Writing a Thesis Statement
Writing Your Paper
Once you have your outline, you can start writing your
paper. Your outline is a starting point, but it is normal to
sometimes deviate from what you had planned to write. As
you write, remember that you are being assessed for your
ability to communicate effectively in writing, your ability
to use logical reasoning to support conclusions, and your
competence in selecting, utilizing, and documenting
appropriate sources.
You are required to write this paper in APA-style. If you
are unfamiliar with APA-style, you can visit the following
resources:
APA-Style
Purdue OWL: APA-Style 7th Edition
APA Video Playlist
