Field Study or Job Site Paper
Write a 4-page paper about a potential field study or job site that you are interested in working at; double spaced, 12-point font, 1 inch margins with page numbers, in APA paper and citation format. Excluded from page count: title page, abstract, list of resources, footnotes or endnotes, graphics (e.g., charts, graphs, maps, pictures and captions) and appendix. Include an Abstract (120-word maximum) and Keywords (3-4 words). In the Introduction, provide an overview of the research topic and why you were interested in this topic, research question, research methods (e.g., data analysis, document review, and/or interviews), and organization/outline of the paper. Here is a suggested research question: “How does the field study site of ________address the issue of ________ in the city/county of ________?” In the Literature Review section, describe how you read literature to define key (or unfamiliar) terms and discuss the importance of this research topic. In the Literature Review, cite a minimum of two academic articles or books related to this issue. Often students read more articles to find the best (most relevant) two articles. You may also cite professional reports, reputable newspaper articles, or websites, but you need to cite at least two academic articles (typically found through Google Scholar or another library search engine). In the Methods section, explain what research methods that you used, the data sources, and what data that you collected. In the Findings section, describe the results of your research. In other words, how did you answer your research question? You should have the following sections: Background – describe the field study or job site, staff, clients, the organization’s mission, programs or departments Location – describe data collected about the city/county: geographic location, population, race/ethnicity, median income, poverty level, etc. Issue – how does this organization address an issue in the city/county? In the Conclusion, summarize your analysis of key findings, your limitations of the study, (i.e. issues of validity or bias), how this relates to the literature, and potential future research on this topic.
