Capstone Research Report

The purpose of the paper is to provide the reader with a synopsis of a problem or critical issue in US crime, what we know about the pre-existing policies that are causing or contributing to one of the problems or issues, and what alternative policy options are recommended. For more details about the project, read carefully page 19 (Unit 1) in the book Write and Wrong: Writing within Criminal Justice by Caroline W. Ferree and Heather L. Pfeifer

15 PAGES APA

· Capstone Research Report

· All information contained in the paper must come from academic sources unless your instructor tells you otherwise. In addition, you should not rely on your own knowledge about the topic.

· Moreover, you must use a minimum of 10 academic sources when writing your paper.

· Your paper must be written in APA format and must include citations written in APA format.

· Your paper must include a title page as well as a reference page.

The Structural Elements of the Capstone Research Report

Policy reports directly reflect the different roles that the policy analyst commonly plays, i.e. from the researcher to advocate. The type of report that you are writing is one from the more action-oriented, advocacy end of the continuum (but that is nevertheless based purely on evidence and not your opinion). Although there is much variation even at this end of the scale, the most common elements of the policy brief are as follows:

• Title of the Policy Report

• Executive Summary

• Context and the Importance of the Problem

• Pre-existing Policies, Policy Options, and Research

• Conclusion

• Policy Recommendations

• References