This option requires you to write a paper that reviews research (the majority of which should be from the past 10 years) related to a topic of your choice that impacts human growth and development. You might want to select a topic about which you would like to learn more or a topic that interests you for some reason. You should use a minimum of 10 peer-reviewed references. Be sure to include in your paper your comments regarding the influence of culture and environment on the topic area you are covering. Your paper should be structured to include the following sections: (1) introduction of the topic and why you chose it, (2) a literature review section that focuses on how this topic influences the domains of development (biological, cognitive, socioemotional), (3) your critique of the research you used, (4) implications of the research findings for counselors, and (5) intervention recommendations that you have based upon the research findings. The length of your paper must be at least 10 pages and no longer than 15 pages. Your paper should be written in APA 7 style. A rubric that will be used for grading will be distributed to you.
RESEARCH PAPER RUBRIC
10 points 11-14 points 15 points
Depth of Thought & Analysis (15 points) Did not cite min. of 10 references &/or did not cover all 5 required sections of the paper; poor level of thought & analysis in addressing what was covered in paper (reported information but didn’t show evidence of critical thinking or reflection on the data) 10 references cited; covered all 5 required sections of the paper; provided mainly surface level thought & analysis applied in addressing assignment aspects covered in the paper-mainly reporting data vs giving one’s thoughts/analysis of what was read Cited at least 10 references; covered all 5 required sections of the paper; addressed all aspects of the assignment with depth of thought & analysis—writer is involved with the topic vs merely doing an assignment or “reporting” data
2 points 3-4 points 5 points
Organization of Paper Content (5 points) Main ideas of the paper are unclear; content is difficult to read & understand; paper is poorly organized Supporting points are clear & readable; organization, transitions, sections of paper are mostly clear & organized Very clear structure; paper is very well organized
2 points 3-4 points 5 points
Quality of writing & grammar (5 points) Major grammatical &/or writing errors that make paper difficult to read & understand. May be spelling errors &/or errors in punctuation or capitalization; may be frequent proofing errors; or writing does not flow & is very disjointed—paper jumps from topic to topic or sentence to sentence without connecting ideas Overall, good quality writing & grammar; a few spelling, punctuation, grammar, capitalization or proofing errors Consistent high-quality & appropriate formal style of writing; no spelling errors; no errors in grammar, punctuation or capitalization; writing flows well from sentence to sentence & section to section
2 points 3-4 points 5 points
Formatting Requirements/APA 7 Style (5 points) Paper is less than 10 or more than 15 pages &/or missing multiple APA 7 formatting requirements &/or not using APA 7 format & structure; did not cite sources as needed or major/multiple errors in citation formatting; no reference page Paper is at least 10 and no more than 15 pages; a few minor errors in APA 7 sections, citations, or other formatting; may have missed a very few citations of sources in paper and/or reference page Paper is at least 10 and no more than 15 pages; follows APA 7 formatting guidelines; includes all required APA 7 paper sections; all sources properly cited in both paper & reference page
