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Research Papers -- All research papers will be submitted via email!

Science comes from active questioning. Thesis/Antithesis/Synthesis
Step 1: Decide upon a question or problem that you would like to know more about.
Step 2: Reframe your question as a hypothesis (e.g. Question “Can parents go too far responding to their child’s needs?” becomes the hypothesis: “Children whose parents have difficulties setting limits experience more difficulties socially (or academically).” When reframing the question into the hypothesis, be careful to be sufficiently specific. Topics such as Child Abuse, Aggression, EMDR, Depression are all too broad and too vague. A hypothesis is a guess about what happens in a particular set of circumstances.
Step 3: Investigate your hypothesis in the psychology literature -- see what kind of support you can dig up for it. In science, it is usually just as useful to have your hypothesis disconfirmed as to have it confirmed. The point is to come closer to an informed understanding that is supported by the current state of knowledge. Be sure to use a broad range of research – you are not doing research if you investigate only one point of view.
Step 4: Show the reader that you understand criticisms of your hypothesis. Address these other perspectives and demonstrate how your hypothesis or perspective is more inclusive, more rational, more compelling. Demonstrate that you can think about the arguments of others and critically evaluate your own conclusions.

Research papers should be organized around the following model:
Your paper will have the following main sections (Do not number them):

• Title Page – a title page presents the main idea of the paper simply and concisely. Use words that convey the content of your exploration and can be brought up in database searches; avoid words and phrases that serve no useful purpose.
  In addition to the title of your paper, the title page should contain
  Your Name
  Your Affiliation (Empire State College)
  Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of XXX Study
  Date:
• Abstract – Tell in a few sentences on another page that has nothing else on it, what you are doing in the paper (e.g. “This paper explores the relationship between early trauma and the later development of psychological symptoms. Specifically, it proposes that child sexual abuse affects the developing child’s ability to trust other people, [or academic performance, risk of developing an addiction, propensity for failed marriage, etc]).
• Introduction – This is where you present your thesis and hypothesis. Present your thinking about why trust is particularly affected by early sexual abuse. Outline the arguments you are going to develop in the main body of the paper.
• Review of the Literature – This is where you support your hypothesis with a number of arguments that are backed by the literature, your research. Contrary points of view should be noted here as well.
• Discussion – Anticipate other points of view, analyze them and show why your perspective is better. Make general statements about what you have found in your research.
• Conclusion – Summarize your thesis, the arguments you have made to support your thesis, how your hypothesis has been confirmed or not by your research, and any implications for further study or development.
• References – (Not Bibliography!!) – Double space, use hanging indents, refer to guidelines for proper citing of electronic sources. Use peer-reviewed articles. Do not use first names—initials only. Make sure that every cite in the text is represented in the References section.

Your paper must have a separate title page, followed by a separate abstract page, and then the body of the paper. Page Number 1 begins with this page, the first page of the body of the paper. Reference pages do not count toward the total page number. Double space everything!

Professional references must be used. This means psychological books and peer-reviewed journals, not articles from lay or religious sources. Internet articles can be used in a supplementary way only, unless you are able to get the full text of a peer-reviewed article from the internet. Quality of your references will be a part of the evaluation. Wikipedia is not a professional reference! The Baruch College library and the John Jay College library have good references for writing in APA style. http://www.lib.jjay.cuny.edu/research/apastyle.pdf Empire State College also has an online library resource with full text articles in many journals. Download these documents for guidelines for electronic reference form as well as the form for journal articles and books.

• Papers should be formatted with 1 inch margins all around and in 12 point type.
• DO NOT use first names either in the reference section or in in-text citations. In-text citations use last name only plus date of publication; reference citations use last name and initials only.
• Give proper credit to those whose words or ideas you use in your paper! Not to do so is plagiarism and puts you at academic risk. Cases of suspected plagiarism must be reported to the Dean. Read handouts on academic integrity.
• Keep proof of how you built your paper should I ask for it.
• NUMBER YOUR PAGES!!
• Your paper should be 6-10 pages long, double spaced. No longer!
• The Writing Better Center offers many different kinds of help in developing and building papers.