Child Development

Short Research Review of Empirical Research

You will write a 5-7 page APA format paper on a topic in child development chosen by your group, excluding cover and reference pages. For this paper you and your group members will essentially become experts in a contemporary area of child development. You and your group members must use 4 references that you will integrate into a paper helping to explain this developmental concern. From your 4 references, three of the references must be empirical citations, meaning the authors developed a hypothesis and tested it. One reference may be a review of previous research, a theoretical article, or a chapter from a source such as the Handbook of Child Psychology. While some of your sources may overlap you may find it easier if you all choose a specific area of your topic that you want to research. Poorly researched, poorly organized, and badly written papers with errors in syntax, grammar, and spelling will most likely suffer grade-wise. You are strongly encouraged to seek help (and guidance) from the tutors at the Writing Resource Center (x4662) and Quantitative Reasoning Center (x4222).

You will need to follow several steps in preparing for this paper. They are outlined below:

Central Article
This article will be the centerpiece of your review paper. This article will be key in identifying the topic of your paper and helping you in finding additional sources. Browsing through recent issues of journals may help you identify a topic that interests you. You are to submit the reference information for this article as well as your summary of the article. Some journals that may be helpful are Developmental Psychology, Child Development, and Sex Roles.
Due: Monday Nov. 3rd.

Annotated Bibliography and Summaries
Annotated Bibliography and summaries. For this segment of the final paper you will identify at least two other papers that are closely related to your central article. These may come from the reference list of your central article or from the research you have conducted on your topic. You will then introduce your topic as well as explain how these articles are related to what you plan to address in your final paper. The final sentence should be a conclusion concerning what we can learn from this research. You will also include the full reference in APA format. Your final paper will be penalized by for each day that you miss either of these deadlines.

Due – Friday November, 7 th.

 Website example
Annotated Bibliography examples

For each day that these deadlines are not met your final paper will be docked accordingly.

Final Paper - Friday November 14.

Possible Topics for Paper/Group
a. Premature Infants - Long term physical, cognitive effects, cost
b. Parenting - Discipline styles, types, cross-cultural styles
c. Types of Childcare
d. Peer Friendships - Importance, rejected peers, bullying
e. Family Styles - Nuclear, Single, Blended
f. Types of School Experience - Preschool, grade school, home school
g. Moral Development - Who is responsible, when is it happening
h. Cross Cultural Adoption
i. Attachment - how it develops, positive/negative outcomes, long term effects
j. Temperament/shyness - effects in childhood and later life
j. Organized children's activities

Your final paper should include the following dimensions:

You want to begin your paper with an introduction where you identify and give an explanation about your topic. At this time you may recognize the different areas you will be looking at. How you hope to show its effects on the child. When you finish your paper make sure to have a conclusion. Don’t leave me hanging.

In the body of the paper you should review the body of the literature. How information supports one another. What impact your topic has on children and their future. You may also apply the concepts to real life situations you have seen or read about. Also, in this area you could identify research that is in direct opposition to one another and how this field is still developing.

Make sure to give critical analysis to the information. Don’t just accept it at face value, is their argument logical?

For this paper:

1. Include a title page in APA format.
2. No abstract needed.
3. Margins should be one inch all around the paper (top, bottom, and sides).
4. Entire paper should be double-spaced, including reference page.
5. Every page should have a page header that includes a short title and a page number. This includes the title page (which is page 1).
6. Your paper will begin on page 2.
7. The first line of each new paragraph should be indented about five space.
8. When citing material you need to cite it at the first point in the paragraph.
9. If you use the same source throughout the paragraph you just cite the first time you are making reference to the information.
10. If using more than one source ina paragraph make sure you are clear about which source you are using.
11. If you are quoting a source you must include the page number's) as well as (Author, date, p.1).
12. When paraphrasing your sentence it should not contain more than three words from the original sentence.
13. Your reference page should include any works you used. These are listed alphabetically according to the author's last name.

I encourage you to use the following links in helping you deal with any questions you have concerning APA format or to come and see me.

Guide to APA style:
Cornell College Writing Center

http://www.docstyles.com/apacrib.htm

Citing Electronic sources:
http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html

Your final grade will be based on the following criteria:

Your research paper is due on Thursday November 15th and is worth 55 points.