Sociology of Families Research Paper Instructions:
This assignment will ask you to choose a topic related to the Sociology of Families that you
would like to explore and learn more about. After you have picked your topic, please follow the
directions listed under Part I and Part II below.
Locate Six (6) academic journal articles, two (2) books, and two (2) internet sources related to
juvenile delinquency topic you selected. All the articles you select for this assignment need to
come from academic journals. To find you’re your articles, please use the on-line databases
such as Ebsco, JSTOR, and/or Proquest (available at https://info.library.okstate.edu/az.php).
You may access the databases from campus or at home. Please check the appropriate box in
each database to ensure that you find the right kind of article from a scholarly journal. See me
or the librarian if you have questions. Articles from newspapers (e.g., New York Times), popular
magazines (e.g., Psychology Today, Newsweek, Time), blogs, book reviews from academic
journals, or websites not affiliated with academic journals are NOT ACCEPTABLE for this
assignment. Please note, you will lose points if these kinds of articles are selected.
Part II:
FORMAT: Research papers must:
• Use 12-point “Times New Roman” font.
• Use standard one-inch margins (left, right, top of page and bottom).
• Double space
• Submit a Word document (do not submit a pdf)
• ASA/APA
Research papers must include:
• A COVER PAGE with your name, paper title, course, Faculty name (Dr. Wilson) and
semester (*please note 5 points will be deducted if not followed).
• 6-7 pages of Text (Typed, double-spaced).
o THESIS STATEMENT
▪ Paragraph or ½ page, with a thesis statement (saying what your paper
will show or what it will prove about your topic).
o You must have a minimum of 6 full pages of TEXT.
o No footnotes, charts, images pie charts, etc.
o Please note: your Bibliography page does NOT count as part of the 6-7 pages.
o Any quotes in your paper that are over 3 lines must be INDENTED AND SINGLE-
SPACED.
o You MUST cite the source for any material that is not your own word.
o Do not use online encyclopedias, or Wikipedia.
• A BIBLIOGRAPHY PAGE minimum of ten (10) sources listed separately.
o The paper must include at least 10 sources (see explanation below).
o The bibliography goes at the very end of your paper, on a separate page. Your
bibliography/sources citation lists ALL the sources that you’ve used in writing
your paper.
o The Bibliography must be alphabetized by the author’s last name.
o Bibliography Formatting:
A. Two (2) internet sources & material (articles, biographies, etc.; however, *No
Wikipedia, Psychology Today, Encyclopedia, USA Today)
Examples
• www.doj.gov
• https://dvis.org/do-you-need-help/teen-dating-violence/
• https://usafacts.org/data/topics/people-society/poverty/public-
housing/homeless-
population/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ND-
StatsData&msclkid=6a85b425a74b1866f00bd7d082701345
B. Two (2) books: references (use the following notation)
Example
Last name, First name of the author (year of the publication). “Title of the
Book”. Name of the publishing company and location of publishing
company.
C. Six (6) Journal article references (use the following notation)
Example
Last name, First name of author (year of the publication). Title of the
article. Name of the journal article. volume: issue, page number.
SUGGESTIONS:
For your research, you should use university libraries, as opposed to public libraries.
o The university libraries will have a greater selection of scholarly, research-oriented
sources on a particular topic.
o Perhaps the best way to start is to develop an outline for your paper – so that you can
focus your research.
o Your outline should be a logical progression of ideas that support your topic.
o Next, compile a bibliography of possible sources, then consult your sources to see if they
are suitable for your paper.
o To help avoid plagiarism: read over your source, then close the book (or close the
browser if it’s online). THEN write notes about what you’ve read. This will help to
ensure that you’re not copying or completely paraphrasing your source. Paraphrasing is
ok to do but on a very limited basis. You cannot paraphrase entire paragraphs or
sections of your paper – because then it wouldn’t be your work.
o After you have written your paper, be sure to proofread for typos, misspellings,
grammatical errors, etc., as these will seriously detract from the quality of your paper.