Research Paper Instructions and Topics All students will prepare a research paper that is appropriate for the university level. The paper must be footnoted in accordance with the American Psychological Association (APA) citation and format style. The Teaching Assistants will discuss APA formatting as well as valuable research tools such as Google Scholar and LexisNexis during one of the Friday discussion sessions. The paper must be at least four but no more than six pages long, double spaced. The paper should also be paginated. Students are expected to submit the paper electronically to their Teaching Assistant by noon on November 9. The paper is worth 25% of the final grade. Students are urged to complete their papers well in advance in order to avoid last minute computer glitches, illness, or other unexpected problems. As noted in the syllabus, late submissions will be penalized at a rate of 5 points per day, and papers will not be accepted more than one week past the due date. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the University’s Writing Center while preparing their papers. Appointments should be scheduled well in advance of the due date to ensure that assistance can be provided in a timely manner. Additional resources for learning how to prepare good quality research are available online. Resources include the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/). Students may also wish to watch YouTube tutorials that can be found by searching for topics such as “APA sample paper”. Points for the paper will be awarded according to the following rubric: # Points • Extent and quality of research 20 • Use of research and analysis to make compelling arguments 20 • Organization (use of subheadings and a logical sequential presentation of findings and recommendations) 20 • Quality of writing (strong introductory and concluding paragraphs, correct spelling and grammar, short clear sentences, etc.) 20 • Extent to which directions were followed (four-to-six pages in length, double spaced, submitted online prior to the deadline, APA citation style, etc.) 20 100 Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty are strictly forbidden. Simple plagiarism is occasionally using words or ideas from outside sources without appropriate citations. Aggravated plagiarism consists of purchasing a paper, having another person write a paper, or the extensive copying of words or ideas from outside sources without documentation. SafeAssign software, which identifies areas of overlap between submitted assignments and existing works, will be used to identify acts of plagiarism. Choose one of the following four topics for your research paper. Be sure to address all of the issues/questions identified for each option. Issues of Law 1. Colleges and universities throughout the country are re-evaluating the way in which they deal with allegations of sexual assault. In so doing, they have found themselves in a legal minefield as they try to balance the rights of the accuser and the accused. Evidence of this problem can be found in the fact that more than 30 men sued educational institutions between January 2014 and April 2015 alleging due-process violations in sexual assault cases. Your paper should begin by documenting the extent to which sexual assault is believed to be a problem on college campuses. What are the most significant changes that have occurred in university policies and practices during the last five or six years? Briefly describe the way in which the University at Albany now handles this type of allegation. Do you think that the policy is fair to all concerned? Policing and Law Enforcement 2. Public outrage following the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and other minorities around the country have put a spotlight on the tension that often divides the police and the community. Using data wherever possible, identify the principle sources and extent of this mutual mistrust. You should then describe some of the ways that various communities are trying to address the problem. Of the initiatives that you studied, which one do you think is best? Be sure to take practical issues such as expense and ease of implementation into consideration when making your recommendation. Institutional Corrections 3. Discuss the challenges that mentally ill offenders pose for correctional administrators. Your discussion should first document the magnitude of the problem and the ways in which incarceration can impact the mentally ill. The paper should then focus on the ways in which the presence of mentally ill inmates affects other inmates, staff, and facility operations as a whole. What types of strategies have officials implemented in an effort to address these challenges? Which ones seem to make the most sense to you? Juvenile Justice 4. The juvenile justice system is not intended to be punitive. Rather, juveniles are supposed to receive care, treatment, and educational services consistent with the doctrine of parens patriae, i.e., the state as parent. All things considered, how successful has the juvenile justice system been in meeting this ideal? What, in your opinion, are the issues that most need to be addressed? Would it be better to transfer juveniles to the adult system where they will at least receive the full array of Constitutional rights?
