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Termpap
Campbell

Instructions for Preparing Term Papers

Term papers for my courses must be prepared using APA format, a useful writing format adopted by a number of disciplines besides psychology. An excellent source of helpful information for preparation of papers using this format is Rosnow, R.W., & Rosnow, M.: Writing papers in psychology. You are urged to get a copy of this text early in the semester and to give it serious study. Other useful information on APA format can be located by following the links on my homepage at http://www.humboldt.edu/~campbell/psyc.htm (see the section near the top titled “General Information.”)

As you examine the above resources, you will note that your paper includes a description of your problem or topic, major questions involved with this topic, methods used to address these questions, findings thus far, people involved, problems encountered in the conduct of the work, applications of research findings, and your personal assessment of work done on this topic. It is expected that you will define your concepts clearly, use examples to clarify your explanations, and back up each point you wish to drive home with logic or references.

Term papers in my classes usually vary quite a bit in quality. I use the usual criteria for such an assignment. That is, I look for a strong beginning, good paragraph construction, development of a theme leading to a conclusion, some depth and complexity in effort to appraise and analyze the material reviewed, originality in how course content is integrated with personal ideas and goals (appropriate for senior seminar paper), good support for positions taken, etc. Also careful adherence to APA style is expected with no spelling or grammar errors. Some students handle this task quite well; others usually appear to need more training in the basics of essay construction.

Term Paper Check List:

_____ 1. Title page with required information

_____ 2. Summary (this is not an introduction; it summarizes topic, main findings, conclusions)

_____ 3. Introduction section (announces topic & its importance; definitions come from research papers, not dictionary)

_____ 4. Body of paper (includes subheadings for clarity; quotations used sparingly if at all, and each indicates source by author,year,page)

_____ 5. Academic writing style (this is a serious research paper reflecting your scholarship; avoid being chatty or cute). An “A” paper will do more than simply report on your sources. There should be some effort to evaluate sources of information (separate conjecture from valid evidence), compare and contrast different approaches, or in some other way indicate that you are thinking critically about what you are reporting.

_____ 6. Sources of info cited by author and year at the point they are discussed in the paper.

_____ 7. Paper has been carefully proofread for grammar, spelling, and punctuation ("i before e except after c," clauses set off by commas, no sentences ending in a preposition, etc.)

_____ 8. Final discussion and conclusion section is more than 1 page in length; discusses material presented earlier with your own analysis and criticism evident; leads to well-reasoned conclusions.

_____ 9. References listed in APA format exactly (notice whether first name of author is spelled out, where year of publication goes, which words of title get capitalized, etc.)

____ 10. References include recent research journal articles which you have examined, not just books on your topic.

____ 11. All items cited in body of paper are listed in reference list (and no others)

____ 12. Paper is double-spaced with sensible margins (about 1 inch)

____ 13. Paper is turned in on time, and you have kept a copy.