Include a cover page with your name, paper title, the course name and number, the instructor’s name, and date. Final papers should be 10-12 typed, double-spaced pages, not including the title page and references. Use a 12-point Times New Roman font and 1” margins. You may include headings for each section, but otherwise do not skip lines between paragraphs.
A. Literature Review: Review and analyze the existing literature on your topic. Revise Assignment #2 into paragraph format and reconsider the order you would like to discuss your sources, grouping more similar articles together rather than in alphabetical order. In addition to the summaries, analyze the sources you collected, looking for:
· Interesting contrasts or comparisons or patterns emerging in the information.
· What explains divergent findings, if any?
· Is there anything unexpected or surprising in the literature?
· Are there strengths or weaknesses in the methods or interpretation of results?
· How do the findings relate to your research topic/question?
· Do you agree or disagree with the claims made by the author, and why or why not?
· Did you encounter ideas that make you wonder why?
· What does your research add to the existing literature?
· What implications you can derive from the research?
B. Methods: Describe your method of data collection. Expand on Assignment #3 by including final questions and adding information about your method of data collection such as sample size and characteristics; recruitment issues; ethical issues; average length of interviews or observations; and techniques for analyzing your data. Make sure to explain why your methods were appropriate for your research and any limitations in your research design.
C. Findings: Present your major findings. Look for themes in the qualitative data. The presentation of data will depend on whether you collected quantitative (tables, charts) or interviews (quotes, excerpts). Interview transcripts.
D. Conclusion: Analyze your findings: What does your data say about your topic? If you advanced a thesis, was it supported by your data? Are your findings consistent with the research in your literature review? What are the theoretical and policy implications of your findings? Do you have any recommendations for further research?
E. Bibliography/References: List your sources alphabetically on a separate page. Use APA style for in- text and reference citations.
ADVICE:
· Each paragraph or group of paragraphs should discuss and expand upon one aspect of your topic. Paragraphsshould begin with topic sentences followed by specific supporting details.
· There should be a logical organization of the themes discussed in the findings section of your paper.
· Keep track of your literature sources and page numbers if quoting.
· Properly cite the ideas and findings of others. Although you will be presenting the work of others, write in your ownvoice. To avoid plagiarism, be sure to properly credit other authors’ arguments and findings by providing author(s) last names and year of publication, as in: author (2016) argues that… or: Research finds that… (author, 2016). Unless you are quoting, be sure to paraphrase, meaning expressing an original idea in your own words, not replacing a few words in a paragraph. You should only quote when you want to share unique phrasings or the meaning is lost if paraphrased. Limit quotes to one per source. When quoting directly, include page number(s) as in (author, 2016, p. 46). NO Plagiarism!
· Stay focused on the topic of the paper.