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NOV 24

INFORMATION ABOUT  OTHER COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

Scroll down just a little bit for tips on writing the Course Paper!

Remember to scroll all the way down to review the earlier information.

PLEASE GIVE ME A DISK THAT CONTAINS YOUR PAPER BY OUR EXAM DECEMBER 9 3:35 PM
 

DECEMBER 6: FINAL DUE DATE

All SYP 5105 students may rewrite their course paper for a higher grade IF I received your paper by
November 18 (you WON'T get a lower grade, although your grade may not change). ALL rewrites are due BY 3 P.M. Friday, December 6, 2002. I will not read papers turned in after that time.

If you have not yet turned in your paper, it is due BY 3 P.M. Friday, December 6, 2002.
 
 

 
I must receive a diskette with your paper on it in either MSWord or Word Perfect IBM format by
December 6.
 
 

Do check out the writing tips immediately below when you rewrite.
 

NOVEMBER 18: PROJECT DRAFT DUE

The draft of your project is due by class on November 18. This is to allow you to rewrite it.

You may rewrite your draft course paper for a higher grade IF I receive your paper by November 18.

Here are some writing tips

First off, don't worry about it when I underline the various stages of your projects in felt tip (yellow or otherwise)! I do this to focus my eyes on the page and to ensure I don't miss anything.

ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE

Have a comprehensive introduction. Your introduction, in a few paragraphs, should tell me what your paper will be about, why the topic is important to study, what your paper will contribute (e.g., a solid review of the literature), and the order of the subtropics that you will examine.

The introduction appropriately goes at the VERY BEGINNING of your paper.
 
 

SOMEWHERE IN THE FIRST PAGE OF YOUR PAPER, YOU WILL TELL ME WHAT YOUR STUDY IS ABOUT AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO STUDY THIS TOPIC! Also what YOUR paper will contribute. You may wish to duplicate this information later in your paper too.

It is helpful to write a couple of sentences or a paragraph that summarize the main topic of your paper. Place this paragraph before you as you write. If your sentences, paragraph, or section do not directly relate to that main topic, eliminate it or them, no matter how fascinating they may be. Remember you will probably be able to include that excised paragraph or section in a different paper later on.

(What I find helpful is to paste this wonderful section or paragraph at the end of my paper. When I am pretty much done, I make a decision about whether I can use the section in THIS paper and where it belongs.If so, I merge it in. Otherwise, I save that section in a new file to be used for a different paper sometime.)

Working from outlines will help organize your ideas and the order in which you present them.

Use headings and subheadings to tell me what each major section of your paper is about (again, look at your readings for examples).

Remember that each paragraph should be about one main idea. Beginning and ending sentences make the transitions between paragraphs easier for your reader.

REFERENCE APPROPRIATE LITERATURE

Be sure to use professional journals, such as The Journal of Communication, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Social Psychology Quarterly, and other professional journals in your field. In general, AVOID popular magazines or newspapers; their authors typically are journalists, not trained behavioral scientists, and at best, only interview behavioral scientists.

MAKE YOUR MANUSCRIPT APPROPRIATE FOR YOUR AUDIENCE

If I present my religious congregation ethnographic data in a Social Psychology paper session, I emphasize concepts such as cohesiveness and "Groupthink" rather than materials that focus most heavily on religion. If I present at an Association for the Sociology of Religion conference, I reverse my emphasis. There's more than enough appropriate materials for both sets of groups.

BE SELECTIVE

The best paper is not usually the one that mentions the largest number of concepts in the fewest number of pages. This is because the paper will not be able to adequately define, describe, and evaluate each concept in a small space. Your paper will be better if it selects a relatively small number of concepts and deals with them in depth. (See below)

ORGANIZE AROUND CONCEPTS, NOT AUTHORS (AND A NOTE ON CITATIONS IN TEXT)

What were the major findings about your topic? Were group processes more important than "personality" in studies of bullying? What are the major influences of cartoon violence on children's aggression? Take a look at your readings. They will summarize a finding ("imitation of aggression increased when the model was rewarded") then cite a few studies as examples.

Citations typically follow American Psychological Association (APA) style: in the text, simply put the author's last name and the year the study was published (e.g., Jones, 2001). Give the full citation in a reference section at the back. If the author has more than one study in a specific year, designate them as 2001a, 2001b, etc. If an author has a common last name, add their first initial (e.g., M. Jones, 2001a).

PRIORITIZE

All concepts are not equally important, all theories not equally fruitful, all empirical studies not equally well executed or unambiguously informative. In selecting theories, concepts, and studies for your paper, emphasize those that are the most important and appropriate for your topic.

Examine theories and concepts for internal contradictions, ease of operationalization potential, and the available supporting evidence. Consider whether the studies you select for review could have multiple interpretations of the results or are too limited to be conclusive.

BIGGER IS NOT NECESSARILY BETTER

A shorter paper is often better, if it is well-organized, succinct, and avoids redundancy. Repetition is the most common problem that I see in novice papers, and it can be eliminated if you reorganize. Fortunately, word processors make it easy to block and press the delete key, move sections around and make substitutions.

Wide latitude exists for your paper. Here are some possibilities:

• Research existing literature in an area of interest to you.
• Analyze existing data, such as the General Social Survey or The Longitudinal Survey of Youth. (If you use your own or a major professor's data, you must complete original analyses for the Course Paper.)
• Design a study to be carried out in the future.
• Complete a small original study such as an experiment, survey, or observation (see examples below).

TIME GUIDELINES

• A short preliminary prospectus of your Course Paper is due SEPTEMBER 23.
• An updated prospectus of your course paper is due OCTOBER 21.
• A initial draft of your Course Paper is due NOVEMBER 18 to allow you to rewrite it.
• The final edition of your paper is due DECEMBER 6.

DUE OCTOBER 21: PROJECT UPDATE

Here's what you need to tell me:

(1) What are you going to do? Literature review? Empirical study? WHAT KIND of study (e.g., observational design, experiment, survey, etc.)?

(2) What is your topic?  NOW IS THE TIME TO BE SPECIFIC! At this point, you are involved in a subtopic (from below, you need to include it again, and if you have changed it, now is the time to tell me!)

(3) Who are your team members? If you are working with someone else, now is the time to tell me (if you haven't already.) Or to reaffirm these members if you did.

(4A) IF YOU ARE DOING AN EMPIRICAL STUDY: I need to know your procedures, see your questionnaire, review your field observation codes, etc.

FOR HUMAN SUBJECTS COMMITTEE INFORMATION CLICK HERE

Remember that it can take a month depending on the committee meeting cycle to check your proposal.

Not enough time at this point? You can still do a STUDY DESIGN or PLAN.

(4B) IF YOU ARE DOING A LITERATURE REVIEW: I need to know:

• some of the journals
• the books
• the Web sites
• literature or
• the other people that you are investigating.

Depending on detail, your update should be about 4 double-spaced pages.

REMEMBER WE ONLY HAVE A SEMESTER! Better a smaller topic in depth than many shallow topics.
 
 

Teams find it easier to plan and execute a small experiment, survey, or observation than individuals and can do more comprehensive literature reviews. You may choose to work in teams for the Course Paper.  Turn in the names of all team members on the Course Paper by September 23with the preliminary prospectus. I also will alert you to possible teammates (but the choice is yours).

This is your opportunity to have some fun and be creative with Social Psychology.

LIBRARY RESEARCH PAPER TOPICS:

• Attribution theory and sports
• Bullying
• Cartoon violence
• Epistomological beliefs
• Interpersonal processes in African-American churches
• How preschool teachers interact with girls and boys
• Road Rage
• Emotional Intelligence
• Risk perception and extreme sports

EMPIRICAL STUDY TOPIC EXAMPLES:

• Observing parent-child interaction in neighborhood football games
• Coach-player interaction
• Conformity in aerobics classes
• How educational level and bureaucratic skills influence attitudes toward and responses to a jury summons
• How watching "The Power Rangers" affects preschooler aggression.
• Emotional intelligence in work groups

Here's what you need to tell me:

• (1) What is the general area of your project?

• (2) What is the general approach that you plan to take?

• (3) What is the particular topic you plan to study?

• (4) PUT IT ALL TOGETHER IN A FEW SENTENCES:

EXAMPLE:I will examine the effects of two different counseling plans that involve social and nonsocial feedback on self-rated self-esteem in college students.
 

EXAMPLE: I will do a literature review on causes and consequences of bullying in middle and high schools.

• (5) Tell me the names of all team members if you will be working with someone else.

• (6) GIVE ME A GENERAL IDEA WHAT IT IS THAT YOU WILL DO:

EXPECTED PROPECTUS LENGTH: 1-3 double-spaced typed pages or equivalent.

DON'T: be too specific. I don't need to know your coding categories, any standardized tests or minute experimental manipulations. That information will be on the OCTOBER 21 update.

The biggest problem I find with papers by both students AND professionals is that it takes too long to find out what the paper is about. NONE of us has the leisure to leaf through six or seven pages to discover the issues that the author will address. Your introduction, in a few paragraphs, should tell me what your paper will be about, why the topic is important to study, and the order of the subtropics that you will examine. The introduction appropriately goes at the VERY BEGINNING of your paper.

SOMEWHERE IN THE FIRST PAGE OF YOUR PAPER (draft or final copy), YOU WILL TELL ME WHAT YOUR STUDY IS ABOUT AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO STUDY THIS TOPIC.

It is helpful to write a couple of sentences or a paragraph that summarize the main topic of your paper. Place this paragraph before you as you write. Be sure I receive this information by October 21, which is the project update. Practice this paragraph or two for your paper prospectus.

TIMING: WHAT'S COMING UP:

DUE OCTOBER 21: PROJECT UPDATE

NOVEMBER 18: PROJECT DRAFT DUE

The draft of your project is due by class on November 18. This is to allow you to rewrite it before the final due date, which is Friday, December 6.

You may rewrite your draft course paper for a higher grade IF I receive your paper by November 18. ALL rewrites are due December 6, 2002. I will not read any rewrites turned in after that time. Of course, if you didn't turn in your draft before then, all papers are due by December 6, draft or rewrite!
 
 

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Susan Carol Losh Updated November 24, 2002