The Research Paper

     As part of the requirements of this course, you are to write a research paper.  The purpose of the paper is to give you first hand experience with research in Cognitive Psychology.  This means that I want you to read and digest primary sources (that is, original reports, not research summaries reprinted in books or magazines) of recent research.  You may write one of three types of papers, a review paper, or a research proposal, or a research report.

Review Papers

          For a review paper you are to review the literature in a well-defined area covered in this course.  Reviews are usually written in an argumentative style.  That is, try to persuade the reader that a particular point of view on your topic is correct.  However, expository term papers are also acceptable.  You should choose a topic that you find interesting.  Most students have trouble narrowing their topic to a reasonable size, so choose a very focused area.  Read 2-4 research articles on this topic, review the findings, and discuss the implications of the research you read.  You should briefly describe the research hypotheses, the methods, and the results, and evaluate the conclusions of the studies. Be critical in your review, noting any problems in the methodology or conclusions in the reports.  If there are inconsistent results reported in the several papers you review, try to resolve these inconsistencies.

Research Proposals

     For a research proposal, you are to propose a "new" and original research project in a topic area covered by this course.  You should read 2-3 articles in a particular area and plan a research project that goes beyond the research you review.  Your proposal should include:  (1) an introduction in which you review past research and state your hypothesis (approx. 2 pages), (2) a method section that describes in detail how you propose to carry out the experiment, and includes a sample of your research materials, and (3) a results and discussion section in which you describe (perhaps with a table or figure of fictional data) the results you expect to find and what the results mean in terms of the issues you raised in the introduction.  Do not actually try to conduct your research, and make it clear that your paper is a proposal and not a report of research already conducted.

Research Reports

    For a research report, you are to participate in one of the CogLab experiments.  You can find these either on the CD-ROM experiments that came with your textbook, or on-line at CogLab2 .  When you have completed the experiment, be sure to record the summary of your performance.  Then, read some of the original research on which the experiment was based.  References for the work are included in the Student Manual.  Finally, write a research report, including an introduction explaining the importance of the research, or the theoretical context that motivated the research.  Also, include a methods section describing the research materials and procedure, a results section that reports your results, and finally, a discussion section that discusses the implications of your results and why or why they did not match those of the original research.

All Three Papers

     Your papers should be written in the APA style.  However, you do not need to include an abstract.  Use proper citation style (e.g., Burns, 2007), provide page numbers for direct quotes (e.g., Burns, 2007, p. 32), giving credit to the authors you have read, and properly referencing quotes.  Be sure your papers include a complete reference section and that it is your own work.  The total length of the paper (including title and reference pages) should be between 8 and 12 pages.

Appropriate Sources

    Use refereed scientific journals that are primary sources (i.e., not review article of previous research).  On-line publications of refereed journals are fine.  Books, web pages, newspapers, and magazine articles may be used to supplement your primary sources, but do not substitute for the 2-3 journal articles you will need.
   
    Examples of appropriate sources:
   
Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Brain and Cognition
Cognition
Cognition and Emotion
Cognitive Psychology
Cognitive Science
Journal of Experimental Psychology:  Learning Memory and Cognition
Journal of Experimental Psychology:  Human Perception and Performance
Journal of Experimental Psychology:   General
Journal of Memory and Language
Language and Cognitive Processes
Memory & Cognition
Perception and Psychophysics
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
Perception and Psychophysics

    Examples of inappropriate sources:

        American Psychologist           
        Psychological Review
        Psychology Today
        Time
        Newsweek
        On-line encyclopedias (e.g., Wikipedia) 

Paper check list:

_ Title page with your name
_ Paper in APA format
_ 8-12 pages in length, standard font and size (e.g., Times, size 12)
_ Reference page
_ Hard copies (reprints or photocopies) of all the source on your reference page.

Do not email me your paper.  My email account cannot handle the load!


Additional Resources

Some hints on finding a topic and choosing articles to read

Start with your textbook.  Choose a topic in which you are interested (e.g., mental imagery).  Look at the research described in your book on this topic.  Narrow your topic to a well-defined question!  (e.g., does bizarre imagery aid retention).  Use your book to find a paper on this topic.  Use the references in the back of the book to find a first article.  Alternatively, go library research page (http://161.45.205.120/libdata/rqs.phtml?subject_id=45) and do a PsycINFO search.  Type in your topic (narrowly defined) and search for recent papers.  In addition, your instructor may be able to direct you to an article.  Once you have found one article, this article will contain references to other research articles in the area.