Psychology 103 - Critical Thinking in Psychology: Online Resources - Professor Jasso - Summer 2021: Your Assignment

I'm very excited to be a part of your Summer course! Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions you may have!

Understanding Your Assignment

Before you begin looking for information you should make sure you understand your assignment. Some good questions are:

• How many pages?
• How many sources?
• What kinds of sources?
  
  • Books
  • Articles
  • Websites
    
• What format?

Your professor is your best resource to answer these questions.

We will have a synchronous meeting on Thursday, May 27th to introduce you to this guide and talk about researching in the databases for your big Research Paper. I will post a video of that meeting here..

Writing an argumenative paper on a controversial issue requires that you look at both sides of an issue and take a position on one side or the other.  You not only take a stand on an issue, but you must defend it against opposing points of view.  Therefore, your argumentative research paper will involve advocacy and persuasion. 

What to do:

• Select your topic
• Research the issues surrounding the topic
• Read other writers’ arguments for and against
• Take a stand
• Present supporting evidence in favor of your position
• Defend your position against opposing points of view
• Anticipate and deflect arguments against your position
• Make your case persuasively 

Breaking Down The Research Process  

The following outline gives a simple and effective strategy for finding information for a research paper and documenting the sources you find. Depending on your topic and your familiarity with the library, you may need to rearrange or recycle these steps. Adapt this outline to your needs. We are ready to help you at every step in your research.

1. Choose a topic - or have one assigned
2. Understand your topic
   • Background reading
     
   • Consider a main focus
   • Refine your topic
   • Make a list of your keywords and concepts
     
3. Search Sources
   • Find Books
   • Find Articles
   • Find Websites
4. Write your paper - Informative, Analytical, Argumentative, Critical
5. Cite your sources

During these days and times, I will be staffing the Chat with your Embedded Librarian chat box below:

Mondays  2:00 - 5:00p  (except Memorial Day)

Tuesdays 2:00 - 9:00p

Thursdays 10:00 - 2:00p

Fridays 11:00 - 3:00p

If you need help at any point outside of these hours, feel free to email me directly at lschenk@cerritos.edu OR you may chat with another librarian anytime the Library is open by clicking on the Chat with a Librarian tab on the right of your screen. 

Your Assignment

For this research paper, you can choose one of the four suggested topics or your own topic that has been approved by Professor Jasso.  Use this guide to access the online databases available through the Cerritos College Library. There your will find reliable sources for your paper.

Below are some related research guides