Problems in Profession Report Assessment

Objectives: To research your chosen profession, to write a three-to-five-page report in APA format, to use APA documentation for sources

Topic:

Research your chosen field, looking for problems or issues within the field (avoid the topics of salary and schooling).  Find at least three problems.  The problems chosen should be problems that a person encounters once he or she starts working in the field.  Decide which problem is the most significant.

Research:

All research should be from reputable sources.  As such, only use information found on NC Live, JSTOR, ebooks, or hard copies of books (do not use dictionaries and encyclopedias since these do not provide in-depth information).  I recommend NOT waiting until the last minute to find your sources; good research requires time.

Setup:

The assignment needs to be set up according to APA basic paper setup guidelines.  APA has several accepted guidelines, so follow the instructions (and the APA section of A Writer’s Reference) here carefully.

Use a one-inch margin, use double spacing, use Times New Roman 12, and use a running head per section APA-5a of A Writer’s Reference. Then, place the title of your report (shortened to 50 characters or less) and the page number in the upper right corner in all caps. Use the sample paper in section APA-5b of A Writer’s Reference as your guideline.

APA requires a title page.  Follow the format illustrated in section APA-5b (on page 525) of A Writer’s Reference.  The layout is different from any MLA cover pages, so make sure that you follow APA format.

The title should be capitalized according to APA capitalization rules.  Remember that the title of your paper does not generally get formatted with underlining, italics, quotation marks, bolding, etc.  Also, the title only needs to be followed by a mark of punctuation if the title is asking a question or exclaiming.

Content:

The report should contain the following sections, and each section should contain the described information:

1. Abstract

• Summarize of your entire paper in three to five sentences

2. Introduction

• Mention your chosen profession.
• Introduce the three problems related to your profession that you have examined.

3. Methods

• State how you found each of your sources. Be specific – for internet sources, give your search terms and the names of the databases where you found your sources.
• Explain why you feel each source is valuable or reputable.

4. Findings (Results)

• Summarize the findings from all of the sources that you have listed on your references page.
• State in one sentence which of the three problems you examined is the most significant

5. Discussion

• Discuss why problem x is the most significant problem in your field.
• Provide multiple reasons to explain why this is the most significant problem (think of this section as an argument).
• Include quotations from your sources to support your points.

6.   References

• Use APA format to list the sources you quoted when writing your report. 
• (Remember:  only sources that are actually used in the paper should be listed on a References page AND the References section does not count toward the length of the assignment.)

(This assignment is modelled on an assignment created by Kristy Crawley.)

Problems in Profession Report Assessment Rubric

Name________________________________	Does Not Meet Expectations	Minimally Meets Expectations	Somewhat Meets Expectations	Meets Expectations	Exceeds Expectations
	0-2 points	3-5 points	6-7 points	8-9 points	10 points
Format/Grammar:
Format: Report follows instructions and guidelines of the document including margins, length, cover page/heading, outline, document naming, submission, etc.
Grammar: Grammar errors (including 1st/2nd person, passive voice, subject/verb agreement, delay of subject, punctuation, etc.) are avoided. Authors are referred to correctly.
Content/Organization:
Abstract:  Summary is clear, accurate, and complete and otherwise follows instructions.
Introduction: Purpose of research is clear.  Other items to consider are discussed as needed in a clear and organized manner.
Methods: Procedure for research is clear and detailed. Value and validity of each source are explained.
Findings: The most significant problem is clearly stated in one sentence. Each source is summarized and evaluated in a clear and organized manner.
Discussion:  Problem X is explained in a way that demonstrates college-level critical thinking skills in a clear and organized manner. Discussion is well developed and shows evidence of backing up the presented ideas with quotes from sources as needed.
References: References page is in correct format. Individual reference entries are correct.
Sources
Research Incorporation: Report shows evidence of thorough research of chosen topic. Research is incorporated into the document correctly and appropriately. Parenthetical citations are appropriate and correct.
Source Selection: Sources used for the document are appropriate and current.
Total Grade