The document provides instructions for a written report on a specific behavioral or mental phenomenon covered in the textbook. Students must select a phenomenon and a biological strategy used to study it, such as imaging approaches to schizophrenia. The 7-10 page paper should summarize key issues and controversies on the topic and illustrate points using two recent peer-reviewed research articles. It will be graded based on content understanding and effective written communication using APA style and format. Students are encouraged to submit a draft to the Effective Writing Center for feedback before the due date.

1. Written Report:
The written report should address the biological study of a
specific behavioral or mental phenomenon (normal or
pathological) covered in your textbook. You should select a
behavioral or mental phenomenon (e.g., language,
schizophrenia) and then select a biological strategy (e.g.,
hormones, neurotransmitters, physiology, imaging). As an
example, the theme of your report might be imaging approaches
to the study of schizophrenia. Your paper should summarize
fundamental issues, questions, and controversies and provide a
general overview of the topic. It should also elaborate on your
understanding of the brain processes that are revealed through
imaging research in schizophrenia. To accomplish this, you will
have to use research articles to illustrate relevant points. You
may use any of a number of resources to find research articles
that deal with your topic, including the library and the Internet.
This paper is not a "commentary" or "editorial" style paper, but
rather a formal research paper using scientific references as the
basis for your topic. Personal experience, while sometimes
relevant, should not be included for this assignment unless these
experiences are linked to course concepts and the brain. Also,
you should avoid using personal pronouns such as "I" or
"myself" in this type of paper. The requirement for the research
articles that you select is that they must have appeared in a
peer-reviewed (i.e., refereed) scientific journal. (Please contact
your instructor to confirm whether a particular journal is peer-
reviewed.)
You must use two peer-reviewed scientific articles and they
must be recent, i.e., have appeared in the literature during the
most recent three years.
You might use the online databases from MEDLINE and
PSYCH ABSTRACTS as a source of full-text articles from
refereed journals. Newspaper or magazine articles should
not
be used as your major reference, but can be useful if they lead

2. you to the appropriate research article. You should avoid simply
repeating the articles in summary form; rather, use them within
the text of your paper to illustrate important points. To ensure
that you are on the right track, you should discuss with your
instructor the topic and the research articles that you have
chosen.
Your paper is to be 7 to 10 pages, or about 1,800 words in
length. It must be typed, double-spaced, with one-inch margins,
and fully referenced in APA format (see http://www.apa.org).
Check the course schedule for your due date. Your instructor
will determine a late paper policy.
The text of your paper should be preceded by an abstract (about
100 words) that summarizes the key points in the paper (i.e.,
statement of problem, major findings, conclusion). All abstracts
will be posted in a conference for all students to review. You
should respond to these abstracts to stimulate discussion. Your
responses will be evaluated and will constitute part of your
grade for online conference participation.
The paper will be graded on (1) content and understanding, and
(2) how effectively you have communicated your ideas in
writing. You will receive a separate grade for each of these
elements, weighted equally. Content and understanding are
evaluated on the basis of whether the paper (a) identified
important issues, questions, and controversies; (b) used recent
and relevant research literature to illustrate the issues; and (c)
demonstrated an understanding of brain processes and how brain
research revealed an understanding of the behavior in question.
Effective communication is evaluated on the basis of (a)
organization and structure that help communicate the ideas
(e.g., headings throughout the text), (b) use of your own
language and style (no cutting and pasting), (c) connecting
ideas in the text with research papers, and (d) correct usage of
APA format in the text and references.
Your paper is to be submitted in Microsoft Word format (.doc
file) and formatted in APA style (please consult the APA Style
Manual, sixth edition, for proper format). Papers not in .doc file

3. format or APA style will not be accepted for a grade; in this
case, a grade of "zero" will be assigned for the paper. It is
highly advised that you take care to use proper APA style. If
you have technical issues related to Word, please notify the
instructor immediately so that an appropriate solution can be
found.
During the semester the Effective Writing Center (EWC) will be
holding a conference to assist in paper preparation. You are
highly encouraged to submit a draft of your complete or near
complete paper to th EWC (located on the drop-down menu on
the left side of the screen; under "Course Content," click on
"Writing Resources") for review and comment, prior to the due
date of the paper. This should be submitted well in advance of
the due date, in order for the EWC to respond and for you to
make the necessary corrections. Once you receive feedback
from the EWC, you can copy and paste it into a Word
Document, then post it in your assignment folder with your final
paper by the due date, for your instructor to view as
necessary. The EWC can help address questions regarding
format, structure, writing style, and appropriateness of
references.