Questions and Topics We Can Help You To Answer:
Paper Instructions:

General Paper Guidelines: Each student must submit an electronic copy (in Microsoft Word format) via Blackboard.  Each paper must be written using the following format: double-spaced; Times New Roman, 12-point font; 1-inch margins; pagination in the top right corner; and no use of the student's name in the header or footer.  Each paper must have a cover sheet which includes a title for the paper, the topic area for the paper (i.e., theory, research methods, or policy), the student's name, and the date.  Each paper must have a separate Reference section that starts at the beginning of a new page at the end of the paper and lists the reference information for all sources cited in the paper. The references and in-text citations must be written using APA format guidelines.  For more information, please go to: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/.  

You must use Turnitin for all paper submissions.  The rough draft is your opportunity to get guidance on how to organize and prepare the content of the paper.  


Keep in mind that copying the words of another and not putting quotations to designate that the words were written by someone else is plagiarism, even if you put a cite at the end of the sentence or paragraph.  One way to avoid plagiarism is to look at how your writing differs from your sources.  A good rule of thumb: whenever you write four or more words to a sentence that are identical to the way things are worded in your source material ask yourself is this paraphrasing or is it plagiarism?  Please do not play thesaurus games to change up a sentence; awkward wording is a tell-tale sign of plagiarism.  All students will be required to pass a plagiarism test [for this class] before any coursework will be accepted.  Quotes should have a proper in-text citation, including page number(s). 

Citing: You must use the APA Reference Style for your in-text citations and references.  Feel free to refer to articles published in the journal Justice Quarterly for examples of in-text citations and reference pages.  Citing entails noting in your postings (or papers) that the idea you are presenting is not your own and citing notes that others have done work that lends support to what you are saying or trying to say.  I strongly suggest that you pay attention to how much you write with no supporting citations.  If you write something that entails detailed information, such as case law, dates, reporting statistics (actual numbers) or estimates (i.e., saying the majority, most, all, almost all, some, none, no one, etc.), you should have a citation to back up what you have written.  Furthermore, if you are writing and you go for three or more sentences without citing someone or something, ask yourself “How do I know all of this?” “Should I have a citation somewhere in here?”  You should only cite things you have actually read.  Otherwise, you are citing someone else’s review of what someone else said or wrote.  If it is mentioned in your paper, it must be accurately included in your references, and if it is in your 
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reference it must be in your paper.  

A good paper uses data and research by others to support the statements or arguments made in the paper.  Most comments or observations made in a paper require support, preferably from good academic sources such as academic journals, government documents, and scholarly books. In this course, and at the graduate level, dictionaries and internet sites (e.g., online dictionaries, legal reference sites, Wikipedia, etc.) should not be used as primary sources to support your statements and positions.  Where you get your information can be just as important as how you use your resources.  There is a difference between getting information through the Internet (e.g., downloading a full-text article from an academic journal or a government report) and getting information from the Internet (e.g., using information from someone’s site which may not have been peer-reviewed or subjected to any rigorous scrutiny).  

A question I frequently raise when grading is “How do you know that?”  Many students fail to document or acknowledge where they got the ideas or information in their papers/presentations.  Claiming that you “just know” the information, that it is “common knowledge,” or that you learned it before is not good enough for me.  If you say in a paper that some phenomenon happens or that a problem exists, I want you to provide proof as best as you can to support your claim.  For example, if you say something like “there is discrimination in the criminal justice system,” what information are you going to use to support your statement?  Is the information you are using appropriate?  Remember that I will be reading your papers/presentations and when it comes time to grade them, I will be working with what you put in the papers/presentations.  There will be no opportunity for you to elaborate on your choice of words, so prepare your papers with the reader in mind.  What you meant to say and what you have written may not be the same.  Proofread your work to make sure that you are communicating your thoughts as intended. 

Theory Paper You are expected to write an original 13-20 page paper (not including cover page, illustrations, appendices and references, etc.) on criminological or criminal justice theory that demonstrates your knowledge of the theory and literature empirically assessing this theory.  There are many interesting theories out there that can be used to describe, explore, explain, and predict delinquent, antisocial or illegal behavior.  But as criminal justice students, you are expected to demonstrate a knowledge of the theories specific to understanding crime and delinquency, which are narrower in concept than antisocial behavior.  Moreover, researchers have often used vague and less articulated hypotheses and “theories” to examine crime/delinquency.  As criminal justice students, you are expected to know the major criminological theories, not all possible “theories” or hypotheses. Therefore, you will be expected to write about at least one of the major criminological theories.  You may choose to write about one specific theory, two competing theories, or theory integration. However, students choosing theory competition or integration must get prior approval from the instructor, and such considerations will be granted on a very limited basis. 

In general, the theory paper must demonstrate an understanding of the assumptions and assertions of the theory. The paper must contain the following elements (not an exhaustive list).  First, it must provide a thorough and original description of the theory and how it predicts crime/delinquency.  As noted in your assigned textbook (Akers, Sellers, and Jennings, 2017: 9-10): 

“[A]ll major criminological have implications for, and have indeed been utilized in, criminal justice policy and practice.  Every therapy, treatment program, prison regimen, police policy, or criminal justice practice is based, either explicitly or implicitly, on some explanation of human nature in general or criminal behavior in particular.”