The expectations for this paper include an in-depth examination of the chosen research topic, a review of relevant journal articles, a discussion of future research questions that may be addressed, and an integration of theoretical issues raised in the classroom. Scholarly journal articles are a requirement for this assignment. An example of scholarly journals include "Journal of Children and Youth, Journal of Childhood and Adolescent Social Work Journal", Developmental Psychology, "Journal of Marriage and Family, and the Gerontologist. This list is not intended to be exhaustive but suggestive of options available. Please limit the two journal articles to those that have been published in the year 2013 or later.

No cover page is necessary nor is an abstract. Use the following headers to organize paper.

(a) Introduction. A page or so that clearly and concisely describes the topic of paper, any relevant statistics, the questions you will investigate, and the various points of view or differing explanations proposed in the scientific articles on which you are basing paper. You may consult several sources (books, web resources, magazines, journal articles or monographs) for the introduction, and are strongly encouraged to include a cross-national statistic or diversity focus.

(b) Research. This is the core of the paper (4-6 pages suggested) that must include a discussion of the scientific evidence reviewed. Remember, the research gathered from two journal articles is presented in this section. It is important that you provided your understanding of the research work that has been conducted. In other words, paraphrase in your own words and not rely on quotes. To effectively use the contents of the journal articles to support your ideas, be sure to clearly describe (1) the topic of the research being reported, (2) the research methodology (instruments used, sample, procedure, research design used), (3) the conclusions and questions that the study raised.

(c) Evaluation. This section is primarily based on your own opinions and ideas, based on the research you have read and various theoretical perspectives that may be relevant (1-2 pages). In others words, critique the journal articles. What do you agree/disagree with? Why? What conclusion can you draw from your reading? Was the research conducted adequately? How could methodology be improved? What questions related to your topic remain unanswered? What theoretical perspective addresses this topic suitably?

(d) References. All sources used for paper (books, magazines, journals, film, etc) should be listed alphabetically at the end in a manner that is consistent with the APA manual (6PthP edition)

Unacceptable are articles that provide a literature review, involve the analysis of secondary data, or a meta-analysis of research done by others on this topic. Secondary research based articles are unacceptable. What is meant by a primary research-based article is that the authors have done the research (data collection included) themselves and are describing that research in this scholarly journal article. In such an article, you will find information on methodology, sample description, results, and findings.