For the capstone research paper, you will write an 8-10 page paper (excluding the title page, reference page, tables, and figures) about the approved policy you selected at the beginning of the semester (Capstone Paper Topics). The purpose of this paper is to provide a synopsis of the policy’s background/history, purpose, goal(s), implementation, and efficacy; thus, the following information must be included within your paper:

• a description of the policy and the scope of the problem (e.g., statistics) the policy is trying to address;
• a discussion of the history of the policy, including why, where, and when it was created;
• a discussion of the purpose(s) or goal(s) of the policy (i.e., what it is designed to accomplish, who or what it is targeting).

In addition, you must summarize three (3) empirical (primary research) studies that have evaluated how effective the policy has been in achieving its goals (the policy's efficacy). For each study, include the following information:

• a summary of the research question examined,
• a summary of the population/sample examined,
• a summary of how the data were obtained and what data were obtained (i.e., the specific type of information collected),
• a summary of the findings as they relate to your thesis statement, and 
• a brief discussion of any significant limitations to the findings.

All information contained in the paper must come from academic sources and the focus of these sources must be on the US (do not include research from other countries as this is a US policy paper). You must include/cite at least 10 academic sources (e.g., journal articles, law reviews, academic books, research reports, encyclopedias, etc.), at least five (5) of which must be published in academic journals (subject to peer review). Do not include theses or dissertations.

Your paper must be written in APA format (7th edition) and must include proper APA citations. Failure to include citations constitutes plagiarism. Your paper must also include an APA formatted title page and reference page.

Structural Elements of the Capstone Research Paper

Policy reports may reflect different roles that policy analysts commonly play, i.e., from researcher to advocate. The type of paper you are writing is one that is action/advocacy oriented (but based purely on evidence from academic sources and not opinion). The capstone research paper must be structured using the following sections:

1. Title page (APA formatted, 7th Edition)
2. Introduction (brief description of policy, purpose/goals, targeted population, components, etc., include thesis statement)
3. Background (history/origins of policy, scope of policy, importance and prevalence of problem)
4. Implementation (where, when, and why policy was created; policy's full purpose/goals, what is it designed to accomplish/achieve, and what target population benefits from it)
5. Research (summary and discussion of 3 primary research studies evaluating the policy's effectiveness/efficacy; collective discussion of research findings, have researchers found the policy to be effective in accomplishing its purpose/goals). Note primary research studies must contain a methodology and results section. If a source does not include these sections, it is not a primary research study. 
6. Recommendations (based on your research what changes need to be made, what is working, what is not working, include all points of view and perspectives; then, make recommendations for improvement to the legislature/law makers)  
7. Conclusion (brief summary of findings, outcomes, and final take away message from your policy research/review; policy implications, future directions, and expectations)
8. Reference page (APA formatted, 7th edition) – sample available

Formatting

Papers must be formatted using Times New Roman 12-point font; double-spaced; left alignment, 1" page margins all around, page numbers in the upper right header. Paraphrase in your own words and make sure to proofread your paper for mechanics and grammar.

Grading

Using the grading rubrics below, papers will be evaluated on written communication (5 criteria), content knowledge (3 criteria), critical thinking (4 criteria), and fulfilling the paper requirements as specified above (1 criterion). Papers will be graded out of 100%.

Note: Only Word documents will be accepted. No PDFs, please.