1. Introduction to the Assignment
Each student is required to write an 8-10 page (double spaced, including title page, abstract page, and reference page) Expository Essay. The essay may be on any topic of interest in the area of biopsychology, but it MUST focus on some aspect of brain function. The Expository Essay assignment involves an analysis of original research literature, in the service of supporting a thesis regarding some aspect of brain function.
The body of the paper must include an analysis of at least four (4) full-text peer reviewed original research journal articles, about brain function. Original research articles typically have the following sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion. They will cover theory and background, present a detailed methodology, present data and statistics, and then make some conclusions about the findings. THESE are the papers that will count toward the 4-paper minimum for Peer Reviewed Journal Articles (see Rubric). Sources such as review papers, news articles, WebMD articles, and the like, will not be acceptable as sources for analysis. You can find an example of a peer- reviewed research article here: https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/97/11/6150.full.pdf. Please keep in mind that a large percentage of the points available, for the Expository Essay, rely on the inclusion of these analyses. If your paper does not cite and analyze 4 original research papers, it will earn poor marks.
2. Topic Β BIOLOGY & FREE WILL
Your paper may be about any topic that interests you within the area of biopsychology. However, the focus of your paper must be on brain function. For example, if you elect to write an essay on schizophrenia, the focus should be on what we know about the biological basis of schizophrenia and NOT on the symptoms of the disorder. When picking a topic, consider the following:
A. Pick something that genuinely interests you.
B. Pick something for which you can find a reasonable number of papers. Use keywords from a potential thesis statement, to do a search in pubmed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed) or PsycInfo/PsycLit.
3. Content
3a. Title Page
The title page should follow APA guidelines, and include Title, Author, and Institution.
3b. Abstract
The abstract should provide a brief summary of the entirety of the essay.
3c. Introduction
The introduction provides background, so that the reader understands the importance of the topic and thesis. You should use the first paragraph as a general introduction to the topic or problem. Here, coverage of epidemiology and symptomology is appropriate, if you are choosing to write about a disorder. Here, coverage of general cognitive or behavioral theories is appropriate, if you are choosing to write about a basic aspect of psychology. Y
ou may base your introduction on textbook material, review articles, and internet material such as Government web sites such as NIH, NIDA, etc. WIKIPEDIA IS NOT AN APPROPRIATE REFERENCE. The Introduction should end with the Thesis Statement.
3d. Thesis Statement
The thesis statement should appear at the end of the first paragraph of your essay. A thesis is an argumentative statement, making a claim to be supported by evidence. A thesis, essentially, is an answer to a question. Here are a couple of examples of thesis statements: 1) Schizophrenia may be caused, in part, by impaired fetal brain development; 2) Color perception is the result of activity in the cells in the retina and the processing of visual information in the cortex. To avoid confusion, it is a good idea to make the statement explicitly (e.g. ΒThe thesis of this paper isΒ
Β).
3e. Body of the Essay
The body of the Expository Essay is a literature analysis that supports your thesis. Each subsection of the body (a paragraph or two) should be about a BRAIN function (or expressly BIOLOGICAL mechanism that serves brain function: genes, hormones, etc.) and how it relates to the topic. Each subsection should analyze one original research article. The paragraph(s) should describe the methods and findings of the research article, and explain how the findings provide support for the thesis statement. An adequate analysis of each source will include a discussion of the methods (procedures and measures), the significant findings, the relationship of the findings to the thesis, and potential limits of the findings.
3f. Conclusion
The conclusion should summarize the research on the topic, and then offer an extension: What questions remain, about the topic? What research could be done, next, to address these questions?
3g. References
The final page of the essay should provide references, in APA format. All cited work should be referenced on the References page, and each reference should be cited in the body of the paper.
4. Appropriate use of sources
Your paper should be written in your own words. Do NOT copy and paste from other documents or web sites. Quotations should be used very sparingly and only when absolutely necessary. You should use your own words to convey information and evidence. Papers that contain an excess amount of quoted material will earn a grade of zero points.
5. Formatting
The paper must be submitted in APA style, and as a Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or Text (.rtf or .txt) document using a 12 point font and double-spacing. Do not submit other file types! Use 1 inch margins. Please note: APA now publishes two different sets of style guidelines. Use the Professional APA style, and the Professional APA Sample paper. See apastyle.org for guidance and examples