You will be submitting a research paper at the end of this module on the topic of at-risk youth categories. For this submission, you need to submit the topic of your research paper and two (2) sources:

Step 1:  Choose your At-Risk Youth Category from the list below that affects your community or region:

Youth suicide

Step 2:  Submit Two (2) sources to support your Topic – this will help you determine if your topic is too broad or too narrow:

Choosing scholarly sources and searching for information to support your topic
Don’t forget to document your sources carefully and using APA citation style
You may also find the Purdue Owl to have some helpful information such as:

How to Write a Research Paper and how do I Chose a Topic
Instructions for the final research paper due at the end of this module –
In a paper of 6-8 pages in length, address the following:

1.  Summarize what you have learned about the risk and protective factors for the at-risk youth category that you have chosen.

2.  Research the extent and nature of the problem nationwide.  How prevalent is the problem? How are communities impacted?

3.  Describe intervention and prevention strategies that have been successful in alleviating the problem.

4.  Summarize research from community needs assessments, news media coverage, and other reliable sources that document how your community or region is affected by the youth risk category.  For example, if you have chosen to write about teen pregnancy, provide information on the teen pregnancy rates in your community.  [Note: Written documentation from a reputable source is preferred. However, if you are unable to find written information, you may quote an expert with knowledge about the extent and impact of the problem.]

5. Describe strategies (programs and/or policies) that currently address the youth risk category in your community.  If none exist, discuss why no strategies exist and support your reasons with evidence. Assess how effective these programs are and support your assessment with evidence.

What is a Research Paper

What is a Research Paper?

Your research paper should be 6-8 pages in length (double-spaced, title page and reference page do not count) and should cite  6-10 sources. Sources must be documented using the APA format. Visit the Empire State College’s Writing Resource Center to get help with documenting sources or visit Purdue Online Writing Lab’s page on APA style.

The Purpose of your Research

A research paper is more than the sum of your sources, more than a collection of different pieces of information about a topic, and more than a review of literature in a field. A research paper analyzes a perspective or argues a point. In an analytical research paper, you do research to become an expert on a topic so that you can restructure and present the parts of the topic from your own perspective. An argumentative research paper needs to support your stand on an issue. An argumentative research paper uses information as evidence to support a point. To learn more about what a research paper is, visit the ESC Research Writing site.

Research Paper Format
Use the following format for the research paper as your “guide”. Note the word “guide” because you may find a need, given the specific topic you have selected, to modify. Remember that this is a research paper – not a longer version of an essay. The research paper should contain the following format: Title page, Purpose of Study, Opening Statement, Assumption or Hypothesis, Discussion of Findings, Recommendations, Conclusion/Summary, and Reference Page.

Title Page – It should be concise and descriptive–creative wouldn’t hurt! Your names, course name and number, college and term should be listed.

Purpose of Study – The final project should include a succinct statement that explains why you selected the particular area of interest and why it lends itself to a research paper.  State the purpose of your research and why it interests you.  You should also identify the audience for your work.

Opening Statement, Assumptions or Hypothesis

The project is a rigorous academic exercise and should be carefully thought out from beginning to end. It is imperative that you resist presentation of opinion as fact, and instead develop assumptions or hypotheses without reaching conclusions before you investigate the topic. The opening statement, argument or hypothesis focuses your ideas for the paper; it’s your argument, insight or viewpoint summarized into a sentence or two that gives the reader your main idea. It presents the rationale for your paper and clearly indicates why it is worth exploring. If you are not sure about how to refine, narrow or broaden your thesis, please visit “Finding Your Thesis” the Empire State College’s Writing Resource Center.

Discussion of Findings

You must demonstrate that you have expanded your knowledge of the subject. This is where you must cite between 10-15 sources using the APA format. This section should discuss and offer an interpretation of the sources you cite. Choose the sources carefully. They should demonstrate your understanding of the research issues related to your topic and show your ability to critically evaluate/integrate the literary sources.

Recommendations

Given your findings, what do you recommend be done? Use your findings to support your recommendations.

Conclusion/Summary

In these sections, the emphasis should be on what has been learned about the assumptions, the limits of this particular inquiry, and the implications of the findings.

Reference Page
Documenting sources at the end of the research paper consists of listing all of the sources from which you quoted, paraphrased, or summarized. In APA style, the sources in a paper are listed alphabetically on a separate page headed References. It follows the final page of the text and is numbered. By citing your sources you are letting your reader know that you’ve consulted experts whose ideas and information back up your own thoughts and ideas. You must cite your sources correctly so that your academic integrity is not called into question. If you don’t document, you could inadvertently be plagiarizing.

Your written assignment is intended to test your understanding of important concepts and discover how to sharpen your intellectual skills of analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and application. The intent of the written assignment is to provide an opportunity to more fully describe, explain, and analyze the books and other sources. Be sure to cite any and all sources correctly so that your academic integrity is not called into question.  Developing a Bibliography and research writing is distinct in approach and technique. The information here describes the various stages of research writing and offers suggestions for approaching it.

Visit the ESC Library’s Annotated Bibliographies Guide that links to steps and examples of how to put a bibliography together.  Another good source and example of an Annotated Bibliography can be viewed at the Purdue OWL: Annotated Bibliographies website.

Visit the ESC Online Library’s How-Tos Guide which will cover the basics of writing, how to conduct research, what databases to use and how to cite sources so that you do not engage in plagiarism.
Visit ESC’s Research Writing: Elements and Steps to learn how to work through the various stages of research writing such as: elements of a research paper, step in writing the research paper from developing the research question or thesis, to finding sources, building a draft and finalizing the piece.
Please read the SUNY Empire State College statement on Academic Integrity before submitting any work for this course. Be sure to cite any and all sources correctly so that your academic integrity is not called into question.