RESEARCH REQUIREMENT: ARTICLE SUMMARY
PSYC 110: Introduction to Psychology
Paper Grade:
Date Graded:
Pass / Fail
_______
This completed document will complete the PSYC 110 Research Requirement.
All portions of this document must be completed accurately
in order for this summary to receive a passing grade.
Student Information
Student’s Full Name:
Student’s ID Number:
Student’s Email:
Today’s Date:
Course Information
PSYC 110 Instructor:
PSYC 110 Section #:
Semester Enrolled in Class:
(for example, Spring 2014-2015)
You MUST type your answers directly into this document and
submit directly to the D2L dropbox for the PSYC 110 Research Requirement.
Printed or emailed documents will not be accepted.
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Overview of This Assignment
Purpose of This Paper
This paper is an opportunity to describe a single empirical (data-based) study on a topic in psychology. The article must
describe a research study that involves data. Review articles and “Introduction to this Issue” articles are not acceptable.
Your objective is to highlight the important points of the article on your topic. Put simply, you should strive to produce a
clear and concise summary of the research such that any one of your classmates in PSYC 110 could understand the
importance of the study. Overall, you simply need to answer the questions on the following pages. For each of the six
questions, write at least one complete paragraph (approximately 100-200 words per question). Good paragraphs
communicate a clear, insightful, and elegant set of answers in your own words. Taken together, the paragraphs provide a
comprehensive summary of the journal article. In general, this can and should be accomplished in 2-3 pages (600-1200
words).
Specific Grading Criteria
Your article summary will be graded on a Pass/Fail basis. The summary will be judged against the specific criteria given in
the table below:
Category
Unacceptable
Satisfactory
Article
Information


Article is Unacceptable
Article Information is Incomplete


Article is Appropriate
Article Information is Complete
Concepts and
Terms


Some Concepts are Not Summarized
Descriptions of Concepts are Incomplete


All Relevant Concepts are Summarized
Descriptions of Concepts are Complete
Quotes and
Paraphrasing


Multiple Lapses in Paraphrasing
Quotes are Over-Used


All Sentences Use Proper Paraphrasing
Quotes are Used Minimally
Format and
Length


Does Not Use Paragraph Structure
Some Sections are Too Short


Uses Paragraph Structure
All Sections are Appropriate Length
Spelling and
Grammar


Several Grammatical/Spelling Errors
Unclear or Haphazard Writing Style


Few Grammatical/Spelling Errors
Focused and Clear Writing Style
Very importantly, your paper must reach “Satisfactory” levels on all of the specific criteria given above. In other words,
papers that achieve an “Unacceptable” mark in any of the categories above will be rejected. This means that you will be
given an “Incomplete” in PSYC 110 and will have one semester to rewrite your summary.
Your summary will consist of complete answers to the questions below.
You do not need to write a separate paper or summary.
You do not need to attach the original article that you read.
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Summary of Your Research Article
Journal Article Information
Journal Title:
Article Title:
Author(s):
Date of Publication:
Volume and Page #’s:
(for example, Child Development)
Introduction
Why was the study conducted?
Please type your answer to the question here, replacing the text in this box with at least one complete
paragraph (100-200 words is suitable, which means that this paragraph currently is the minimal acceptable length).
This paragraph should describe the topic under investigation, the main theory or theories that are discussed in the
article, and how this particular study adds to what we know in Psychology. Be sure to use good grammar, proper
punctuation, and good paragraph structure. Finally, it is necessary that you rephrase all ideas in your own words, as
quotations will generally not be considered acceptable (and directly copying of any portion of the article will result
in automatic rejection of your paper).
What sort of predictions did the authors make about this study?
Please type your answer to the question here, replacing the text in this box with at least one complete
paragraph (100-200 words is suitable, which means that this paragraph currently is the minimal acceptable length).
This paragraph should describe the hypotheses of the research study (or specific predictions made by the authors)
and a description of the bases of these hypotheses. Be sure to use good grammar, proper punctuation, and good
paragraph structure. Finally, it is necessary that you rephrase all ideas in your own words, as quotations will
generally not be considered acceptable (and directly copying of any portion of the article will result in automatic
rejection of your paper).
Method
Who were the participants and how were they selected?
Please type your answer to the question here, replacing the text in this box with at least one complete
paragraph (100-200 words is suitable, which means that this paragraph currently is the minimal acceptable length).
This paragraph should describe who the participants of the study were, how many participants were chosen, and
why the participants were chosen. Be sure to use good grammar, proper punctuation, and good paragraph
structure. Finally, it is necessary that you rephrase all ideas in your own words, as quotations will generally not be
considered acceptable (and directly copying of any portion of the article will result in automatic rejection of your
paper).
Page 3 of 4
What was actually done to study the topic and why?
Please type your answer to the question here, replacing the text in this box with at least one complete
paragraph (100-200 words is suitable, which means that this paragraph currently is the minimal acceptable length).
This paragraph should summarize the basic procedures and materials used to study the participants. Provide enough
information to make it clear what was done in the study to test the hypotheses. Be sure to use good grammar,
proper punctuation, and good paragraph structure. Finally, it is necessary that you rephrase all ideas in your own
words, as quotations will generally not be considered acceptable (and directly copying of any portion of the article
will result in automatic rejection of your paper).
Results and Discussion
What were the main findings of the study?
Please type your answer to the question here, replacing the text in this box with at least one complete
paragraph (100-200 words is suitable, which means that this paragraph currently is the minimal acceptable length).
This paragraph should describe the Results of the study. Results can be very technical, so provide a readable
summary of the findings; it is usually helpful to describe the results in relation to the hypotheses of the study. Be sure
to use good grammar, proper punctuation, and good paragraph structure. Finally, it is necessary that you rephrase
all ideas in your own words, as quotations will generally not be considered acceptable (and directly copying of any
portion of the article will result in automatic rejection of your paper).
Why are the results of this study important?
Please type your answer to the question here, replacing the text in this box with at least one complete
paragraph (100-200 words is suitable, which means that this paragraph currently is the minimal acceptable length).
This paragraph should explain the meaning of the results, the most important lessons of the study, and the
limitations of the study. Be sure to use good grammar, proper punctuation, and good paragraph structure. Finally, it
is necessary that you rephrase all ideas in your own words, as quotations will generally not be considered
acceptable (and directly copying of any portion of the article will result in automatic rejection of your paper).
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