Internship Paper Requirements
Sociology Majors Internship Papers
The first paper involves an organizational analysis of the internship site. This analysis at a minimum should include
· the organizational type (e.g., public, private non-profit, or private for profit)
· the organizational goals
· hierarchy or structure and the functions of the various positions
· description of the internship assignment
· sources of funding for the organization
This paper must be at minimum 4 pages and a maximum of 6 pages in length (works cited page and cover page do not count in total page length).
The second paper is an application of the student’s sociological knowledge to the internship experience. The information base for this paper includes both knowledge acquired in previous coursework as well as academic readings (if any) assigned by the internship coordinator. For example, if the student is working with SAPD, he or she can apply concepts and theories learned in classes such as deviance or criminology to the organization or to the clients. This paper must be at minimum 8 pages and a maximum of 15 pages in length (works cited and cover page do not count in total page length).
For students taking the 4936 course, a third paper is required. The third paper should be 4 to 7 pages in length on a topic of the student’s choice but with the internship advisor’s approval.
Public Health Internship Papers
For those in 4933: One final paper, the topic of which shall be tailored to each student’s area of interest and will focus on the practice at the internship site, is required to be a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 15 pages in length.
For those in 4936: One final paper, the topic of which shall be tailored to each student’s area of interest and will focus on the practice at the internship site, is required to be a minimum of 25 and a maximum of 30 pages in length.
Paper Descriptions
For the Sociology Interns writing their 2nd paper and both the Public Health Interns’ papers, students will chose either a Data Analysis or Library Research paper. The descriptions are below.
DATA ANALYSIS PAPER
OVERVIEW
A sociological research paper delineates a researcher's approach for investigating a social phenomenon. With respect to the social sciences, a research paper is a researcher's scientific report regarding investigation of a social phenomenon. It encompasses critical linkages between sociological theory and sociological methodology. In essence, a research paper focuses on empirical analysis and the researcher manipulates either quantitative or qualitative information (or a combination of the two approaches).
COMPOSITION
The sociological research paper format should contain at the very minimum the following sections; Introduction, Purpose, Review of the Literature, Theory and Hypothesis Derivation, Research Methodology, Discussion of Research Findings, Study Conclusions, and References. Each is discussed in some detail below.
INTRODUCTION. This section should briefly introduce the subject and provide the reader with an appreciation for the social phenomenon to be studied.
PURPOSE (or RESEARCH OBJECTIVE). State clearly and concisely what you plan to research. It should not be phrased as a question. Describe the important independent and dependent variables that are used to explore the subject matter.
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE. This section will be one of your longer ones. You should review the relevant literature regarding your subject. This should include recent articles, research efforts, theoretical discussions, academic books, etc. The key here is that the literature should be as current as possible. If you cannot locate current literature, then it should be of the “classic” variety.
The literature review should be organized around themes important to your subject matter. It should not read as an annotated bibliography. You must organize the themes in a coherent format. Each theme should be a subsection. The use of graphs, figures, and tables will enhance the organization of each subsection.
This section should clearly discuss the relevant sociological theories associated with the subject matter. In addition, a specific theory should be selected and linked to the subject matter. An expansion of this discussion should occur in the following section.
The review of the literature section should help you focus your research approach and assist in framing the subject theoretically. Previous work should be helpful in determining the appropriate theory for understanding the subject and in the later development of hypotheses.
THEORY AND HYPOTHESIS DERIVATION. All research is generally guided by a theoretical perspective whether it is explicit or implicit. This theoretical perspective serves as umbrella of viewing social reality and gives rise to a specific theory. Following your review of the literature, you must use a specific sociological theory to frame the research effort. Once a theory is identified, it should be used to create one or more research hypotheses.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. The next step is to develop a research methodology. This section should tell what mode of observation was used to collect the data. You will use one of the four modes of observation; survey research, secondary analysis, content analysis, or existing data. Qualitative field research is an additional mode of observation that can be used to augment the information gleaned four approaches. A discussion of method choice and rationale should be developed and supported.
This section should also include a detailed discussion of the sampling design, if appropriate. A discussion of your sample population as well as the population you plan to make inferences about should be addressed in this section.
Delineation of how concepts are operationalized into variables and measured by variable attributes is important in this section. Specifically, describe your independent and dependent variables. Discuss levels of measurement and how this will impact on statistical analysis of the variables.
DISCUSSION OF RESEARCH FINDINGS. This section should carefully detail data analysis. This section should begin with a discussion of the types of analysis used. You must decide very early how the group will employ univariate and bivariate analysis. If appropriate, multivariate analysis should be utilized. Tables, graphs, and/or other methods of data display should be included in this section. Aspects for determining statistical significance and hypothesis acceptance should be discussed. Your analysis should follow the pattern below and arranged as subsections.
· Univariate Analysis. Discuss the independent variables and describe your sample (this will provide a demographic overview of the sample that can generalized to the population). Discuss the frequencies and/or means associated with the dependent variables.
· Bivariate Analysis. Create and discuss crosstabulations or correlations based on the theory selected.
· Multivariate Analysis. Create and discuss analysis of variance (ANOVA), multiple linear regression, and/or logistic regression.
STUDY CONCLUSIONS. This section should link findings in the previous section with the theoretical perspective and hypothesis development section. This section should address whether or not you supported or failed to support your research hypotheses. This is where you discuss the substantive significance of the findings.
Review and conclude your research effort. Place emphasis on this research effort and how it contributes to the scientific discipline. Speculate on future research efforts and suggestions for further testing your research hypothesis.
REFERENCES. Cite all publications used.
APPENDICES. These are necessary for attaching your questionnaire, additional information, important data not directly related to the research, etc.
LENGTH
As a rule, college students are concerned with the length of a scholarly paper. It is suggest that since this endeavor represents an effort at conducting sociological research, paper length should be of minor importance. However, the paper should be 8-15 pages in length (including tables and graphs). Paper format and source citation should follow ASA (American Sociological Association) manuscript format.
LIBRARY RESEARCH PAPER
OVERVIEW
A sociological research paper delineates a researcher's approach for investigating a social phenomenon. With respect to the social sciences, a research paper based on existing articles and academic books represents a researcher's systematic approach of investigating a social phenomenon. It is comprised of critical linkages found in previous research and work completed by professionals in the discipline. In all practical purposes, a library-based research paper thoroughly evaluates the existing contemporary and historical sociological literature related to the subject matter. Unlike a classic data-based sociological research paper, this endeavor does not require manipulation of empirical information.
FORMAT
The sociological research paper format should contain at the very minimum the following sections; Introduction, Purpose, Discussion of the Subject Matter, Conclusions, and References. Each is discussed in some detail below.
INTRODUCTION. This section should briefly introduce the subject and provide the reader with an appreciation for the social phenomenon to be studied.
PURPOSE (or RESEARCH OBJECTIVE). State clearly and concisely the subject matter you plan to examine. It should not be phrased as a question. Describe the important theoretical issues and sociological concepts associated with the subject matter. Provide an outline of how you will systematically investigate the subject.
DISCUSSION OF THE SUBJECT MATTER. This section will be the longest section of your paper. This is where your synthetic work takes place. The first subsection should provide a historical and factual overview of the subject matter. Arrange this chronologically and define key concepts and variables related to the subject.
The second subsection should be arranged around the appropriate sociological theories for understanding the subject matter. Set this discussion up as a thorough comparison of how competing theories view critical aspects of the subject. As the investigator, you must make the decision with respect to which theory is most effective at understanding the various aspects of the subject matter.
The third subsection should provide a comparison of all contemporary articles and information related to the subject. You should review the relevant literature regarding your subject. This should include recent articles, research efforts, theoretical discussions, academic books, etc. The key here is that the literature should be as current as possible. If you cannot locate current literature, then you should use “classic” articles and books. In this section, all important sociological trends, findings, and article/book conclusions should be articulated and thoroughly discussed. This subsection might be further subdivided to advance your investigation. You must organize the themes in a coherent format. The use of graphs, figures, and tables will enhance the organization of this subsection. Clearly outline your arguments for the reader.
The fourth subsection is where you as the researcher must assemble the information and create your own sociological interpretation of the subject matter. This is where you must get sociologically innovative. Use your sociological research skills to bring all competing issues and points together for presenting a coherent discussion of the subject matter. Make decisions about the theoretical importance of the study and what it means for understanding the subject matter.
CONCLUSIONS. This section should link the important findings in the previous section with the purpose section. This section should address how well you investigated the subject matter and discuss the substantive significance of the findings. Place emphasis on this research effort and how it contributes to the scientific discipline. Speculate on future research efforts and suggestions for further examining the subject matter.
REFERENCES. Cite all publications used.
APPENDICES. These are necessary for attaching, additional information, important data not directly related to the research, etc.
LENGTH
As a rule, college students are concerned with the length of a scholarly paper. It is suggested that since this endeavor represents an effort at conducting sociological research, paper length should be of minor importance. However, the paper should between 8-15 pages in length (including tables and graphs). Paper format and source citation should follow ASA (American Sociological Association) or APA (American Psychological Association) manuscript format.
General Paper Requirements
All papers, unless otherwise noted in the assignment, must meet the following requirements in order to receive full credit.
Margins: 1 inch (Top, bottom, left, and right)
Font: Times New Roman
Font size: 12 point
Spacing
Double space only. Microsoft Word adds extra space as a default after carriage returns. This must be turned off. This is located in different menus or tabs, depending on the version of Word. Find the formatting for “Paragraph” and make sure the values in “Spacing” are both zero for the “Before” and “After” fields.
Alignment
Left (exceptions: align cover page and some section headings as required according to style used, i.e. APA or ASA). Do not “justify” alignment.
Point of view
Third person only. Use of first and/or second person will not be accepted.
Formatting
American Psychological Association (APA) or American Sociological Association (ASA)formatting. This includes, but is not limited to, the format of the cover page, in-text citations, punctuation, reference page, section headings, and so forth. Only one formatting style will be used; do not interchange them within a paper.
Minimum/maximum length
All papers will be given a minimum and a maximum length value. If these guidelines are not met, the paper will have 10 points deducted automatically. A minimum length requirement refers to a full page; a part of a page does not count. For example, if the minimum length is 4 pages, 4 full pages are required, not 3 ¾.
Abstract
An abstract is neither necessary nor required for the papers.
Turning in Papers
All papers must be turned in to the main Sociology department office (MS 4.02.66) by 5:00 pm on the due date. Do not slide papers under the door of the department office nor my office – they will be reduced one letter grade and be counted late.
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