First, read the sample paper. (See the Sample Reflective Paper in Week 3 of your online course.) This sample paper will give you an idea of what your final paper should look like. Then read the outline example, which relates specifically to Step One. The Sample Outline explains how to approach the paper. During Week Two, you will complete the following tasks related to your paper:

Title Page (APA format)
Check the information in the PSY202 Writing Guide for guidelines on how to format your title page.

Outline for Your Paper
Use the Sample Outline and Preliminary Outline Form provided to construct an outline for your paper. NOTE: Outlines are generally not required for Ashford University papers. However, an outline is required for this paper as a tool to help you plan your writing. Think about the answers to the questions posed in the Sample Outline. These answers will develop into the text of your paper. Your outline does not have to be complicated or extensive. It is a set of short points or phrases: the start of your essay plan. It is simply an opportunity to begin thinking about how to organize the story of your life thus far. In Step One of your paper (due in Week Two), this guidance should help you develop your outline by suggesting brief points to include in each section of the paper. In Step Two of your paper (due in Week Three), you will take the brief points in your outline and turn them into sentences and paragraphs.

Reference Page
Whenever you use ideas that are not your own (such as theories or concepts from your textbook or from articles on the online library), you must give credit to these sources in the text of your paper. You must also include a reference page at the end of the paper. Check the information in the PSY202 Writing Guide for guidelines on how to prepare your references. Begin by formatting the reference for your Adult Development book.

The three pages (title page, outline, and reference page) must be in one document. The document must be completed in Microsoft Word, not Microsoft Works or another word processing program. (In other words, your document must be a file that has a .doc or .rtf extension at the end of the file name, not a .wps or a .wpd extension.)

The three tasks above constitute Step One. When you have completed these tasks and have created one paper, submit the paper in the Week 2 Assignment basket in the dropbox of your online course. Your Teaching Assistant will return this paper to you with feedback to guide you in developing academic writing skills. You will have the opportunity to revise your Step One assignment before you add to the paper in Week Three.