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Before we talk about the paper, please note that you can get extra credit for turning your paper in early! 10% for turning it in one week before the due date and 20% for turning it in two weeks before the due date.
In this paper, you will research and write about a topic in nutrition or physical fitness. First, you will pick a topic that interests you so that all of the research that you find, is on a topic that you want to learn more about. You’ll explore at least two websites on the topic for the lay public and also read at least three medical journal abstracts (scholarly sources) describing original clinical (human) research.
Research before starting to write!
Start your research by finding two sources (articles) for the lay public such as WebMD or .gov sources. This will give you an initial overview of your topic.
Then, find three peer-reviewed, research articles on the same topic.
Here’s how to find peer-reviewed research articles: Go to the Auraria Library database list (http://library.auraria.edu/tools/databases), select “M.” Scroll down to “Medline.” You have three options here. I find “PubMed” easiest to use. (If you’re off campus, you have to log in using your MSU ID to access these databases.)
Make sure you are finding articles that:
1) Are NO OLDER than 5 years (you can put this in the search terms).
2) Are primary studies (the authors have done their own study and analyzed results). This is different from a meta-review or systematic review, in which the authors are not doing their own research, but rather summarizing the results of previous studies. Your articles should not be meta-reviews but should be primary research studies.
Once you’ve explored at least two websites for the lay public and read at least three scholarly articles, you’re ready to write.
Please follow the outline below when writing your research paper. It will keep you on track and ensure you are following a scholarly and organized format!
- First create an introduction to draw in your reader. Tell the reader about your topic and why it interests you. This should be approximately a half a page. Add header “Introduction” at the top of this section.
- In the next 2 paragraphs, describe what you found on each of the websites for the lay public. Each paragraph should be approximately a half page from EACH of the two lay public websites. This section should be no shorter than a full page in length. Add header “Lay Sources Overview” at the top of this section.
- In the next section, you will address the scholarly research you uncovered. Briefly describe the design of the research study and the research question(s) (include number of people in the study, ages, gender, use of a placebo control, length of study, etc.) Discuss the key results. You will do this for each of the three articles separately. Each description should be about a half page – meaning you should have at minimum 1.5 pages in this section (1/2 page per THREE scholarly articles.) Add header “Scholarly Sources Overview” at the top of this section.
- In the following section you will critically evaluate all five of your sources (3 scholarly journal articles and 2 lay public sources). For each source, you need to discuss:
- The authenticity, validity, and reliability.
- Identify cause and effect relationships and if you found any arguments that seemed to be false.
Each review (you will have five separate reviews, 1 for each source) should be at least a half page. This section should be approximately 2.5 pages. Add header “Critical Evaluation” at the top of this section.
- Next, visit the website listed below related to the scientific method. Then, explain how the three scholarly research studies that you found on your topic are related to the scientific method. This should not be done for the lay sources. You should discuss if and how the researchers utilized all six elements of the scientific method. Every scholarly article should have approx. a ½ page explanation, meaning about 1.5 pages total in this section. Add header “Use of the Scientific Method” at the top of this section.
Article on scientific method: https://www.khanacademy.org/science/high-school-biology/hs-biology-foundations/hs-biology-and-the-scientific-method/a/the-science-of-biology
- Finally, in your conclusion, give an analysis of your topic and explain to the reader what logical conclusions you reached after researching this topic. This section should be approx. a half page. Add header “Conclusion” at the top of this section.
- The end of your paper should include a reference page in APA format – see notes below.
In total, your paper should be about 7.5 pages in length! This does not include the reference page or a title page, if you chose to you one (a title page in not mandatory).
Notes on References:
Write in your own words, making sparing use of direct quotations. When you do borrow other authors’ words, be sure to use quotation marks and cite your source in APA format. If you don’t, you have plagiarized. All papers will be submitted through SafeAssign to prevent plagiarism.
Please be sure to site your resources. You can refer to your resource within the text. Example: “According to research published by Deboer, Scharf, and Demmer (2013), consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages contributes to overweight and obesity in preschoolers.”
At the end, create a reference page, listing the authors, journal title, journal, year, volume, number, page numbers. Cite sources in American Psychological Association (APA) format (see http://guides.auraria.edu/style).