Assignment Overview The Interdisciplinary Research Paper Assignment demonstrates your  ability to analyze a problem from multiple disciplinary perspectives.  You will use the interdisciplinary research process to define the  problem, justify using an interdisciplinary approach, identify relevant  disciplines, and evaluate insights from multiple disciplines. Your paper must include at least six references from two or three  different disciplines related to your research problem. At least four of  the sources should be peer-reviewed articles published in the past 10  years. Remaining sources may be appropriate government, trade, web, or  other publications published in the past 10 years. You may use the  sources from your literature search, and you may add new sources. Your assignment should conform to the following requirements: Formal, academic tone with proper grammar, syntax, and punctuation APA-formatted running head, page numbers, and reference page The draft should be based on your research rather than your own  ideas and opinions about the problem, and all outside information must  be appropriately paraphrased, summarized, or quoted with APA in-text  citations Microsoft Word or compatible format One-inch margins One of the following 12-point fonts: Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri Double-spaced text No more than 12 double-spaced pages (exclusive of title page and reference page) Final Research Paper Instructions The Final Research Paper should be divided into the following sections: 1. Title Page Include an  APA-formatted title page opens in new window opens in new window  with running head, page numbers, your name, assignment name, and institution. 2. Abstract Provide a 150 to 250-word summary of your research problem, primary  findings, and paper purpose. The abstract should appear on page 2. 3. Paper Body The body of your paper should be divided into the following  components with each step title as the heading for each section. The  paper body should begin on page 3. A. Introduction (approximately 200 words) Briefly describe the content of the paper, including the general  topic and overview of what the reader can expect to learn from your  assignment. B. Step 1: Define the Problem (approximately 50 to 100 words) State, define the scope, and explain the significance of the problem.  Include properly cited information from your references to support your  decision. Refer to pages 259-268 of Chapter 10 in the Introduction to  Interdisciplinary Studies text for examples of research problem  statements. C. Step 2: Justification for Using an Interdisciplinary Approach (approximately 100 words) Explain why the problem is complex, related to more than one  discipline, cannot be solved by only one discipline, and is an  unresolved and important issue. Include properly cited information from  the textbook to support your explanation. Refer to pages 268-275 the  Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies text. D. .

1. Assignment Overview
The Interdisciplinary Research Paper Assignment demonstrates
your ability to analyze a problem from multiple disciplinary
perspectives. You will use the interdisciplinary research
process to define the problem, justify using an interdisciplinary
approach, identify relevant disciplines, and evaluate insights
from multiple disciplines.
Your paper must include at least six references from two or
three different disciplines related to your research problem. At
least four of the sources should be peer-reviewed articles
published in the past 10 years. Remaining sources may be
appropriate government, trade, web, or other publications
published in the past 10 years. You may use the sources from
your literature search, and you may add new sources.
Your assignment should conform to the following requirements:
Formal, academic tone with proper grammar, syntax, and
punctuation
APA-formatted running head, page numbers, and reference page
The draft should be based on your research rather than your own
ideas and opinions about the problem, and all outside
information must be appropriately paraphrased, summarized, or
quoted with APA in-text citations
Microsoft Word or compatible format
One-inch margins
One of the following 12-point fonts: Times New Roman, Arial,

2. or Calibri
Double-spaced text
No more than 12 double-spaced pages (exclusive of title page
and reference page)
Final Research Paper Instructions
The Final Research Paper should be divided into the following
sections:
1. Title Page
Include an
APA-formatted title page opens in new window opens in new
window
with running head, page numbers, your name, assignment
name, and institution.
2. Abstract
Provide a 150 to 250-word summary of your research problem,
primary findings, and paper purpose. The abstract should
appear on page 2.
3. Paper Body
The body of your paper should be divided into the following
components with each step title as the heading for each section.
The paper body should begin on page 3.
A. Introduction (approximately 200 words)
Briefly describe the content of the paper, including the general

3. topic and overview of what the reader can expect to learn from
your assignment.
B. Step 1: Define the Problem (approximately 50 to 100 words)
State, define the scope, and explain the significance of the
problem. Include properly cited information from your
references to support your decision. Refer to pages 259-268 of
Chapter 10 in the Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies text
for examples of research problem statements.
C. Step 2: Justification for Using an Interdisciplinary Approach
(approximately 100 words)
Explain why the problem is complex, related to more than one
discipline, cannot be solved by only one discipline, and is an
unresolved and important issue. Include properly cited
information from the textbook to support your explanation.
Refer to pages 268-275 the Introduction to Interdisciplinary
Studies text.
D. Step 3: Identify Relevant Disciplines (approximately 200 -
300 words)
Select at least two, and no more than three, disciplines closely
related to the research problem. Describe and explain why the
disciplines selected are most relevant. Include properly cited
information from the textbook and your references to support
your choices. Refer to Chapter 11 (pages 281-293) in the
Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies text.
E. Step 5: Critically Analyze the Disciplines' Insights Into the
Problem (3 pages per discipline)
Present Disciplinary Insights

4. Explain each relevant discipline’s overall approach to the
problem (3 pages per discipline) based on your research
(discuss one discipline at a time). You must support your
writing with evidence from all of your sources related to that
specific discipline. Your analysis should be based on the
insights produced in each of the sources from your literature
search.
Identify Conflict and Agreement Between Disciplinary Insights
After presenting each discipline's perspective on, and important
insights into, the problem, summarize conflict and/or
agreement between insights (approximately 200 - 300 words).
Sources must be incorporated and appropriately paraphrased
and cited. Refer to Chapter 12 pages 309-322 in the
Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies
text for descriptions and examples of this step.
Remember to revise this section of the final paper based on the
feedback you received from your instructor on your Step 5
Draft assignment.
F. Conclusion: (approximately 200 - 300 words)
Restate the problem and the significance of the problem.
Restate the relevant disciplines that have insight into the
problem. Summarize the most relevant findings from your
research.
4. Reference Page

5. Include an APA-formatted reference page of all sources used in
your paper. Remember that four sources must be peer-reviewed
sources and the remaining two (or more) sources should be
trade, government, book, or other appropriate sources. All
sources should be current and published within the past 10
years.