Psychological Research Paper Writing: How to Choose a Good Topic

Option 1: Discussing a Recent Discovery in Psychological Research

y You have two possible options for this paper: 1. Find a news story about a recent discovery in psychological research and make that study the focus of your paper. Talk about the general topic, the question the researchers are trying to address, previous work on the subject, and a detailed examination of the specific study. You must track down and cite the actual study that the news article is describing. It may be beneficial to talk about how well the author of the news article did at describing the research. 2. Find a news story about something for which psychology is relevant and write your paper on that topic. For example, if there is a story about a criminal trial in which eyewitness testimony is vital, you could use that and do a paper on Elizabeth Loftus’ research on eyewitness memory. A news story about a suicide bomber could lead you to write a paper about terror management theory research into motivations behind terrorism. A story about an auto accident could be the inspiration for a paper on cognitive research on attentional resources and driving. You must use a MINIMUM of 7 sources from the SCIENTIFIC literature in your paper. Examples of scientific literature (the good stuff): Scholarly journals (e.g., Journal of Personality and Social Psychology) Scholarly books written by psychologists (self-help books DON’T COUNT) Examples of non-scientific literature (the bad stuff): Newspapers & Magazines (e.g., Psychology Today, Monitor on Psychology) Websites (NEVER use Wikipedia!) Lecture Notes NEVER USE TEXTBOOKS! (and a textbook that you found in the library still counts as a textbook) Non-scientific reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, encyclopaedias) Two example papers (one representing each of these options) are attached to your syllabus. It is a good idea to talk to me early about your paper topic, to make sure that it fits. Your paper is due August 21st, and must be written using proper APA style. You have two sources of information to help you write this paper properly: the example papers, and a style guide that I have also attached to your syllabus. Feel free to send me rough drafts of your paper so that I can provide feedback (up to August 14th). Homework project #5 will involve preparing a thesis, outline, and reference section for the paper, so make sure that you get to work on this right away. Grading Rubric for The Paper: Research (4 points maximum – 20%) Sufficient depth and breadth of research indicated Proper sources used Primary sources as main evidence, secondary sources used judiciously No second-hand citations No references without citations Hard copy of the news article Content (4 points maximum – 20%) Topic fits the course requirements Thesis clearly stated Evidence described supports the thesis Key terms defined Sources cited, no citations without references All sections included are relevant to the topic Interpretation of theory and research evidence logical Ideas sufficiently developed Judicious use of direct quotes Structure (6 points maximum – 30%) Paragraphs logically structured Sections in the correct order Minimum length requirement met (not too short, no obvious paper-padding) References in proper APA format Citations in proper APA format Style, Grammar, Spelling (4 points maximum – 20%) Writing style suits the assignment (professional, not casual or flowery) Correct use of technical terms Avoid commonly misused words and phrases No anthropomorphization of research Neutral language when referring to groups Correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation Details (2 points maximum – 10%) Full name and Course Code included Pages properly numbered Correct font and margins Total: 20 points