This paper may be the first experience you have had with writing a formal research paper
in the field of psychology. Exams in this class are designed to measure how well you are
learning course material, while the paper seeks to measure your skills in the following
areas:
Making logical arguments
Describing relevant studies in detail
Writing a well-organized paper
Using Help write my thesis – APA (American Psychological Association) format
Conducting research using reputable sources
What is the topic of my paper?
You may select any topic relevant to abnormal child psychology on which to write. In
order to make sure that you have selected an appropriate topic (and save you from
potentially big problems later), you must clear your topic with your professor.
If you are writing on a disorder, it is strongly advised that you focus on either a) theories
and research regarding the etiology (development) of the disorder or b) treatments for
the disorder. Focusing on both the development and treatment of a disorder typically
leads to neither main point being written about in much detail.
It is better to pick a relatively narrow topic (e.g., antidepressants used to treat depression
or exposure-based therapies for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder) and describe
relevant studies in detail than to pick a broad topic (e.g., 15 different treatments for
depression or 12 treatments for PTSD) and not describe relevant studies in depth.
You should allocate space in your paper wisely. Allocate more space to topics that have
been well-researched than to topics that have not been well-researched. For example, in a
paper on treatments for childhood anxiety, you should allocate much more space to
cognitive and behavioral psychotherapies (which have been highly researched) than to
the effects of therapeutic massage (which has much less research).
Describe at least some studies in detail. For example, writing that “treatment X has
been shown to work” does not provide sufficient detail. Rather, it would be helpful to
provide details of some of the studies that have investigated the treatment. Some
questions you might address include: How many participants were involved? How much
better was the treatment compared to the control group? Did you notice any limitations
in the studies that you reviewed? Describing the participants, methods, results, strengths
and limitations of several studies is required to earn a high score.
Below is an example of how a study might be described in some detail…
Sample study description
A study by Simpson et al. (2004) found that behavioral parent training (BPT) was
effective in reducing externalizing behavior problems among children with conduct
disorder (CD). A total of 100 parents of children with CD were randomly assigned to
receive either a) five sessions of supportive counseling (SC) or b) ten sessions of BPT.
From each participating family, only one parent attended therapy sessions; 85% of the
participating parents were mothers. At the end of the 3-month trial, children of parents
who received BPT were reported as having significantly fewer externalizing behavior
problems than children of parents who received SC. The percentages of children who
were reported as “without significant externalizing behavior problems” at the end of the
study were: 44% for children of BPT parents and 20% for children of SC parents.
Therapists who performed BPT received expert BPT training shortly prior to the study;
expert training was not provided to therapists who provided SC. In addition, the treatment
dose was higher in the BPT group and SC did not have an active therapy component.
Rather, SC therapists engaged in reflective listening without providing any therapeutic
insight or any strategies to solve child behavior problems. Because the study design
favored BPT, the validity of the study is questionable.
Describing the participants, methods, results, implications, strengths, and limitations of
several relevant studies is a critically important element of your research paper. Be sure
to describe studies using your own words rather than plagiarizing or using extensive
direct quotes.
What should be covered in my paper?
Your paper should cover any major theoretical discussion related to your topic, and
provide ample discussion of the empirical findings related to the topic. You should
discuss the strengths and limitations of the relevant research and include a conclusion
section in which you summarize the most important points and deliver a brief “takehome”
message
regarding
your
paper’s
findings.
Where
to find
research?
To
find
reputable
sources
in the
field
of behavior
disorders
in children,
you
are
advised
to
start
at the online database
section
of
the library
website.
Please
see
the
document
regarding
library
database
searching
for
more
information.
PsycInfo,
Medline,
and
Science
Direct
databases
are
all
likely
to contain
useful
articles
on your
topic.
Citing
your
textbook
as a
source
is not
recommended
though
the text
has many
sources
which
can
be
accessed
via
its
bibliography.
Using
your
text
or any
other textbook
as a
source
may
result
in a lower
grade
on your
paper.
The
most
reliable
sources
are
journals.
They
should
be cited
much
more
often
than any
other
type
of source.
Books
or book chapters,
which
are
based
on research,
are
also
acceptable
sources.
Someone’s
opinion is
of little
consequence
when
writing
a research
paper.
If an “expert”
writes
a book
on a topic,
that
book
is only
as good as the research
cited
in the
book.
A book
written
by
an “expert”
that
contains
few
relevant
citations
is
not
a
good source
for a
research
paper.
Going
to a search
engine
on
the internet
(such
as
Google
or
Bing)
and
typing
in search
terms
for
your
paper
(e.g.
PTSD)
may
result
in finding
references,
but
is generally
much
less useful than using a database through the library. Google Scholar
(http://scholar.google.com), however, is a decent web-based search engine for academic
articles.
Citing data from websites is almost always a poor idea. If you have a question about the
usefulness of a particular website, please contact me. In general, sources from the web
(unless they are journals that are published on the web) should not be cited. If I find that
your web sources are questionable, your grade may be reduced on the paper. Again,
please check with me if you have questions about a particular website.
How does my professor know that I did my research?
Remember that you should make assertions and back them with evidence. If there is little
to no evidence backing your assertion, offer a logical reason why your assertion might, in
fact, be reasonable. Be sure to cite sources to back claims made in your paper, as shown
in the following section.
Example: How to cite sources
Incorrect: Several studies have shown that behavioral treatments are effective in
reducing symptoms of ADHD in children.
-While the above sentence makes a claim about findings from “several studies,”
not a single study is cited in support of the claim. This type of sentence causes
trouble in a research paper.
Correct: Behavioral treatments have been shown, in several studies, to reduce
symptoms of GAD (e.g. Peacock et al., 2002; Pelham et al., 1999; Rodriguez et
al., 2007).
-The above sentence makes a claim and then cites several sources in support of
the claim. This is an example of making a claim and supporting it appropriately
with research. The ideal paper would then describe the cited studies which
support the claim.
What if I don’t start my research until too late in the semester?
Then you’re going to be in a world of hurt at the end of the semester! You should choose
a topic early in the semester, submit it for approval to your professor, then start gathering
research. Research papers nearly always take many, many hours to complete,
particularly if you have not written several of them previously. Remember: For sources,
use peer-reviewed journal articles, not magazines, and generally not books (unless they
are academic books). Academic books are written like journal articles – they cite evidence
(typically journal articles) to support their claims.
What about my opinion?
Remember, this is a research paper, not an opinion paper. You will reach some
conclusions based upon your review of the research. For example, you might end up
stating that, based upon the sources utilized in your paper, a certain form of treatment is
highly effective for a certain group of people. The opinions you provide in your paper
should be backed by cited research; they should not be your own personal opinions or the
opinions of people you know.
How do I write my references section?
Your references section lists all works which you cited in your paper. Please cite your
sources using Help write my thesis – APA format. Some examples of Help write my thesis – APA format are listed below.
Common Citation Formats
• Journal article by one author:
Thompson, L. (1990). Negotiation behavior and outcomes: Empirical evidence and
theoretical issues. Psychological Bulletin, 108, 515-332.
• Journal article by two authors:
Loesche, L. S., & Tsai, S. D. (1998). More organization, less espresso: Effects of caffeine
on writing style. Human Behaviour, 5, 1-43.
• Journal article by three to six authors:
Saywitz, K. J., Mannarino, A. P., Berliner, L., & Cohen, J. A. (2000). Treatment for
sexually abused children and adolescents. American Psychologist, 55, 1040-1049.
• Journal article, more than six authors:
Wolchik, S. A., West, S. G., Sandler, I. N., Tein, J., Coatsworth, D., Lengua, L., et al.
(2000). An experimental evaluation of theory-based mother and mother-child
programs for children of divorce. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology,
68, 843-856.
• Book chapter:
Booth, D. A. (1980). Conditioned reactions in motivation. In F. M. Toates & T. R. Hall
(Eds.), Analysis of motivational processes (pp. 77-102). New York: Academic
Press.
• Book:
Toates, F. M. & Hall, T. R. (Eds.). (1980). Analysis of motivational processes. New
York: Academic Press.
Note: If more than one city is given for the publisher of a book, name the most
convenient city for locating the book (e.g., Academic Press is published in New York and
London, list only New York).
How should my paper be laid out?
Introduction: Explain the purpose of your paper
Sections of your paper: Break different topics into different sections, with consistent
headings. Be sure to use section headings to organize your paper.
Example 1
INTRODUCTION
ETIOLOGY OF CONDUCT DISORDER
Brief overview of conduct disorder
Risk factor 1 (e.g., inconsistent parental discipline)
Risk factor 2 (e.g., child abuse)
Risk factor 3 (e.g., peer influence)
Risk factor 4 (e.g., peer rejection)
Risk factor 5 (e.g., drug/alcohol abuse)
Risk factor 6 (e.g., genetics)
Risk factor 7 (e.g., prenatal factors/birth complications)
CONCLUSIONS
REFERENCES
Example 2
TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION
Brief overview of child/adolescent depression
Treatment 1 (e.g., behavioral treatment)
Treatment 2 (e.g., cognitive-behavioral treatment)
Treatment 3 (e.g., client-centered/humanistic treatment)
Treatment 4 (e.g., antidepressants)
Treatment 5 (e.g., other medications)
Developmental considerations (How do appropriate treatments differ for children versus
adolescents?)
CONCLUSIONS
REFERENCES
Your paper should have a conclusions section in which you summarize the important
research findings on your topic – as well as describing the strengths and limitations of
relevant research. Remember to back your assertions with research findings. DON’T
FORGET YOUR REFERENCE SECTION.
Your paper should not have section headings that state “Treatment 1” or “Risk Factor 1”
– use the name of the specific risk treatment or risk factor (or other relevant point) as
section headings.
Also, remember that you should not include extra spacing before or after section
headings. Finish one section, make a heading for the next section, then continue typing
immediately underneath the section heading.
Do not write out the full diagnostic criteria for the disorder on which you are writing!
This is a waste of space. Copying and pasting the diagnostic criteria does not
demonstrate knowledge of your topic. You may briefly summarize the diagnostic
criteria, but do not write the criteria out in full.
How many sources do I need?
This will vary depending on your topic. It is very likely that your paper will need to
include at least 15 sources. Should your paper lack enough sources, it may be reflected
negatively on your paper’s grade. It is likely that some of your sources will be checked
for accuracy, so make sure your references are accurate.
How do I describe the studies that I cite?
It is not expected that you will be able to understand the statistics used in many of these
studies. However, you should be able to understand the basic conclusions of your
sources. Try to carefully read your sources in order to understand their strengths and
limitations.
What is the most important part of this paper?
It is most important that your arguments are backed by sources and that there is an easily
understandable point to your paper. A paper that is well organized and contains strong
arguments that are backed by reputable sources will likely be evaluated favorably. As
mentioned previously, make sure to allocate space appropriately, making sure that the
most well-studied treatments or risk factors are allocated the most space in your paper.
Can’t I just buy a paper on the internet?
You sure can. However, I will very likely notice papers that don’t seem to be written by
a student in the class. Should your paper get flagged as a possible fake, you will sit down
with me and be asked questions about your paper. If you buy your paper or plagiarize it,
I will quite probably get the idea that you don’t know much about what is written in your
paper. Should that happen, further investigation may occur, leading to your failure of the
class if it is concluded that you plagiarized your paper or bought it from someone else.
Oh, and papers must be submitted through www.turnitin.com (described on syllabus),
which will lead to nearly all plagiarized papers being detected.
How should I format my paper?
Regarding formatting, you should have no more than a one inch margin around your
papers, and you should use 12-point, Times New Roman font or a very similar font. It is
your responsibility to check with me regarding the appropriateness of any font other than
TNR 12 point font before you turn in your paper. Double space your text. Include a
cover sheet for your paper. Do not start your first page of text any lower than one inch
from the top of the page. Be sure to meet the page minimum. Your paper grade may be
reduced substantially (at least 1-2 letter grades) if the paper is short. Stated page
minimums refer to pages of text. A cover page or reference page does not count as a
page in your paper. Thus, this paper should have at least 8 pages of text. Failing to meet
this 8 page minimum is very likely to result in a reduced grade on your paper.
What style of writing should I use?
Homework help – Write in the 3
rd
person
Wrong: “I believe that interpersonal therapy is effective for depression.” – This is
written from the 1
st
person point of view.
Wrong: “You should receive interpersonal therapy if you are depressed.” – This is
written from the 2
nd
person point of view.
Correct: “Research has indicated that interpersonal therapy is effective for
depression.” – This is written from the 3
rd
person point of view.
What else should I know about writing the paper?
You must read the following documents to fully understand what is expected in your
paper:
Final paper process: Describes the final paper topic selection, rough draft, and
final draft
Plagiarism and citing sources: Not following the guidelines in this document will
result in serious consequences!
Final paper pointers: More helpful advice
Sample final paper: A paper, from 2005, that received an ‘A’ grade. Note that this
paper was from an abnormal psychology course, so the topic would not be
appropriate for this course. It nonetheless serves as a good example of how to
write an excellent research paper.
Final paper grading criteria: The criteria used for evaluating your paper
