Wiki Research Paper  

The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate the research you will use for one section of the WIki assignment.  There are many issues that people are concerned about that are relevant to an Introduction to Psychology class:

  • Happiness
  • Drug addiction
  • Gambling Addiction
  • Weight control
  • How to be a good student
  • Depression
  • Anger/aggression

Your group will choose a topic that is interesting,  is mentioned in Weiten, and is complex enough that it can be discussed from each of the 4 perspectives we focus on in this class.  Find articles about your topic from your perspective; this is a small research paper, a few sources and your textbook are all you need.  Read your article and think critically about it.  Your paper will tell me if this article is based on good information and sound logic, or is it psycho babble? 

Please note that I expect you to do good quality work.  If your paper fails to Meet Expectations in the Rubric below, you will not receive credit.

Doing the assignment:

  • Read this whole assignment before you proceed.
  • Look up the topic of the article in Weiten and read what it says..
  • Re-read pages 28-53.
  • Find articles in newspapers or popular magazines on your topic.  Your articles must be 500 or more hundred words long in order to give you enough to think and write about. 
  • Read the article carefully.
  • Make a judgment: is this article a good source for a research paper?
    • What argument or point is the author of the article making? 
    • Is the argument logical?
    • What are the key terms necessary for understanding the argument being made? How do they relate to the key terms in your perspective?
    • Is evidence used to support the author's points? What type of evidence is it (case study, observational study, correlation, or experiment)? Are you convinced by the evidence? Why or why not?
    • What emotions does the article evoke? Do your emotions influence you to want to accept or reject the article? Do you think the author used emotion to sway your judgment?
    • Does the author argue by anecdote?
    • What questions arose for you that are still unanswered? (The answers to the interesting questions in Psychology tend to be complex and have multiple interpretations.) 
    • Is the point of view in this article consistent with related information presented in your textbook? Look it up!
  • Take notes as you read, using your own words.
  • Leave the articles behind at this point.
  • Think about what you have read:
    •  Many students do not realize the seriousness of plagiarism. Writing about complex material is difficult, and often it seems that the author has said it so well that your own words will be inadequate. There are however two important reasons for doing it the hard way: 1. If you can’t put something in your own words, it usually means you don’t understand it yet. If you don’t understand it, it has no business in a paper you are writing. Please see me for help understanding difficult articles. 2. Plagiarism is theft. It can result in an "F" for the assignment, being dropped from the class, or even dismissed from school.

    I use turnitin.com regularly.

    Writing the paper:

    • Summarize the article. 2-3 paragraphs
    • Give your opinion about the quality of the logic and evidence the author uses.  Use terms from the book wherever possible. 3-5 paragraphs
    • Check the argument put forward in the article against the opinion of a known authority in psychology (the textbook)
    • Summarize your opinion in a conclusion to your paper
    • Be sure your paper has a professional appearance. 
    • Cite the article and textbook using APA style.
    • Grade your paper using the rubric below. To receive credit you must "Meet Expectations" for each of the evaluative criteria

    Grading Rubric

    Exceeds Expectations

    Full points  

     Meets Expectations

    75% points  

    Approaches Expectations

    50% points

    Does Not Approach Expectations

    0 points  

    Article Choice   Articles are appropriate (make claims you can assess) and links to the perspective are clear and significant  

    Articles are appropriate (make claims you can assess) and links to the perspective exist

    		Article is inappropriate (makes no claim you can assess), but is related to the perspective   Article is inappropriate; is not related to the perspective 
    Summary Summarizes the main points building a context for the critical analysis Summary misses some important points  Summary misinterprets the article or leaves out key ideas Summary absent
    Critical Analysis   Provides a complex critical analysis that discusses the logic and quality of evidence presented in the article; Provides a thoughtful conclusion that flows from critical analysis and the textbook; Conclusion demonstrates reflection and insight   Includes some critical thinking, includes conclusion consistent with body   Critical analysis is weak; Conclusion is weak, incomplete, or is inconsistent with the critical analysis   Critical Analysis absent; Conclusion is absent  
    Use of textbook   Summarizes relevant several points from the textbook; makes connections to other classes, or to multiple connections within the textbook   Discusses the textbook  

    Mentions the textbook

     

    		 No mention of the textbook is made  
    Writing/Mechanics  Consistently follows rules of standard English; Writing is organized, clear and coherent; Sources cited using APA style correctly in text and in Works Cited   No major errors in English usage; Organized for readability; Sources cited using APA style   Significant errors in English usage; some organizational problems; Citations are inadequate  

    Multiple significant errors in English usage; poorly organized; fails to cite sources