In Week Five you will complete a Final Paper that will focus on evaluating research studies and reports to analyze a specific topic within a Health and Human Services research area. Review the instructions for your Final Paper in Week Five of the course or in the “Components of Course Evaluation” section of this guide.
This week you will submit a description of your topic area and an outline for your Final Paper. To begin, select a topic area from the Health and Human Services field. Your topic should correspond to actual research studies that have been performed. You may find it easier to locate peer-reviewed sources as you select your topic area, to ensure that there is research available in the area you choose. Examples of possible topic areas include:
- Program effectiveness of community-based mental health treatment facilities.
- Perceptions of ethical competence among human service professionals working in long- term care.
- Treatment intervention outcomes for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Characteristics of successful job placement programs for special needs adults.
- Trends in health care legislation and impacts on health and human service delivery.
In the first part of your assignment this week, describe your selected topic area, including the problem or background issues that you would like to address in your Final Paper. To do this, you will need to visit the Ashford University Library and locate at least eight peer-reviewed sources that pertain to your selected topic area. Your sources must present actual research studies that correspond to the problem or background of your selected topic area.
Summarize the components, attributes, and/or various segments of the topic area you have selected.
For example:
- What is the research problem or issue?
- Who or what is affected by this problem or issue?
- What are some specific examples of research studies, evaluations, reports, literature reviews, etc. that address it?
- What are the findings of these sources, and what are their implications on the health and human services field?
Then, create a detailed outline of your Final Paper. Your outline should include at least headings and sub-headings, with at least a one- to two-sentence description for each. Indicate within each section which of your sources will apply to that section.
The Final Paper Outline should be two to three pages total (excluding title and reference pages) in APA format. One page will be the topic area description and summary and one to two pages will be the outline. Utilize a minimum of eight peer-reviewed sources that were published within the last 10 years and that are cited according to APA format as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. For assistance with formatting outlines, visit the Ashford Writing Center and the Ashford University Library.
Final Paper
Your final assignment for this course is a Final Paper that will focus on evaluating research studies and reports to analyze a specific topic within a Health and Human Services research area. You will select a topic area in Week Three of this course that will be used for the Final Paper. Examples of possible topic areas include:
· Program effectiveness of community-based mental health treatment facilities.
· Perceptions of ethical competence among human service professionals working in long- term care.
· Treatment intervention outcomes for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
· Characteristics of successful job placement programs for special needs adults.
· Trends in health care legislation and impacts on health and human service delivery.
For your Final Paper, you will elaborate on each section of your Final Paper Outline from Week Three. You must utilize at least eight peer-reviewed sources that were published within the last 10 years; these will be the same sources that you identified in your Week Three assignment. Your sources must present actual research studies that correspond to the problem or background of your selected topic area. Your Final Paper must address the following:
· Describe your selected topic area. Your description of the problem or background of your topic area should include more detail than the overview you provided in Week Three.
· Summarize the components, attributes, and/or various segments of the topic area you have selected. For example:
· What is the research problem or issue?
· Who or what is affected by this problem or issue?
· What are some specific examples of research studies, evaluations, reports, literature reviews, etc. that address it?
· What are the findings of these sources, and what are their implications on the health and human services field?
· Evaluate the research reports and/or theories from the studies presented in your minimum of eight peer-reviewed resources. This analysis should add to the exploration of the problem or background of your selected topic area.
Writing the Final Paper The Final Paper:
1. Must be eight to ten double-spaced pages (excluding the title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
2. Must include a title page with the following:
a. Title of paper
b. Student’s name
c. Course name and number
d. Instructor’s name
e. Date submitted
3. Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement.
4. Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
5. Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.
6. Must use at least eight peer-reviewed sources from the Ashford University Library.
7. Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
8. Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.) for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.