Instructions
A minimum of 3 sources are required for this paper. One source must be the course textbook One must be a peer-reviewed empirical research article One must be a research-based source that provides biological facts and research on the topic. Unreliable sources, such as a blog, Wikipedia, personal interviews, and for-profit business websites are NOT allowed, because they are not reliable. The sources need to cover very specific biological studies that have been done in the last 10 years and provide new and specific biological information on the topic that is not well known and is not covered in the textbook. The peer-reviewed empirical research article must come from a scientific journal, and it is highly recommended that you use the GWC Library Databases to locate this source, as reviewed in the APA 101 Module. For the research-based source that is not a peer-reviewed journal article, it is strongly recommended that you use ScienceDaily or NeuroScience News as these are good places to find the types of articles that you need. This paper needs to be organized into two distinct sections, using APA headers: The first section will explain the Well Established Biological Research – this will include information from the course textbook, and possibly one (or more) of your additional sources. Be sure any additional basic sources are from a valid and reliable source, and not a for-profit business website such as a place promoting their own therapy services. Also make sure all sources present biological research, that is clearly supported by the research. The next section will cover new Current Biological Research on the issue, that goes beyond the basics, and beyond the textbook, and has been published in the last 1-10 years. Also see the APA 101 Module Resources posted on Canvas, showing you how to organize your paper into these two different sections, and how to outline it all with APA Style Level 1 and Level 2 headers. Additionally, it is helpful to adhere to following: Begin your paper with an introductory paragraph, and then focus on the Established Biological Research that is presented in the course textbook, and also your additional resources. Next, focus on the current biological research, creating a Level 2 header for each of the topics you are covering. Depending on your topic this may include research on the importance of genetics, the level of heritability, epigenetics, prenatal development, differences in brain anatomy, differences in brain functioning, hormones, neurotransmitters, and any other clearly biological issues. Remember that 3 sources is just the minimum, if more is needed to adequately cover the topic then use more than the minimum. The text of the paper should be 3-4 pages long – this does not include the title page or references page. If you want, you may very briefly reflect on your own life and experiences with these issues in the conclusion of your paper, but it must be clearly tied to the psychological research. This is a research paper that must always show a good understanding of the biopsychological theories and research. This is not an opinion paper, so all statements must be clearly supported by the research, limited to the conclusion, and should be kept very brief. Writing Style When writing about the research, stay clearly focused on the findings and meaning of that research, and do not go into irrelevant details, such as how many people were in the study, or where it was done. Also, do not cover the role of environment beyond just one sentence or two, no matter how important it is. This paper must clearly focus on biological facts and biological research only. And always remember to cite exactly where all facts and claims come from, even when those claims are vague. Always use an appropriate professional tone in writing any formal research paper like this. Do not use the words I, we, you, our, my, or us – this is an informal reflective writing style that is not appropriate for this formal assignment. For example, instead of saying “I will present research on the topic of..” write “Research has found that..” Instead of writing “you can see how important this is..” write “the importance of this research is clear.” With a professional tone “I” and “you” are invisible, and the research and facts are the focus. Also be very sure to use clearly organized and meaningful paragraphs – a focused paragraph is never longer than half a page. For this paper everything you write must be entirely in your own words. Do not use direct quotes, instead paraphrase everything into your own writing. All information must be properly paraphrased and also properly cited in APA format. Remember that just changing the words around is not paraphrasing; if it clearly matches the original sentence this is plagiarism which is a very serious academic offense. Explaining things in your own words requires a better understanding of the material, which is why quotes are not allowed. The paper will be submitted to Turnitin, within Canvas, which will check the document for originality. There will be points off for minor problems with paraphrasing, and major problems with paraphrasing may result in a zero on the paper. Serious cases of plagiarism must be reported to the college, which may result in additional penalties including suspension from the college. All students are required to read and follow all of the documents and explanations provided on APA format, paraphrasing, and citation.