1. Getting Started

First Things First - Assignment Requirements

Before you begin work on any research project, examine the assignment closely for any requirements.

Q. How long is the paper?

Your paper should include an introduction which should be no fewer than 2 paragraphs (minimum) and no more than 5 in total as well as annotated bibliographies for 3 journal articles.

Q. How many sources?

You must include 3 journal articles in the annotated part and no requirement on the intro but interesting facts or statistics would be relevant here and would need to be cited.

Q. What kind of sources?

You must use journals for this annotated portion of the assignment, but it could use books or other library sources in addition to journals for the facts and statistics in the intro.

Q. How do you cite sources?

You will cite your sources using APA format. Check out the library's sample APA paper for formatting instructions.

Q. What is due?

What do you have to turn in? Is it just a paper? Are there other pieces like a rough draft, reading response, a tutorial, etc. Make note of all the parts of the assignment and create a checklist to make sure you don't leave anything out.

Q. When is it due?

How long do you have to work on this project? Is there one due date for everything or are there multiple due dates for different parts of the assignment? Plan out your time, so you don't get stuck doing all the work at the last minute. Plan extra time in case you have problems or get stuck.

Q. What other requirements should you make note of?

Do you need to have a certain number of paragraphs? Do you need visuals/images? current statistics? Make note of any other requirements on the assignment sheet, and ask your instructor for clarification on any parts you're not sure about.

Selecting a Topic

You have been given 2 very broad topics to cover in your paper.

Roots and History of Policing in the United States
History of Criminal Justice

There are many ideas within these topics that you research as the broad topics are too large to cover in 2 to 5 paragraphs. To narrow the topic:

The first thing you need to do before you begin a research project is to select a topic that you're going to write about. Consider the following:

Q. Do you have an interest in something related to these topics that you would like to find more about?

This may require background research. Select a topic you believe interests you as it will be easier to research and write about it.

Q. Are there sources?

Before you totally commit to a topic, you'll want to make sure that there are enough outside sources on the topic for your assignment. Not every topic is going to have information written about it. Newer topics or topics that aren't as well known may be harder to find sources for. Do some searching in the library's databases to make sure there are sources, and Ask-A-Librarian to double-check if you're not sure there are enough sources for a topic you're really interested in.