Description

Expectation: 800-1000 words (not including title page and References), using APA Style. (Title page and reference page will be 6 pages)

Instructions

Assignment 3 is designed to introduce you to the skill of writing a research paper, in this case, a literature review. This assignment uses an abridged, or shortened, format of a formal research paper, which is quite different from a journal article critique. One way it is different from a critique is that you do not structure your paper around seven sections like you were required to do in the critiques. However, some of the components (like the question) of these sections are now integrated instead of categorized with headings. One way that it is similar is that you are still required to provide enough information from the four articles to answer the research question and critique as you would for the critiques. You are required to cite four research articles from journal databases in your research paper. For the assignments in this course, all citations should include page numbers or paragraph numbers.

NOTE: The paper must be an original work: that is, not copied from someone else, and not used in this course in a previous registration or in any other course taken at Athabasca University or elsewhere. Otherwise, this constitutes plagiarism and academic misconduct. Please review the Plagiarism & Academic Integrity section of the Assignments prior to starting your research paper.
Format

Your research paper should be 800-1000 words (3-4 double-spaced pages), and must be written in APA Style (6th ed.), using Times New Roman 12-point font size, and one-inch margins all around. You are required to include the author, date, and page or paragraph reference for all citations. In your References list, you must include the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) or URL (if a DOI is not available). For information on how to locate a DOI, how to cite sources, and how to develop a References list (as well as other critical APA Style information), review the APA Tutorial. Where available, you should always use the PDF version of the referenced/cited article.

NOTE: The format and structure for your research paper is different than for the critiques. For the paper, the main information is gleaned from each of the 4 article’s introduction, discussion, and conclusions. You then compile the information that addresses your research topic/question. To build on the skills learned from doing the two critiques you would integrate a critique of the four articles. This can be one by looking at the strengths and weaknesses– synthesizing, and evaluating scientific research. It should also serve to further develop your skills in writing scholarly papers–as this is the language of your marking rubric. A strength or weakness would include such things as methods (were the methods appropriate to the research question?), statistics (were they appropriate?), logic of the author’s arguments, agreement with the literature in this area. So, you could comment upon whether you believe this methodology was appropriate, but you should not comment on whether you learned something or indirectly just giving a synopsis without incorporating an evaluative component. That means if you criticize research, it should be criticism on scientific grounds (i.e. the sample of subjects was biased, they used the wrong type of statistics, they should also have looked at such-and-such a variable,…), not personal opinions. Your personal thoughts must be backed up your reference sources – otherwise, use the 4 articles to direct your line of thought. Review the sample research papers on the course website – these will guide you in formatting your paper.

Your research paper must be submitted online via the course website, using the appropriate assignment dropbox. Please submit your assignment as , , orfiles. Do not submit your papers as , , ordocuments, as your tutor will not be able to open and/or grade them efficiently or completely.
Topics/Research Questions

For this assignment, a list of potential topics/research questions that correspond to the textbook chapters are provided. To get the most out of this assignment, choose a topic that you want to learn more about. You may develop your own research question (not from the list), provided that you get your tutor’s approval before you begin writing your paper. Given that there are no rewrite opportunities, this is an important step. Even if you choose one of the research questions provided, you are strongly encouraged to communicate with your tutor to ensure you understand the process and requirements.
Reference Sources

Because this may be one of your first research papers, four suitable articles have been provided for each research question. You may use

all of these articles, OR
four other suitable articles chosen from peer-reviewed journals (which can be accessed via the AU Library journal databases), OR
a combination of the articles provided and other suitable articles (at least four total).

NOTE: You must use peer-reviewed journal articles for this assignment. Do NOT choose information from consumer or public education websites (e.g., fact sheets, Wikipedia, etc.), as these are known as tertiary sources (see APA tutorial). The articles from these sites may not be research-based or peer-reviewed, and are not considered reliable academic sources. Using such materials will seriously affect your grade. Follow your tutor’s guidelines on selecting appropriate, valid, and reliable materials.

NOTE: Your course textbook may be used as a fifth resource, but only as a supplemental source of information. Your primary reference material should come from the journal articles.

It is your responsibility to access the AU Library (or other library) to find and access your articles. Please consult the AU Library Journal Search Tutorial for assistance in learning to use the Library online to find your resources. If you require further assistance, you can contact Library staff through the information found in the Student Manual: Library Services. While the Internet can be a valuable information source, vetting the credibility of the source is very important. Information from public education websites (e.g., community education sites, blogs, Wikipedia) are not usually appropriate research-based academic sources. If in doubt, contact your tutor to help assess the suitability of your sources.
Assignment Resources

APA Style Resources

Comments from Customer
my research paper title is “What are the effects of stress on physical health (e.g., coronary heart disease and immunological diseases) Part of the title was cut off and i just noticed it.

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