The research paper assignment for this class is split into several smaller assignments. These assignments are described in detail below. You are required to choose a topic in Module 2 by posting it in a discussion, and ideally stick with that topic as you move through other stages.
Generally speaking, your goal is to choose a topic related to criminal justice policy and provide a general overview. This should be a lengthy descriptive essay on a specific policy or policy proposal that is ideally not covered by the module readings or your textbooks. You must use APA format for this paper. If you do not have a current APA manual, I suggest you acquire one, as they are relatively inexpensive. Most major booksellers (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc) have it priced around $20 the last time I checked. Minus any references, figures, tables, etc., your paper should be a minimum of 10 pages of text. I would say no more than 15 pages of text if you were looking for a maximum. I tend to want to move on to a new topic at that point.
A note on sources: Wikipedia is not allowed as a reference (this should not have to be said, but I am saying it anyway). You can, however, use Wikipedia to find sources, since some articles on Wikipedia have a list of source information from academic journals and other acceptable sources at the bottom of the page. Websites that are used as sources generally must end in .org, .gov, or .edu, and the content must be approved by me. There are some good research and governmental reports online, but your primary sources should be scholarly books and journal articles. Most nonfiction books and academic journals are acceptable content and will not need approval. I will let you know if any sources do not meet approval as long as you submit a list of sources with the earlier assignments. You are allowed to use a reading or two from the course in your list of references, but the bulk of the references need to come from outside sources.
The Prospectus: The Prospectus is a short plan for your paper and includes the following: A title page, a summary OR outline, and an optional list of references (about 3-5 preliminary references for now). If, for example, you plan to write a paper on violence in the South, you would tell me in your abstract that this is your topic and follow that up by giving me the theory you plan to use to explain this phenomenon. You would also want to tell me if you are going to focus on any particular time period. Are you going to be discussing the present, pre- or post- Civil War, the Civil Rights Era, etc. (following the example of violence in the South)? There is no minimum word count for the prospectus, but it should be somewhere in the neighborhood of 1 to 2 pages of text, plus the title page and references. The file for the prospectus should include a title page with your name and a preliminary title in a standard format, followed by the summary, and optional references (so, around 4 pages total). The prospectus is due at the end of Module 4
The Rough Draft: The Rough Draft of your paper needs to be a 60-70% complete version of your paper. You should have your sources finalized at this point, even if you do not cite them all in your paper. I want to see a list of at least 10 sources. A maximum of 2 can be web pages (as long as they are approved by me). Sources can be journal articles (peer reviewed), books, reports from government agencies, web pages (2 max.) and other content with my approval. The file for the outline should include the title page, the text of the rough draft, and the reference page in that order (all in one file). The rough draft is due at the end of Module 6.
The Final Paper: This should be the complete product, revised to reflect any changes I suggest in the final draft. The final paper must meet the guidelines set in the syllabus with regards to word count and follow all guidelines in the syllabus, on the research paper guide, and for all previous paper assignments. The final paper needs to have a title page, an abstract, the text, and a reference page, all in one file. The final paper is due at the end of Module 8
It is not appropriate to submit a paper used in another class for this assignment. If you plan to use the same topic you have used for another class paper, this version must be substantially different from the one used in the other class, and you must inform me that you are using a topic from a prior assignment, and tell me the Professor / Instructor to contact regarding the previous assignment. The policies regarding Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism apply to this assignment.
POSSIBLE TOPIC AREAS: Here is a list of general topical areas derived from past papers I have graded in this area. This may be helpful in developing a topic for your paper. If this is not particularly helpful, feel free to email me. You are not required to choose from this list.
For Police and Society: For Rural Crime and Justice
Agencies use of social media Policing and Technology Intelligence Led Policing Crime mapping to improve patrol strategies Police – Community Relations Community Based Policing Militarization of Police
Rural homicide Domestic Violence in Rural Areas Meth Production and Clandestine Labs Agricultural Theft and Rural Crime Poaching and Illegal Hunting in Rural Areas Rural policing strategies for small agencies Migrant communities and crime in rural areas Rural culture and crime
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