LOCATING RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT

DEP 2000 Name _________________________

Spring 2021 (20-2)

LOCATING RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT

Purpose of the Assignment

1. This assignment teaches you how to use library databases to access research.

2. You will learn to distinguish between primary and other sources of information.

3. You will become acquainted with the many types of research methods and with how researchers write about their studies in scholarly journals.

4. This assignment supports College Learning Outcomes #1: Communication and #4: Information Literacy, as well as others related to content of your article.

Part I. Locate an article about a research study (see your handout on research design for types of              studies) on a topic related to the course. A research article is different from articles that appear in              popular magazines and newspapers or in miscellaneous places on the Internet in that it:

· Has an author or authors

· Is located in a paper or online journal or database (you must use a database for this assignment.)

· Reports the results of a specific research study and draws conclusions based on them.

· Is not an opinion piece.

· Does not only summarize current research or present a general overview of the topic.

Part II. Include the following information:

1. Using APA reference style, give the reference citation. Follow the example below. 10 points

Example: Borman, W. C., Hanson, M. A., Oppler, S. H., Pulakos, E. D. & White, L. A. (1993). Role of early supervisory experience in supervisor performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78(3), 443-449. DOI: 1234567. Retrieved October 23, 2017, from PsycARTICLES database.

2. Describe the research in your own words : 15 points

a. Topic and kind of study (see your handout on research design)

b. Method(s) and procedure(s) (what they did in the study): what the research questions were, how many participants and how they were chosen, how data were collected, what the researchers and the subjects did, etc.

c. Results and conclusions (what they found out)

3. What specifically did you learn from the process of locating the article for this exercise? 5 points

4. What did you learn about the topic from the content of the article? Include why you chose the topic, how the information relates to you, and how you might use the information. 5 points

5. What connections can you make between this research and the competencies of the course? How can it help you better understand some aspects of human development? 5 points

Part III. General Formatting Information for the assignment:

6. Use a cover page (include at least the name of the assignment, your name, and class time).

7. Typing is preferred – use double spacing, 1-inch margins, 12-point type, and Times New Roman font.

8. Remember you must use library databases for this assignment ( not Google, Google Scholar, Yahoo, Bing, etc.) Do not use books, newspapers, encyclopedias, book reviews, biographies, autobiographies, news bulletins, comments on papers, newsletters, popular magazines, news updates, brief articles, or meta-analyses – even if they are in the database.

9. Be sure to use APA style when giving the reference citation for the paper. An example is above in #1.

10. In a narrative paragraph for each, answer items 2, 3, 4, and 5 above. For item 2 (describing the research), you may also use the outline format above to describe the information.

11. This assignment is worth up to 40 points.

Using Library Databases

General Instructions:

· Go to the Library research page: https://libraryguides.mdc.edu/BbLLibrary

· Watch the Library video on Accessing Academic Databases: https://libraryguides.mdc.edu/BbLLibrary/research

· Watch the YouTube video on APA format: ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z_y5wrT7jw&feature=emb_title ). You are responsible for only the citation, not headers and footers.

· Read the other links on the page to search engines and databases

· Recommended Social Science Databases: PsycArticles, SIRS Researcher, Social Sciences Full Text, Academic Search Complete, JSTOR

To reach these databases:

1. Go to www.mdc.edu/kendall/library .

2. Go to Find articles/More databases

3. Log in with your Borrower ID (your MDC student number) and PIN (the last four digits of your MDC student number).

4. Select a subject category or database.

5. Enter your search terms.

For education For psychology

(Subject Category = EDUCATION) (Subject Category = SOCIAL SCIENCES)

•Education Full Text •Social Sciences Full Text

•Education Research Complete •PsycARTICLES

•Educator’s Reference Complete

•ERIC via EBSCO For articles on general subjects

(Subject Category = GENERAL)

For articles on current issues •Academic Search Complete

(Subject Category = SOCIAL SCIENCES) •Expanded Academic ASAP

•Opposing Viewpoints in Context •OmniFile Full Text Mega

•CQ Researcher Academic OneFile

•Issues and Controversies

•SIRS Researcher

For articles on health and wellness issues

(Subject Category = HEALTH and MEDICINE)

•Health & Wellness Resource Center

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Resource by Jenny Saxton __________________________________________________________________________

Hints to be successful in this assignment:

· Read the assignment thoroughly and send me any questions immediately.

· Don’t procrastinate – especially for finding the research study (not a general article on a general topic). Sometimes finding one you like takes more time than you think.

· Feel free to ask advice along the way – remember I am always available by email, and the Library web page has a chat function as well.

· Use an outline format to write it up. In other words, use 1, 2, 3, etc. and follow with what that item requires.

· If you finish before it is due, turn it in. I will read it and get back to you with the results.