The writing assignment for this semester will be an original research report that focuses on clearly stating and carefully solving a problem of your choice. You will be required to use electronic database resources for reference material and potential solutions for the problem or situation. This assignment will be graded using a "contact" scale. This means that there is a set of minimum requirements of acceptable quality work submitted that will used to determine the final grade on the Writing Assignment.

Research Outline Due: October 18, 2003
In-class Writing Workshop: November 1, 2003
Completed Paper Due: November 22, 2003

  STEP 1. CHOOSE A RESEARCH STUDY for your writing assignment:

Think about
    1) a particular population of people who have special problems or issues related to HIV disease,
            (pregnant teen-agers in the US and the health care of their babies) or
            (prostitutes in Calcutta and their need for information on sexually transmitted infections
or
    2) a specific problem of the HIV/AIDS epidemic
            (need for human trials of drugs and vaccines)
            (federal funding of health insurance)
 

STEP 2. DO RESEARCH ON YOUR CHOICE OF POPULATION OR PROBLEM:

Using the electronic databases in the libraries to search for legitimate primary research articles from "peer-reviewed" journals (those that have serious scholars as editors and reviewers). Find at least one article for FOUR out of the nine categories: 1. Medical; 2. Psychological; 3. Political; 4. Educational; 5. Economic, 6. Legal, 7. Ethical, 8. Religious 9. Sociological. THREE of these FOUR articles MUST BE FROM 2003! You may use more than four articles, but your must have a minium of four (three from 2003).  Submit a photocopy of the title page of each reference article (not the title page of the journal volume)that you plan to use with your Topic-Database-Reference Search Results.
 
 

STEP 3. SUBMIT RESEARCH TOPIC-DATABASE-REFERENCE SEARCH RESULTS NO LATER THAN THE BEGINNING OF CLASS ON 18 October 2003:

Use the following format to submit your Topic-Database-Reference Search Results (typed, hardcopy only) to me no later than the end of class on 18 October.

********************************
Name:

One or two sentences describing the Population and Problem you have chosen to study:

Database(s) used:

topic(s) searched:

subtopic(s):

Reference citations:
A.List the category which the reference satisfies:
    1. Medical; 2. Psychological; 3. Political; 4. Educational; 5. Economic, 6. Legal, 7. Ethical, 8. Religious, 9. Sociological.
B.Then give the Author, Title, Journal, year, volume, page, for a minimum of 1 article in each of four topic areas. Include a photocopy of the Title page of each of the selected reference articles.

P. Van de Ven: A scale of optimism-scepticism in the context of HIV treatments; AIDS Care, Abingdon; Apr 2000; Vol. 12, Iss. 2; pg. 171, 6 pgs
 
 

Medical Librarian Jackie Mardikian from the Library of Science and Medicine and Lisa Vecchio from the Douglass Library will be presenting a session to the class on 4 October 2003 in the Records Hall Computing Lab. Jackie Mardikian will also be available on-line to answer your queswtions on how to use Rutgers Libraries electronic resources. She has also provided for a special on-line tutorial for this assignment at: http://www.scc.rutgers.edu/aids/
 
In addition, students can get help at the reference desks at any of the libraries, or make an appointment with Ms. Mardikian during her regularly scheduled reference desk hours or at another mutually agreeable time.
 
STEP 4. WRITE RESEARCH REPORT:
Using the references, describe the population, the HIV-related issue(s) of that population and how you would make recommendations for solution(s) to the problem(s). Limit your description and solution to four type-written pages (10 or 12 point font). Any material after the page 4 will not be considered!

STEP 5. BRING TWO COPIES OF THE FOUR PAGE TEXT OF THE PAPER TO CLASS ON NOV 1, 2003 FOR IN-CLASS WRITING WORKSHOP.
 
STEP 6. USE OF REFERENCE MATERIALS:
In the body of your research report, use quotes from the reference articles to support your descriptions of the population, problem and solution you have chosen for your research.

 STEP 7. USE STATISTICS FROM REFERENCE MATERIALS (APPENDIX 1: STATISTICS):
Use statistics, graphs, charts, tables from the reference articles to support your description of the population, problem or solution. Use an APPENDIX of STATISTICS (page 5) for these data.
 

STEP 8. OUTLINE OF SOLUTION (APPENDIX 2: SOLUTION PLAN)
Write a detailed outline of your solution, For example, if you design an educational program, list the topics to be covered in the lesson plan, the length of the class, the frequency, the grade level.
 

STEP 9. ASK THREE COLLEAGUES to CRITIQUE your RESEARCH REPORT:
When you have completed your research paper, have three friends read and critique your paper. On a separate piece of paper for each of them, have each one answer these questions as they critique your research and recommendations.

*********************
Name:

Relationship to author:

Occupation:

Critique questions:

1. What is the unique feature of the study population or problem described by the author?

2. Is the HIV-related problem or issue clearly described and valid for the study population or problem?

3. Does the author use comments and/or statistical data from the references, for the description of the population, problem, and solution?

4. How can the author improve this description of the population, the problem and the solution?

5. Did you learn anything from this research report? If so, what?
   

STEP 10. REBUTTAL OF CRITIQUES:
On another page, state whether the suggestions from the critics would improve your paper. That is, do you agree with the criticisms and how would you change your paper if you could?
 
STEP 11. PROFESSIONAL REVIEW OF YOUR SOLUTION PLAN:
Ask a professional in the field,( i.e., if you design an education plan, ask a teacher) to read your paper and to specifically critique your paper (on their letter head or supply business card) considering your "Detailed Outline of the Solution," using these questions:
*****************
1. What is the unique feature of the study population or problem described by the author?

2. Is the HIV-related problem or issue clearly described and valid for the study population or problem?

3. Does the author use comments and/or statistical data from the references, for the description of the population, problem, and solution?

4. Is the author's solution plan appropriate, realisitic and feasible, given the information in the body of the paper and in the Appendix 2?

5. How can the author improve this description of the solution plan?
****************************

STEP 12: BRING COMPLETED ASSIGNMENT TO CLASS ON November 22, 2003

Completed Paper Due: November 22, 2003

 GRADES FOR WRITING ASSIGNMENT will be made based on the completion of acceptable quality of work submitted in the following categories:
 
 
 

grade	points	outline	research report	four references	critiques/ rebuttal	appropriate use of quotes from references	appropriate use of statistics (Appendix1)	Solution Outline (Appendix2)	Professional Review of Solution Outline
F	30	X
D	80-99	X	X	X
C	100-119	X	X	X	X
C+	120-139	X	X	X	X	X
B	140-159	X	X	X	X	X	X
B+	160-179	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
A	180-200	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X

 

		outline	research report	minium of four references	critiques/ rebuttal	appropriate use of quotes from references	appropriate use of statistics	Solution Outline	Professional Review of Solution Outline
total pages		one page Outline PLUS	Title Page plus four page report	Bibliography = reference page	Critique questions answered on three pages	in body of report	in body of report PLUS Appendix 1	Appendix 2	Appendix3
		Four Photo- copies
			pages 1-4	page 5	pages 6-8	in body of report	page 9 and in report	page 10 plus additional if needed	page 11