WRITTEN FORMAL REPORT (PERSUASIVE RESEARCH PROJECT) STYLE OR GUIDELINES:
1. The final paper should be 3-5 pages in length, NOT including the title page, the table of contents, and the references page. The body of the research paper should be a minimum of 1000 words.
2. The final paper should follow an APA basic format including one inch margins, 12 point Times Roman type, double spacing between each line and not more than that, and standard rules for manuscript preparation.
3. The paper must have at least two references cited according to APA guidelines, Sixth Edition, including proper in-text citations and references which are listed on the last page in alphabetical order.
4. Sources should be books the student reads to conduct his or her research. (NO WIKIPEDIA, MURDERPEDIA, ANY PEDIA SITES) Only .edu, .gov, .org sites are acceptable
5. All sources must be cited at least once in the paper.
6. Consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, (6th ed.) or http://apastyle.org/
7. The paper must be written in the third person point-of-view. Do not use first person (I, me, my, mine, myself, we, our, ours, ourselves) except if it is included in a direct quotation. Do not use second person (you, your, yours, yourself) except if it is included in a direct quotation.
8. The paper should include a title page, a table of contents, an abstract, an introduction (Not labeled), the body with applicable headings, a conclusion (Not labeled), a page of references, and relevant visuals, graphs, and tables if suitable or germane to the topic.
9. The research paper will demonstrate the student's ability to use clear and concise writing at the college level.
10. The paper should encompass the coursework learned throughout the student's bachelor- level academic career. It should address a topic that affects or is related to the student's areas of study. Ideally, it will explore a convergence of the major fields the student studied during his or her college career. The student must select a topic which he or she may argue, one on which the student may take a firm stand. Although research is part of this project, it is not simply an informational paper or a report; it must include and represent the student's view of the subject.
11. (Optional) A Power Point is optional.
Grade will depend upon the following benchmarks or standards:
A. The presentation of the analysis and research
B. The support and substantiation of the student's argument/discussion
C. The correct format for an APA research paper, its citations of a variety of sources, and its list of references
D. The mandatory minimum page requirement
E. The quality of the work presented
a. Whether or not the student presents a detailed or vague overview
b. Whether or not everything is addressed based on the initial questions