LEARNING OBJECTIVE: To help students further understand the research paper methodology through personal research, resource allocation, and contextual articulation.

ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION: Students will complete a 4-6 page research paper on one of the criminological topics provided. The cover and references pages are not included in this page count. There are two parts to this assignment. Your paper must be in APA format. Use scholarly articles to articulate your perspective on the issue. You must reference at least three SCHOLARLY sources. An abstract is not required.

Your research paper topic must come directly from one of the topics provided below. The paper will consist of 4 or more typed pages, double spaced, 12pt Times New Roman font and should be in the APA format. If the paper is not in APA format, it will not be accepted/graded and you will receive a ZERO for this assignment. Your final draft is worth 50 points.

TOPICS:

OPTION I: International Terrorism Financing Against the US

• Thoughts to consider:
  • How do terrorists finance their attacks?
  • Drug trafficking & Money laundering
  • Three steps to terrorism financing
• Thoughts to consider:
  • Define and Explain Growing Threat
  • Who is to blame?
• What do zero tolerance policies look like? Give examples
• Do zero tolerance policies work?
• Unintended consequences of zero tolerance policies

OPTION II: Cyberterrorism Against the US

OPTION III: Zero Tolerance Policy and the Reduction of Crime

OPTION IV: Juvenile Detention Reform

• Problems in juvenile detention
• Alternatives to incarceration
• Successful Strategies
  • Students will select their research topics. It is suggested that students choose a topic well in advance of their deadline. Write your paper and explain your understanding of the material you reviewed.
  • Review the Rubric in order to earn maximum points for this assignment (bottom of this document)
  • Review the ISU library and Purdue OWL formatting resources to ensure the paper is stylized correctly. You can also contact the ISU Writing Center and have your paper reviewed to ensure it meets all APA style requirements. (Note that if you submit your paper to the Writing Center that there may be a 3-4 day waiting period for results.)
  • Optional: Send your paper to the graduate assistant for feedback before the due date: Reilly Teal; rteal@sycamores.indstate.edu
  • Students will submit the paper with proper APA formatting via Turnitin.

DIRECTIONS FOR STUDENTS:

LATE PAPERS- Will not be accepted.

RUBRIC: Final paper is worth 50 points

20 points: APA format

• Correctly formatted Cover page & Reference page
• Correct in-text citations in APA
• Three SCHOLARLY sources are referenced

20 points: Writing Style

• Professional writing style is used
• Correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, and capitalization
• Paper organized, cohesive, and utilizes headings
• Includes an introduction and conclusion
• Thesis statement is present in the introduction and clearly establishes the topic

10 points: Content & Analysis

• Topic is chosen from the options provided
• Student demonstrates a thoughtful, critical analysis of the research topic