This Research Paper Assignment will provide a glimpse of the current state of knowledge in a specific subfield of gerontology. You will choose a research area in gerontology, locate 5 peer-reviewed articles from scholarly academic journals published within the last 5 years that examine that area, and write a 5-page Research Paper Assignment synthesizing the articles and summarizing the findings.
In addition to teaching you about a particular research area in gerontology, this Research Paper Assignment will enable you to engage in critical thinking, hone your writing skills, enhance your intellectual curiosity, and apply psychological concepts and research findings to everyday life.
Instructions
1. Select a topic.
o A research area described in the textbook (for example, the impact of retirement on marriage).
o A research area in gerontology not described in the textbook (you must explain how it is related to gerontology topics in the textbook).
2. Find 5 peer-reviewed articles published within the last 5 years from academic journals that speak to your topic.
o No web articles allowed (e.g., Wikipedia, about.com).
o No magazines, newspapers, or trade journals allowed.
o Not all sources in the ILRC’s journal database are peer-reviewed.
o Articles can include those referenced in the textbook.
o Articles must be research papers, not book critiques or editorials (if your article is 1–2 pages, it is probably not a research paper).
o Original articles only (do not cite a study that was referenced in an article you read—you must read it yourself and use it).
o Do not use books (including the textbook) or lecture material as a source.
o If you have questions about a source, verify its appropriateness by email with the instructor before you use it.
3. Read the articles, taking notes on the main ideas.
4. Write a thesis statement that will guide your Research Paper Assignment.
o Example: A review of literature demonstrates that retirement has both positive and negative effects on marital satisfaction.
5. Write the Research Paper Assignment (see format below).
Research Paper Assignment format:
▪ The body of the Research Paper Assignment must be 5 pages, excluding reference and title pages.
▪ Use current APA format.
▪ Sections:
o Title page
o Body (5 pages)
▪ Each journal article must be cited in the Research Paper Assignment, according to current APA format.
▪ You must use your own words (paraphrase). Quotations are not allowed, even if you give the author credit.
▪ Avoid first person pronouns (I, my, etc.) and second person pronouns (you, your, etc.). Talk about the articles and ideas, not your personal opinion.
▪ One approach:
• Begin by introducing the topic and clearly stating your thesis at the end of the first paragraph.
• Show how Study 1 addresses the thesis.
• Show how Study 2 addresses the thesis and describe how this study is similar to/different from the study already addressed in the paper. What does it add?
• Repeat the above for Studies 3–5.
• For the conclusion, summarize the findings of the paper in terms of how they support the thesis (from 1–3 paragraphs).
▪ Citations
• 2 formats:
o One study found that… (Jones, 1999).
o Jones (1999) found that…
• If you refer multiple times in one paragraph to the same reference, you do not need a citation after each sentence (if it is clear that the whole paragraph is talking about that source).
• Each factual claim must be accompanied by a citation.
• Biblical references are fine, but the Bible does not count as a peer-reviewed source.
o References
▪ Do not list the textbook or lecture notes.
Quadagno, J. (2022). Aging and the life course: An introduction to social gerontology (8th ed.). McGraw-Hill.