The Research Paper: Module 8

Submit Final Paper

1.    This is a research paper therefore all information must be cited in APA format.  EVERY source on your reference page MUST be cited within the paper in an in-text citation. 

2.    Avoid plagiarism at all costs.  You must cite multiple times within the same paragraph, even if you are citing only one source.  Citing once at the end of the paragraph is not acceptable.

3.    If it is not your original thought or general knowledge then it must be cited. Do not make statements such as “PTSD is a major mental illness” or “women report sexual harassment in the military” without citing a source for that information.  (You were not the first to think of this; and your opinion adds no credibility in a scholarly research paper.) 

4.    Do not use “I”, “We”, “me”, “my”, “this researcher” or “you” statements.  (You are not the expert, you are reporting on the published work of other experts.)

5.    Edit copiously to ensure proper grammar, spelling, word choice, tone of voice & organization of ideas.  It should take you twice as long to edit your initial draft as it took you to write it.  Errors in grammar, spelling, word choice; evidence of bias and lack of organization should be avoided.  These errors distract your reader and detract from your credibility as a writer.

6.    You must use at least 5 peer reviewed journal articles from military, medical or psychological journals.  

7.    You may not use websites as sources for this paper, with the exception of .gov or .mil websites.  These websites provide general information and must be used sparingly, with no more than five cited ideas/sentences from each these websites.  These sources will be in addition to the minimum of 5 journal articles.

8.    You may not use books as sources for this paper, with the exception of our textbook.  (I do not have enough time to locate and read your source books to determine if they are appropriate sources for this paper.  I WILL attempt to locate and read journal articles.)

9.    You may not cite your instructor or any other instructor, or their slides or class notes. 

10. You may not include personal anecdotes or personal experience or personal opinion.

11. For this paper, you may not use direct quotations.  At all.  Reword the information and cite the source of the information.

12. You must have headings for each section of your paper. Each section of the paper should relate in logical sequence to the next section of the paper.  This organization will help you create a persuasive argument for your thesis.

13. Each paragraph must begin with an underlined topic sentence.  (This is not an APA requirement, this is a Mrs. Lancaster requirement.)  The act of underlining should help you to focus on the topic sentence as the major point of each paragraph.  All other sentences in that paragraph should relate to and support the topic sentence. 

14. Papers submitted for other classes may NOT be submitted for this class.  This will result in a failing grade.

15. The finished paper will be approximately 5-10 pages in length (not including title page and references).  My preference would be to see 5 perfect pages, presenting credible research in a logical sequence, creating a persuasive defense of your thesis.