AGE 4950 Gerontology Senior Seminar
Winter 2020
Research Paper Requirements
1. How many pages?”

The short answer? As many as it takes to answer the “research question” which is implied in your “thesis statement.” In general, your APA formatted paper should be 30- to 35-pages (i.e., double-spaced using 12-point font). This includes your own original writing plus any quotations, paraphrases, charts, graphs, reference lists, etc. which you use.“

2. What is my topic?

You may propose any topic related to human aging which appeals to you. The instructor will help you to refine it so that it is appropriate for the Senior Seminar paper. Your paper should consider a “research question” and propose an answer to it in a clear “thesis statement.”

3. What format do I need to use?

Use the publication format of the American Psychological Association or APA. Use the format and rules of Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition (2020). Consider bookmarking https://apastyle.apa.org/ as a reference for APA style formatting rules.

4. What number and kind of “references” do I need?

For a 35-page paper, you will need a minimum of 25 references. At least three should be from print books preferably published within the last 5 years, at least twelve should be articles from peer-reviewed professional, and at least five should be from reliable online sources. “Wikipedia” should not appear in your reference list, and neither should any other encyclopedia or dictionary. If you plan to use references from any obviously biased or “not reliable” source, get my approval in advance—my approval will depend on how you are planning to use it.

5. How will it be graded? What help is available? When is it due?

The grading rubric will be posted on our Blackboard site. You can get help with the research from our librarians, and help with the writing from the Writing Center. See the following link to academic services for students https://www.madonna.edu/resources/. Always feel free to reach out to the instructor for help or questions related to your paper. The course schedule provides due dates related to this paper.

AGE 4950 2020