please see attached.
Research Paper
The purpose of this assignment is to write a research paper examining a contemporary issue related to health and aging. Your final paper will include the following:
1) A clear thesis statement of your chosen topic
2) A discussion of why the topic is important (significance, relevance)
3) A summary of who is affected by your issue (populations, prevalence, other related statistics)
4) A discussion of the historical context of your issue. When did the issue first become something of concern? How has it evolved over time?
5) A discussion of the current research on the topic (literature review)
6) A discussion of the role that public policy plays or could play in addressing this topic?
7) Future trends or recommendations to address the issue
This assignment is staged in a seven-step process. Specific steps of the assignment will be due each week throughout the course to help keep you on track. The steps of the assignment are: select a topic, create a reference list, write an annotated bibliography, develop a thesis statement and paper outline, write a first draft, receive feedback and make revisions, and submit a final draft.
Your grade for the research paper will be broken down as follows:
| Step | Due | Points Possible |
| 1: Topic selection | End of week 1 | |
| 2: Reference list | End of week 2 | |
| 3: Annotated bibliography | End of week 3 | 10 |
| 4: Thesis statement and outline | End of week 4 | |
| 5: First draft | End of week 5 | 20 |
| 6: Turnitin.com report | End of week 6 | |
| 7: Final draft | End of week 7 | 50 |
| Total | 100 points | |
Length and APA Format
The final paper should be 6 -8 pages in length, and will follow APA format (6th edition, 2009). It should be double-spaced with 12 point font, not including tables or the reference list or title page. It should have a running head, page numbers, and 1” margins.
The final paper should include a title page, an introduction, a thesis statement, a body, a conclusion and a reference list.
To facilitate the feedback process, submit your paper in .doc, .docx, .txt, or .rtf format. Please do not submit as a .pdf.
Readability
Your paper should use correct grammar, effective topic sentences and transitions, an organized and clear flow, very limited use of quotations, and synthesis of information using your own words. It should use in-text citations to incorporate references.
Citation and Reference Style
Your paper should be written in APA style (6th edition, 2009). For more details on APA formatting and online database citations, see http://sites.umuc.edu/library/libhow/gethelp-citing.cfm
Sequence
The research paper assignment will be stages in the following seven smaller steps throughout the course. THE TITLE OF THE RESEARCH PAPER SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN ALL STEPS WHICH ARE SUBMITTED
Step 1: Select a topic for your paper. The paper topic should be an issue related to health and aging. Post your topic to the discussion area in Week 1.
Step 1 Grading Rubric (up to 5 points)
| Criteria | Meets Expectation | Partially Meets Expectation | Does Not Meet Expectation | Not Acceptable or Missing |
| Topic Selection | Topic is related to both health and aging (3 points) | Topic is related to health or aging, but not both (2 points) | Topic is not related to health or aging (1 point) | No topic selected (0 points) |
| Submitted on Time | Submitted by the deadline (2 points) | Submitted after the deadline (0 points) |
Step 2: Create a reference List. Locate 10 recent articles, book chapters, and/or Web sites on the topic, and create a reference list using APA format. All sources must be credible, and at least 5 must be scholarly.
Sources must have been published in the last five years.
Examples of appropriate sources are scholarly professional journals, as explained at https://sites.umuc.edu/library/libhow/articles.cfm
No more than two websites may be used, and they must be evaluated for trustworthiness using the guidelines at https://sites.umuc.edu/library/libhow/articles.cfm#evaluatingfulltext
Feel free to ask a librarian at UMUC for research help at https://sites.umuc.edu/library/libhow/
Note: Your final paper may include additional references that may be older (e.g. seminal works), and you may include information from additional credible websites, but for this assignment, follow the criteria listed above, and use the grading rubric below to guide your work.
Submit your reference list to the Assignments tab at the end of Week 2.
Step 2 Grading Rubric (up to 5 points)
| Criteria | Excellent | Good | Fair | Poor | Not Acceptable or Missing |
| Use of current sources | All 10 sources published within the past 5 years (1 points) | 8-9 sources published within the past 5 years (.75 points) | 5-7 sources published within the past 5 years (.5 points) | Less than 5 sources published within the past 5 years (0.25 points) | No sources published within the past 5 years (0 points) |
| Use of credible and scholarly sources | All sources are credible -and- At least 5 are scholarly -and- Not more than 2 websites (2 points) | 8-9 sources are credible -and- At least 4 are scholarly -and- Not more than 2 websites (1.5 points) | 5-7 sources are credible -and/or- At least 2-3 are scholarly -and/or- Lists 3-4 websites (1 point) | Less than 5 sources are credible -and/or- Less than 2 scholarly sources -and/or- Lists more than 4 websites (0.5 points) | No scholarly sources -and/or- No scholarly sources -or- No submission (0 points) |
| References in APA format | References correctly listed in APA format with few or no errors (2 point) | References listed in APA format, but with several minor errors (1.5 points) | References listed in APA format, but with several major errors (1 point) | Reference list is not formatted (0.5 points) | No reference list submitted (0 points) |
Step 3: Write an annotated bibliography. Each citation in your reference list should be followed by a brief (usually about 100-200 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph explaining how this source will help to develop your paper. For more information on creating an annotated bibliography, visit: http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/skill28.htm .
Submit your annotated bibliography to the Assignments folder by the end of Week 3.
Step 3 Grading Rubric (up to 10 points)
| Criteria | Excellent | Good | Fair | Poor | Not Acceptable or Missing |
| Score for each annotation (x10) | Well-written summary -and- Appropriate length (about 100-200 words) -and- Includes evaluative comment about how the source will be used to develop the final paper (1 point for each source) | Good summary with one or two minor details missing -and- Appropriate length (about 100-200 words) -and- Includes evaluative comment about how source will be used, but some details are needed (.75 points for each source) | Fair summary with one or two major details missing -and/or- Less than 100 words or significantly more than 200 words -and/or- Includes evaluative comment about how source will be used, but many details are needed (.5 points for each source) | Poor summary that does not summarize the source or is very difficult to read -and/or- Less than 100 words or significantly more than 200 words -and/or- Does not include evaluative comment about how source will be used (0.25 points for each source) | Summary is unintelligible or missing (0 points) |
Step 4: Formulate a thesis statement and an outline for your paper.
Create a paper outline using the following format:
Research Paper Title
I. Introduction: Grab attention, relate importance to health and aging, and present a focused thesis statement.
II. Body: Main points and articles your will use to support your point.
A. Main point 1 (reference 1: author’s name, year; reference 2: author’s name, year;…)
B. Main point 2 (reference 1: author’s name, year; reference 2: author’s name, year;…)
C. Main point 3 (reference 1: author’s name, year; reference 2: author’s name, year;…)
D. Etc.
III. Conclusion: Wrap up your paper with a brief summary of your main points.
For tips on how to write a strong introduction and conclusion, as well as a link to UMUC's online writing guide, visit the Effective Writing Center at: http://www.umuc.edu/current-students/learning-resources/writing-center/writing-resources/parts-of-an-essay/
Submit your thesis statement and outline to the Assignments Folder by the end of Week 4.
Step 4 Grading Rubric (up to 5 points)
| Criteria | Excellent | Good | Fair | Poor | Not Acceptable or Missing |
| Thesis Statement | Strong, well-written thesis statement. Topic is clear and focused. (2 points) | Good, mostly well-written thesis statement. Topic is mostly clear and focused, but missing minor detail. (1.5 points) | Fair thesis statement. Topic may need some additional clarification but is mostly understandable. (1 point) | Poor thesis statement. Topic is very unclear and unfocused. Needs more work. (0.5 points) | Statement is completely unintelligible -or- No thesis statement (0 points) |
| Organization of Outline | Outline is well-organized. Flow of paper is logical. Main points are specified and addressed. (2 points) | Outline is mostly well-organized. Flow of paper is mostly logical, but may need some minor adjustments. Main points are specified and addressed, but may need additional detail. (1.5 points) | Outline is somewhat organized. Flow of paper is a little disjointed and needs some minor adjustments. Some main points may be missing, but most are present. (1 point) | Outline is not organized. Flow of paper is disjointed or unclear and needs major adjustments. Several main points are missing (0.5 points) | Not in outline format -or- No submission (0 points) |
| Conclusion | Strong conclusion statement summarizing main points (1 point) | Good conclusion statement summarizing most of the main points, but with 1-2 minor omissions (.75 points) | Fair conclusion statement summarizing some of the main points, but with 1-2 major omissions (.5 points) | Poor conclusion statement that fails to summarize the main points (0.25 points) | Conclusion is unintelligible -or- No conclusion statement (0 points) |
Step 5: Write a 6-8 page first draft of your paper, including the following:
Title page: Provide the title of the paper, your name, and the course and section
Introduction: Grab attention, relate importance to health and aging, and present a focused thesis statement
Body: Identify and develop each of the following main points in an organized, clear manner, using in-text citations.
1) A clear thesis statement of your chosen topic
2) A discussion of why the topic is important (significance, relevance)
3) A summary of who is affected by your issue (populations, prevalence, other related statistics)
4) A discussion of the historical context of your issue. When did the issue first become something of concern? How has it evolved over time?
5) A discussion of the current research on the topic (literature review)
6) A discussion of the role that public policy plays or could play in addressing this topic?
7) Future trends and recommendations to address the issue
Conclusion: Wrap up your paper with a brief summary of your main points.
Reference list: Incorporate revisions from Step 1
APA Formatting: Running head, page numbers, 1” margins, double spaced
Submit your draft to the Assignments tab by the end of Week 5.
Step 5 Grading Rubric (up to 20 points)
| Criteria | Excellent | Good | Fair | Poor | Not Acceptable or Missing |
| Introduction (2 points) | Excellent thesis statement. Excellent statement of the significance and relevance of the topic. (2 points) | Good thesis statement. Good statement of the significance and relevance of the topic, with 1-2 minor details missing. (1.5 points) | Fair thesis statement. Statement of the significance and relevance of the topic is missing several minor or 1-2 major details. (1 point) | Poor thesis statement. Difficult to understand or insufficient statement of the significance and relevance of the topic. (.5 points) | Introduction is unintelligible -or- No introduction (0 points) |
| Impact on population (2 points) | Excellent discussion of how population is impacted by the issue. Includes relevant data and statistics.
(2 points) | Good discussion of how population is impacted by the issue. Includes some relevant data and statistics, but missing in minor details. (1.5 points) | Fair discussion of how population is impacted by the issue. Missing some important relevant data and statistics. (1 point) | Poor discussion of how population is impacted by the issue. Missing important relevant data and statistics. (.5 points) | Response is unintelligible
-or- No discussion of impact on population (0 points) |
| Historical Context (2 points) | Excellent and comprehensive discussion of the historical context of health issues and changes over time (2 points) | Good discussion of the historical context of health issues and changes over time, with 1-2 minor details missing (1.5 points) | Fair discussion of the historical context of health issues and changes over time, with several minor details missing (1.0 point) | Poor discussion of the historical context of health issues and changes over time, with major details missing (.5 points) | Response is unintelligible
-or- No discussion of historical context (0 points) |
| Current research (6 points) | Excellent incorporation of at least 10 recent, credible and relevant sources which examine current research. Sources are primarily scholarly academic sources and examine social determinant effects. (6 points) | Effectively incorporates 8-9 recent, credible and relevant sources which examine current research. May have 1 or 2 nonacademic sources, but uses a number of scholarly academic sources.
(5 points) | Effectively incorporates 5-7 recent, credible and relevant sources which examine current research. May have 1 or 2 nonacademic sources, but uses a few scholarly academic sources.
(4 points) | Effectively incorporates 1-4 recent, credible and relevant sources which examine current research. May rely almost exclusively on nonacademic sources.
(3 points) | Does not incorporate any recent, credible and relevant sources that examine current research -or- No discussion of current research (0 points) |
| Role of Public Policy (2 points) | Excellent and comprehensive discussion of the role that public policy plays in relation to the topic (2 points) | Good discussion of the role that public policy plays in relation to the topic, with 1-2 minor details missing (1.5 points) | Fair discussion of the role that public policy plays in relation to the topic, with several minor details missing (1.0 point) | Poor discussion of the role that public policy plays in relation to the topic, with major details missing (.5 points) | Response is unintelligible
-or- No discussion of the role of public policy (0 points) |
| Future Trends and Recommendations (2 points) | Excellent and comprehensive discussion of future trends and recommendations (2 points) | Good discussion of future trends and recommendations, with 1-2 minor details missing (1.5 points) | Fair discussion of future trends and recommendations, with several minor details missing (1.0 point) | Poor discussion future trends and recommendations, with major details missing (.5 points) | Response is unintelligible
-or- No discussion of future trends and recommendations (0 points) |
| Writing Quality (2 points) | Very well-written. There are no mechanical or grammatical errors. (2 points) | There are very few mechanical or grammatical errors. (1.5 points) | There are several mechanical or grammatical errors. (1 point) | There are many mechanical or grammatical errors. (.5 points) | Response is unintelligible
-or- No submission (0 points) |
| APA Citations and Formatting (2 points) | There are no errors in APA citation or formatting (2 points) | There are 1-2 errors in citation or formatting. (1.5 points) | There are several errors in citation or formatting. (1 point) | There are many errors in citation or formatting. (.5 points) | Citations are missing -and/or- No attempt at formatting (0 points) |
|
Overall Score | Excellent | Good | Fair | Poor |
Step 6: Revise and receive feedback. Submit your paper to www.turnitin.com so your paper can be evaluated for plagiarism and originality*. When using Turnitin.com, submit your paper without the reference list, as this artificially inflates the plagiarism score. If you receive a plagiarism score of 10% or higher, complete the academic integrity tutorial at: https://www.umuc.edu/current-students/learning-resources/academic-integrity/tutorial/index.cfm.
Remember that plagiarism - both intentional AND unintentional – constitutes academic dishonesty and is reportable to the Dean’s Office. Students found guilty of plagiarism face sanctions which may include suspension or expulsion from the university.
UMUC has a license agreement with Turnitin.com, a service that helps prevent plagiarism from Internet resources. I may be using this service in this class by either requiring students to submit their papers electronically to Turnitin.com or by submitting questionable text on behalf of a student. If you or I submit part or all of your paper, it will be stored by Turnitin.com in their database throughout the term of the University’s contract with Turnitin.com.
*If you object to the temporary storage of your paper in the Turnitin.com database, you must let me know no later than two weeks after the start of this class. Please note: If you object to the storage of your paper on Turnitin.com, I may utilize other services to check your work for plagiarism.
Submit the Turnitin.com report to the Assignments tab by the end of Week 6.
Step 6 Grading Rubric: (up to 5 points)
| Criteria | Meets Expectation | Not Acceptable or Missing |
| Submitted on Time | Submitted by the deadline (2 points) | Submitted after the deadline (0 points) |
Step 7: Final draft: Revise your paper based on feedback from Turnitin.com. Submit your final draft to the Assignments tab by the end of Week 7.
The final grade uses the same rubric as in Step 5, but with different point values.
Step 7 Grading Rubric: (up to 50 points)
| Criteria | Excellent | Good | Fair | Poor | Not Acceptable or Missing |
| Introduction (5 points) | Excellent thesis statement. Excellent statement of the significance and relevance of the topic. (5 points) | Good thesis statement. Good statement of the significance and relevance of the topic, with 1-2 minor details missing. (4 points) | Fair thesis statement. Statement of the significance and relevance of the topic is missing several minor or 1-2 major details. (3 point) | Poor thesis statement. Difficult to understand or insufficient statement of the significance and relevance of the topic. (2 points) | Introduction is unintelligible -or- No introduction (0 points) |
| Impact on population (5 points) | Excellent discussion of how population is impacted by the issue. Includes relevant data and statistics.
(5 points) | Good discussion of how population is impacted by the issue. Includes some relevant data and statistics, but missing in minor details. (4 points) | Fair discussion of how population is impacted by the issue. Missing some important relevant data and statistics. (3 point) | Poor discussion of how population is impacted by the issue. Missing important relevant data and statistics. (2 points) | Response is unintelligible
-or- No discussion of impact on population (0 points) |
| Historical Context (5 points) | Excellent and comprehensive discussion of the historical context of health issues and changes over time (5 points) | Good discussion of the historical context of health issues and changes over time, with 1-2 minor details missing (4 points) | Fair discussion of the historical context of health issues and changes over time, with several minor details missing (3 point) | Poor discussion of the historical context of health issues and changes over time, with major details missing (2 points) | Response is unintelligible
-or- No discussion of historical context (0 points) |
| Current research (15 points) | Excellent incorporation of at least 10 recent, credible and relevant sources which examine current research. Sources are primarily scholarly academic sources and examine social determinant effects. (15 points) | Effectively incorporates 8-9 recent, credible and relevant sources which examine current research. May have 1 or 2 nonacademic sources, but uses a number of scholarly academic sources.
(12 points) | Effectively incorporates 5-7 recent, credible and relevant sources which examine current research. May have 1 or 2 nonacademic sources, but uses a few scholarly academic sources.
(9 points) | Effectively incorporates 1-4 recent, credible and relevant sources which examine current research. May rely almost exclusively on nonacademic sources.
(6 points) | Does not incorporate any recent, credible and relevant sources that examine current research -or- No discussion of current research (0 points) |
| Role of Public Policy (5 points) | Excellent and comprehensive discussion of the role that public policy plays in relation to the topic (5 points) | Good discussion of the role that public policy plays in relation to the topic, with 1-2 minor details missing (4 points) | Fair discussion of the role that public policy plays in relation to the topic, with several minor details missing (3 point) | Poor discussion of the role that public policy plays in relation to the topic, with major details missing (2 points) | Response is unintelligible
-or- No discussion of the role of public policy (0 points) |
| Future Trends and Recommendations (5 points) | Excellent and comprehensive discussion of future trends and recommendations (5 points) | Good discussion of future trends and recommendations, with 1-2 minor details missing (4 points) | Fair discussion of future trends and recommendations, with several minor details missing (3 point) | Poor discussion future trends and recommendations, with major details missing (2 points) | Response is unintelligible
-or- No discussion of future trends and recommendations (0 points) |
| Writing Quality (5 points) | Very well-written. There are no mechanical or grammatical errors. (5 points) | There are very few mechanical or grammatical errors. (4 points) | There are several mechanical or grammatical errors. (3 point) | There are many mechanical or grammatical errors. (2 points) | Response is unintelligible
-or- No submission (0 points) |
| APA Citations and Formatting (5 points) | There are no errors in APA citation or formatting. (5 points) | There are 1-2 errors in citation or formatting. (4 points) | There are several errors in citation or formatting. (3 point) | There are many errors in citation or formatting. (2 points) | Citations are missing -and/or- No attempt at formatting (0 points) |
|
Overall Score | Excellent | Good | Fair | Poor |
