Behavior Analysis Welcome Packet
Grading Criteria for Review Paper
The following criteria are used to evaluate/grade research papers.
- Format - Double Space (1 ½) Size 12 font
- Abstract - See suggestions at end.
- Organization - By topic or points you want to make
- Article review - For Each Article Reviewed
- Correct Citation (APA) of work
- Purpose of the study: Do the authors build a case for the importance of their study? Is the purpose clearly stated and logical?
- Description of the Subjects and Setting: Who are the study participants and what is the setting?
- Dependent Variable (Measure)-
- How was the behavior defined. - operational definition: Are the target behavior definitions adequate? Could you replicate the study given their definitions?
- How was the behavior measured - Is the recording system sensitive to behavior change? Does the recording system capture important behavior changes? Are the authors measuring what they intend to measure as described in the purpose? Can you replicate it given their description? Comment on potential problems such as reactivity, observer bias and drift, length and sampling of observation sessions, complexity of the system, etc.
- How was Inter-Observer Reliability assessed- Describe the procedures used to demonstrate inter-observer agreement. Were they adequate? Did the authors give a mean and range of percent agreements for each phase/behavior in addition to overall mean and range?
- Type of Experimental Design- What experimental design was used? Is the design appropriate or would you have used a different design?
- Independent Variable - Intervention/Treatment
- What procedures were utilized - describe in detail
Describe the intervention. Could you replicate it based on the description? - Baseline Levels/Trends
- Treatment Levels/Trends
Results obtained - compare baseline and treatment levels - Was there a clear change in the subjects' behavior correlated with the implementation of the experimental procedure, i.e., a change not confounded by trends or variability in the data? Are the graphs clearly constructed?
- What procedures were utilized - describe in detail
- Maintenance and Generalization - How were these assessed
- Discussion of relevance of findings
- Application of principles
- Limitations of research
- Conclusion of Paper - synthesis of findings, what did you learn?
See suggestions at end. - Reference Page(s) - correct APA citations
- Mechanics
- Writing Style
- Flow
- Organization
- Headings
- Grammar/Spelling
- Limit Quotations
How To Write A Research Paper: from http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/
Qualities of a Good Abstract
An effective abstract has the following qualities:
- uses one or more well developed paragraphs: these are unified, coherent, concise, and able to stand alone.
- uses an introduction/body/conclusion structure which presents the article, paper, or report's purpose, results, conclusions, and recommendations in that order.
- follows strictly the chronology of the article, paper, or report.
- provides logical connections (or transitions) between the information included.
- adds no new information, but simply summarizes the report.
- is understandable to a wide audience.
- oftentimes uses passive verbs to downplay the author and emphasize the information. Check with your teacher if you're unsure whether or not to use passive voice.
Steps for Writing Effective Abstracts from Literacy Education Online
To write an effective abstract, follow these steps:
- Reread the article, paper, or report with the goal of abstracting in mind.
- Look specifically for these main parts of the article, paper, or report: purpose, methods, scope, results, conclusions, and recommendation.
- Use the headings, outline heads, and table of contents as a guide to writing your abstract.
- If you're writing an abstract about another person's article, paper, or report, the introduction and the summary are good places to begin. These areas generally cover what the article emphasizes.
- After you've finished rereading the article, paper, or report, write a rough draft without looking back at what you're abstracting.
- Don't merely copy key sentences from the article, paper, or report: you'll put in too much or too little information.
- Don't rely on the way material was phrased in the article, paper, or report: summarize information in a new way.
- Revise your rough draft to
- correct weaknesses in organization.
- improve transitions from point to point.
- drop unnecessary information.
- add important information you left out.
- eliminate wordiness.
- fix errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
- Print your final copy and read it again to catch any glitches that you find.
How to Write a Conclusion
Conclusions are often the most difficult part of an essay to write, and many writers feel that they have nothing left to say after having written the paper. A writer needs to keep in mind that the conclusion is often what a reader remembers best. Your conclusion should be the best part of your paper.
A conclusion should:
- stress the importance of the thesis statement,
- give the essay a sense of completeness, and
- leave a final impression on the reader.
Suggestions:
- Answer the question "So What?"
Show your readers why this paper was important. Show them that your paper was meaningful and useful. - Synthesize, don't summarize.
Don't simply repeat things that were in your paper. They have read it. Show them how the points your made and the support and examples you used were not random, but fit together. - Redirect your readers.
Give your reader something to think about, perhaps a way to use your paper in the "real" world. If your introduction went from general to specific, make your conclusion go from specific to general. Think globally. - Create a new meaning.
You don't have to give new information to create a new meaning. By demonstrating how your ideas work together, you can create a new picture. Often the sum of the paper is worth more than its parts.
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