PSYC 3320-001 Research Paper
This project is designed to develop your skills in reading and analyzing child development research papers and to explore the process through which research findings are translated into the public realm. In this assignment, you will compare popular accounts of psychological investigations with the original scientific reports. It is worth 25% of your final grade. The paper is must be submitted via BlackBoard by midnight on July 20.
You will find a popular media accounts (newspaper, magazines, etc.) of a research finding relevant to topics in child development covered in this course. Then you will locate the original research paper being cited. You will be asked to compare and contrast the findings reported in the original research paper with how the results are presented in the popular media account, identifying any important information that has been lost or distorted in the popular media account. You will also be asked to compare the original research findings with relevant information presented in the textbook, and to describe and discuss any discrepancies between the two sources. All sources used must be cited in proper APA format (resources on APA format will be posted to Blackboard). You will be asked to compare and contrast the findings reported in the original research paper with how the results are presented in the popular media account, identifying any important information that has been lost or distorted. You will also be asked to compare the original research findings to relevant information presented in the textbook, as well as to describe and discuss any differences between the two sources. All sources used must be properly cited in APA format (resources on APA format will be posted to Blackboard).
Be sure to include a title page and reference section formatted in accordance with APA format. Remember to follow APA guidelines on formatting such as font and font size, line spacing, margins, and page numbering.
Your paper should include a summary of the popular media account. You should also provide a summary of the original research article, being sure to identify the research question and hypothesis. Identify key aspects of the sample used in the research, such as participant demographics and sample size. Provide a summary of the methods used in the research, and identify what kind of study was conducted (e.g. longitudinal, naturalistic observation, etc.). Clearly state the main findings of the research, and summarize what the researchers believe these results mean, particularly in relation to their original hypotheses.
When comparing the popular media account and the original research article, be sure to note any important information that is left out of or distorted in the popular media account. Does the popular media account consider the limitations of the original study? Does it generalize the findings to populations the original study didn’t apply to? Identify what misconceptions about the research findings a reader might have if they only read the popular media account, and explain what additional information the popular account would need to include to address them. Finally, provide a sentence or two on whether you think the popular media article succeeded overall in summarizing the original research article. Be sure to mention why you think it succeeded or failed.
When comparing the research results with a relevant portion of textbook, first identify if the results contradict the textbook in any way. If they do, summarize the contradiction. If the results do not conflict, provide a brief summary of whether the research findings expand on the textbook information or offer any new insight on the subject (e.g. demonstrate a finding with a more diverse sample, a wider age range, etc.).
PSYC 3320 Research Paper Rubric
Article:
o Found an appropriate original scientific report of developmental findings and a popular media account of the paper
_______ / 2
Popular Press Articles
o Provides a brief summary of the popular press article
_______ / 4
Original Scientific Report
For the original research article, be sure to:
o State the major research questions and author’s hypotheses
o Identifies the characteristics of the research participants such as age and background characteristics, note the sample size
o Identifies the study design
o Summarize the research methods used in the investigation
o State the major findings of the investigation
o Summarize how the author(s) interpret the findings
_______ /12
Comparing the Original Scientific Report and the Popular Press Article
o Compares the findings and interpretations from both articles
o Addresses any important details that are omitted or distorted in the popular media article
o Identifies any misconceptions that the reader would take away
o Discuss why these misconceptions would occur and how to address them
o Identifies why or why not the popular press article succeeds in summarizing the full report
o Identifies if the popular press article takes into account potential limitations of the research method
_______ /12
Comparing the Original Scientific Report and the Textbook
o Compares the research findings with relevant information in the textbook
o Identifies whether the research findings conflict with the textbook information
o Summarizes contradiction/how findings expand on textbook information/why they do not expand on textbook information
_______ /3
Writing Style and Quality
o Thoughts and arguments are well-organized
o Ideas are expressed clearly
o Flows well; logic is easy to follow
o Ideas are fully developed and thoroughly explained
o Shows evidence of critical thinking
o Writing has an appropriate, scholarly tone
o Uses proper grammar, spelling, etc.
_______ /4
APA Style Formatting
o Uses appropriate in-text citations and reference list format
o Follows formatting requirements: appropriate font and font size, margins, page numbering
o Includes properly formatted title page
_______ /5
Comments:
Total: ____ /42
