Look over the paper and make sure it is a A++++

Running head: TITLE OF PAPER IN 50 CHARACTERS OR LESS 0

(Number pages consecutively with the title page

being page number 1, the Abstract page being

page number 2, etc. Every page must have

a header, with the title in capital letters at the left margin

and a page number in the upper right hand corner.

The words “Running head” only appear on p. 1).

Full Title of Paper

Your Name

Ottawa University

Full Title of Research Paper

Abstract

The abstract is a 75- to 100-word paragraph that provides a summary of your research paper. It should include an introductory statement, the research question, and the thesis. It should also indicate that the research methodology you used was a literature review. End the abstract by stating any conclusions that you were able to arrive at, as the result of your literature review. An abstract is concise, brief, and to-the-point. As such it should be no longer than one paragraph. Note that the abstract is not indented as a paragraph.

Full Title of Research Paper (Goes here too!)

This is your introduction. Note that there is no “Introduction” heading for this section. In APA style, it is considered self-evident that the initial paragraphs constituted the introduction. The introduction section has several purposes. First, it motivates the reader to want to read your paper. One way of motivating the reader is to discuss why the topic you have chosen is important and to whom it is important. Second, the introduction section gives readers some background about the topic so that they will have enough information to understand what you are writing about. Third, the introduction must include the following important elements:

a) Explain the purpose of researching this topic. What is the goal of your paper? Why is it important to research your topic?

b) Clearly state the research question. This is the specific question or questions you have about your topic. Many papers have just one research question, but some may have more than one. Remember that your research question should not be too broad that it cannot be addressed within the length of the paper. Clearly introduce your research question with words such as The research question was . . . .

c) State your thesis. Your thesis statement is your best educated guess or prediction about what the answer will be to your research question. It also serves as a map of your paper, indicating the main ideas you will be addressing in your paper. You can formulate the thesis before you actually do the research reading, but more often you will create it in the beginning stages of your research as the topic and direction become clearer. Make sure to re-read your research question and thesis statement as you do your literature review in order to check that your findings are clearly connected with the question you were asking.

d) Since you are not doing original research, explain that the methodology of your paper is a review of the literature. Explain the type of literature you read, such as scholarly journal articles, books, on-line sources, interviews, or literature published by government agencies or no-profit organizations. While the length of the introduction may vary from one paper to the next, it typically is about three-fourths of a page. Check to make sure that you are writing in the research voice.

The most recent APA guidelines allow for first-person voice (e.g., “I” and “my”) where appropriate. Examples of this would include “My interpretation of Moore’s (2016) findings is that. . .” or “I contend that Romero (2011) and Cho (2010) failed to account for. . .” In all other formulations, use “the author”, or “the researcher”. These refer to those whose work you are citing, not to you.

Review of the Literature

This is the “body” or major section of your paper in which you educate the reader about what you found in your literature review. Although the length of this section will vary from one paper to the next, it should range from six to eight pages. The entire Global Issues paper will range from 11 to 13 pages (including title page, abstract, and reference page or pages).

It will help you organize the paper, and it will help the reader follow your logic, if you use a few sub-headings. A well-constructed outline will provide structure for the paper and indicate the appropriate headings. You already know that a major (first-level) heading is centered on the page in bold font, with major words capitalized. Second-level headings should be flush with the left margin and in bold, no italics or underlining. These too have all major words capitalized. Most college papers will only need first- and second- level headings. A third-level heading would be indented ½ inch, bold, and lowercase, except for the first word, with a period following the heading.

Citing Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism

When writing the literature review, it is extremely important that you give credit to the sources of your information. If you don’t give credit to your sources, it is considered plagiarism. Plagiarism in writing a college paper is a serious offense, for which there can be major consequences (e.g. receiving an F on the paper, or an F in the course, or a suspension or expulsion from the college). In giving credit to your sources, you should follow the guidelines in A Writer’s Reference or similar resource for APA citation format.

A signal phrase (e.g., “According to . . .) is a common technique for informing the reader that you are discussing something that you found in one of your sources. The signal phrase can take several different forms, but the source information always includes the author(s) within the text, followed by the year of publication within parentheses. Consult A Writer’s Reference for examples of how to write signal phrases and cite sources with different numbers of authors.

All sources listed in the References section must be used and cited in the research paper. Sources not cited in the paper must be deleted from the final References section. Citing your sources in the paper is how you document where the material comes from. You must "tell readers where your information comes from – so that they can assess its reliability and, if interested, find and read the original source" and "give credit to the writers from whom you have borrowed words and ideas" (Hacker, 2006, p. 700). As Hacker (2006) emphasizes, "Borrowing another writer's language, sentence structures, or ideas without proper acknowledgement is a form of dishonesty known as ‘plagiarism’" (p. 700).

Direct Quotes

Another way to give credit to a source is to use a direct quotation. Consult the APA section of your writing handbook or online reference help for several examples of how to include and cite direct quotations. Be sure to notice that whenever you use a direct quotation, the page number(s) MUST be provided, as well as the author and year of the source. Quotations that are more than 40 words long are handled differently than shorter quotations. If the quotation is more than 40 words (or approximately four lines), indent the entire quotation .5” and do not use quotation marks. The indentation signals to the reader that it is a quotation. Again, the author and year must appear in a signal phrase introducing the quotation, or appear in the citation at the end of the quotation, along with the page number. Refer to A Writer’s Reference or OWL link for how to format longer direct quotations.

Remember not to over-do the use of quotations. Your paper should not be one long series of quotations. As a guideline, you should not have more than two short quotations on a page and no more than one or two long quotations throughout the paper. It is important that you have read and understood your sources so that you can write the information in your own words.

It is also important to limit the use of “lists.” Digest the information from a list and present that information in paragraph/text form, or consider using tables or figures for complex information. If you must use a list, use numbers or letters for the items rather than bullet points.

Discussion

The discussion section gives you an opportunity to think critically about your research topic. What thoughts developed as you engaged in the research process? What ideas were

stimulated for you about the topic? What are the strengths and contributions of the available research? What are the limitations? This section should also reflect your thinking on whether or not sufficient research has been done on your topic, and if not, what research could you suggest? This is your opportunity to “engage” with the research, respond to it, critique it, question it, praise it, etc.

Even though you are writing about your own thinking, this section should be written in research voice, unless noted differently by your instructor. The discussion section typically is about one page long. If your Discussion section is less one page long, chances are you need to think more creatively and critically about the research.

Conclusions and Implications

Begin this last section by re-stating your research question and thesis. Then give a summary of the main points you have made in your paper. You will also need to conclude whether your thesis was supported or not supported by the available research literature.

This section should also include a discussion of the potential implications of your findings. Are there implications that could benefit individuals, groups, or society? Are there changes that you think should be made at an individual, group, or cultural level? Do not introduce any new information in the Conclusion and Implications section. Everything that is contained within this section should have already appeared previously in the paper.

Finally, wrap the paper up with a “book end” paragraph that creatively brings your paper to a powerful conclusion. The conclusion section typically is less than one page in length.

References

(Note: Start the References section on a separate page.)

In this section you will provide an alphabetical listing of your references in APA (American Psychological Association) format. Refer to online reference help or materials provided in your course for guidance regarding exactly what information is needed, and how it should appear. The following are some important tips for constructing the reference page(s).

1. Only include references that you actually cite within the text of your paper. Do not include references that you found and/or read, but ended up not using.

2. References are listed in alphabetical order by the first author’s last name.

3. The reference list should be comprised of a minimum of six current sources, and no sources without an identified author. Aim for a blend of sources incorporating multiple perspectives.

4. Be sure to note that everything in the reference section is double-spaced with no additional spacing before or after individual references.

5. Note that the first line is flush with the left margin and subsequent lines are indented (use the paragraph format feature of hanging indent).

6. Have you noticed that some items in a reference are typed in “regular type” and that some information is in italics? Which information is in italics?

Note: For APA style use numbers or letters for items in a list – do not use bullet points.

Below are some examples of how to format references on the References page:

Cantor, J., & Wilson, B. J. (2003). Media and violence: Intervention for reducing aggression [Electronic version]. Media Psychology, 5(4), 533-542.

Palmer, E. L., & Young, B. M. (Eds.). (2003). The faces of televisual media: Teaching, violence,

selling to children. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Subrahmanyam, K. (2003). Youth and media: Opportunities for development or lurking dangers? Children, adolescents, and the media. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 24(3). Retrieved from http://www.elsevier.com