editing
PSYC 3384,
ASSIGNMENT:
For this assignment, you will start to work on the introduction section of your research proposal. You have already
thought about your research questions and the details of the variables.
Begin this assignment by becoming familiar with the appropriate content of the introduction. Start by looking at
the textbook description of the introduction section (Table 2.2), as well as the “Manuscript Elements” power point
on Blackboard. You can also refer to the Purdue OWL APA summary and two sample papers on Blackboard in the
“APA & Writing Resources” folder. When you look at the sample papers, you should be focusing on the
introduction sections. Take note of how they are written and what content should be included. The samples
represent a proposal that has already been written on another topic. You should apply the introduction components
to your own topic. The sample is only meant to be a way for you to see a finished product. Also, page 2 of this
document lists relevant information for preparing the content for your introduction that you must read
before you begin.
Email me as soon as possible if you need help with your assignment. You may send me a draft to review no later
than 24 hours before the due date.
then provide feedback for the work that you submit with enough time for
you to edit.
To get full credit on this assignment, you must meet the following criteria in your document:
a. APA style title page (including running head and title info—See “Manuscript Elements”)
b. Provide an introduction with all appropriate information, at a minimum including…
?Opening/attention grabber
?What is the general problem you are addressing? What’s the specific topic? Why is it important?
What’s the purpose of the study? Research question?
?Relevant theories and previous studies (Literature Review: longest subsection)
?Purpose statement
?Variables and operational definitions
?List the hypotheses.
c. It is required that you have four peer-reviewed references for the proposal (no exceptions), but you may
have additional references as needed. Each of the articles should be cited and referred to within the text,
using APA format (In text citations: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/2/). Include an
APA reference page, including all of your references. See Bb for the examples.
d. Points will be deducted for incorrect formatting: 1” Margins, Times New Roman, 12 point font, Doublespaced,
all APA format. No second person language (i.e., “you,” “your”).
PSYC 3384, Summer 2017
INTRODUCTION/LITERATURE REVIEW SECTION ASSIGNMENT SHEET
*** Please read through this entire assignment sheet before you begin
to work on your introduction/literature review section. ***
Introduction/literature review:
The introduction/literature review you write as part of this assignment will be the first section of your research
proposal. I will provide you feedback on it, which you will incorporate into your final paper. Follow all instructions
on page 1 of this document.
1) Take time to review the information in the “APA Style &Writing Resources” folder on the left menu in
Blackboard.
a) Look at the “Grammar Tips” document. Remember that you can utilize the Writing Center for free as a means to
get extra help on your writing style and proofreading. Do not wait until the last minute!
b) Review the “APA Sample of a Full Paper” documents. These are meant to give you a sense of what someone
else’s paper look like. Your paper needs to describe your own topic.
c) You may want to watch a video of someone going through the different aspects of APA. Use the links provided
in this folder as a place to start. Remember that you should be watching videos using the most recent version of
the APA manual.
2) Consider writing an annotated bibliography to help you write some sections of the introduction. The purpose
of an annotated bibliography is to summarize the articles that were meaningful to your study. Then include these
articles as needed throughout the introduction.
3) Complete the introduction/literature review section.
a) The introduction/literature review should be about 4-5 pages in length (this does not include the title page or the
reference page(s). (Please do not exceed 8 pages!)
b) You will utilize, cite, and reference a minimum of 4 published, peer-reviewed journal articles. (If you are unsure
if your source meets this requirement, please ask!)
c) If you would like to utilize, cite, and reference other sources, such as magazine and newspaper articles or
websites, you are welcome to do so. However, you must still utilize, cite, and reference a minimum of 4
published, peer-reviewed journal articles.
d) The Introduction/Literature Review section is to be completed in APA format (no exceptions).
e) Consider using subheadings to organize your literature review.
4) Title page: Include the APA-format title page for your introduction section assignment. This includes a running
head, page number, name, title, and affiliation (UIW).
5) References: Include the APA-format reference page(s).
a) All of your citations should be accounted for on the reference page.
b) Use the “APA Reference Example” when you are writing your reference page in APA format.
c) You need at least 4 peer-reviewed references (i.e., research journal articles) for a complete assignment.
PSYC 3384, Summer 2017
DOUBLE CHECK YOUR ASSIGNMENT:
? APA Format Title page
? Does your first paragraph introduce the general problem, then the specific topic, then state the importance of the
topic, then explicitly state the purpose of the study?
? Does your second paragraph serve as a “movie preview paragraph” in which you briefly introduce the critical
topics that you will discuss in your literature review? Did you introduce the research question?
? Did you provide a literature review of the topics that you mentioned in the second paragraph? (Remember:
synthesize the information.) Did you provide citations for all paraphrased and quoted material?
? Did you mention how these critical issues that you reviewed are relevant to your proposed study?
? Did you include concluding paragraphs in which you:
o Restated the general purpose of the study?
o Identified the variables and operational definitions of interest?
o Briefly restated a few key issues?
o State your specific research hypotheses?
? Remember – a research hypothesis is a statement that expresses something about the relationship and
direction between the variables.
Ex: First time marathon runners who engage in daily zen meditation will show increased goalattainment
when compared to first time marathon runners who do not engage in daily zen meditation.
(This is a sample research hypothesis from a true experiment. Other designs will look different.)
? APA format References page(s)
? Did you proofread your assignment for grammatical and sentence structure issues?
TURNING IN YOUR ASSIGNMENT:
It’s due by 11:59 PM! Make sure that you’ve uploaded your electronic copy into Blackboard SafeAssign by that time!
It must be in SafeAssign before I can grade it. Upload the 4 peer-reviewed sources or email them to me.
******Don’t wait until the last minute to write this paper. You will need to write and revise before you turn in a
draft to me.
******MOST IMPORTANT: DON’T LET YOURSELF GET TOO STRESSED OUT AND HINDER YOUR
ABILITY TO GET THIS DONE. THIS DRAFT WILL BE GRADED BUT IT IS NOT THE FINAL
VERSION. I will give you feedback on this paper and you will then revise before turning in the final paper (just
as you will do for the method section and the results/discussion sections).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
? Sources used to meet the minimum number of references required for this assignment must be scholarly
sources: peer-reviewed journal articles. Please note that not every article indexed in some databases is a peerreviewed
journal article. For example, Academic Search Complete also indexes newspaper and magazine
articles. These are not peer-reviewed sources. Additionally, sources published in Dissertation Abstracts
International typically are not peer-reviewed and published in a journal.
? ProQuest indexes dissertations and publishes the abstract (as opposed to the entire article).
? If you are unsure if a source is peer-reviewed, please feel free to ask me or the reference librarians at the UIW
library. Many times something that you find through an online search engine (like Yahoo) is not peer-reviewed.
? Part of the goal of this assignment is to develop your literacy with regard to the identification and utilization of
peer-reviewed journal articles/scholarly books. You will become acquainted with peer-reviewed scientific
literature, as it plays a key role in the research process. This will help you learn not only how to locate peerreviewed
articles/books, but also how to acquire them and critically read and use the information that they
present.
? You are free to utilize other non-peer-reviewed sources if you have met the requirement for peer-reviewed
sources for the article.
PSYC 3384, Summer 2017
IMPORTANT NOTES TO REMEMBER ABOUT SCIENTIFIC FRAUD:
? The introduction/literature review section, as with any assignment that you complete in this class, is to be your
original work. Of course, as you write your original work, you will draw upon other researcher’s ideas and writings.
However, please note that when you draw upon others’ ideas and writings, you must provide an appropriate APAstyle
in-text citation and appropriate APA-style reference on your references page. Refer to the documents in the
“APA and Writing Resources” folder om Blackboard. Directions on correct formatting are also in the APA
Publication Manual, 6th edition. Additionally, feel free to ask me any questions that you might have.
? Copying and pasting from another source without providing proper credit is considered to be scientific fraud.
? There must be a one-to-one ratio between citations and references. If you cite a source within the text of your
paper, it must have a corresponding reference in your reference section. If you reference a source in your
reference section, it must have a corresponding citation in the text of the paper. It is not appropriate to utilize
sources that you do not cite/reference.
