Outline and Final Project

OVERVIEW

This document describes your final project (due by the last day of the semester) as well as the outline you are required to prepare ahead of time. Check the Course Calendar for the due dates for both the outline and the final project.

For your final project you will:

• Choose a courts and criminal procedures topic.
• Research the relevant literature.
• Explain and apply key terms and concepts relevant to your topic.
• Critically examine your topic.
• React to a controversial statement or position on that topic.
• Evaluate various theories considering existing research and your own experience.
• Take a position and write a position paper, making reference to the interdependence of criminal justice with other fields such as psychology or sociology.

You will begin with an outline. The purpose of the outline is to provide your mentor with a proposal, in the form of a full-sentence outline, for your position paper. Your outline must include a complete (fully formulated) reaction statement and a list of all references (scholarly books, articles, and other sources of information) you plan to use to write your paper. Your mentor will review this outline to make sure that you are on the right track and provide you with valuable feedback.

The goal of the outline is to help your mentor understand why you have chosen your topic. Therefore, your outline should answer the following questions:

• Why did you select this topic?
• Why is it important to you?
• What are the key issues you will address?
• What is your position on the issue?
• What resources do you plan to use to support your position?

The more information you provide in the outline, the better your mentor will be able to grasp your intent; the more your mentor knows about your paper, the better they will be able to provide guidance.

FINAL PROJECT OUTLINE GUIDELINES

Please use the following guidelines to create your outline.

• Your outline should be between 375 and 600 words in length.
• Your outline should include a complete, fully formulated reaction statement that clearly states the issue and defines the key areas you are addressing.
• Your outline should be a .
• Your outline should present the structure and content of your paper, as well as the references you plan to use to support your position. Embed in-text citations in your outline and add references at the end of your outline. Merely listing references at the end of your outline is not enough. You must include in-text citations.

The following instructions are relevant both to your outline and to the project itself.

1. Select a current issue related to courts and criminal procedures. This should be an issue that you are passionate about. How do you find a current issue? Below are some possible sources. You are encouraged to find your own sources. If you find any that may be helpful to your classmates, feel free to share them through the discussion board or Class Lounge.

• .
• Google a list of Supreme Court cases being decided in the current/next year. A search such as Supreme Court cases to watch or Supreme Court cases in [current year] should work. The site also has a list.

In addition, here are a few additional topics that you may have interest in and want to research for your final project:

• Legal procedural issues involved with the reclassification or decriminalization of drugs
• The erosion of the right to privacy
• Issues involved with the use of the drug courier profile
• Alternatives to the exclusionary rule

Note: The topic you select should be a current United States issue. Do not select an issue from a foreign country unless your idea is first approved by your mentor.

1. Research the issue. You are required to use at least five sources for your paper. The only references you may cite are:
2. Peer-reviewed, professional journal articles (e.g., articles published in journals such as Crime and Delinquency, Police Quarterly, Social Problems, American Psychological Review), law review articles, scholarly books (excluding the course textbook)
3. Federal and state case law (i.e., appellate court decisions)
4. State or federal statutes (including references to their legislative history)
5. Government publications (e.g., Uniform Crime Reports, National Institute of Justice publications, U.S. Census Data)
6. Scholarly websites

Do not cite non-scholarly newspaper or magazine articles. Consult the Research tab in Moodle, where you will find databases with scholarly articles. The New Jersey State Library is a good place to search, especially the Criminal Justice database.

1. Keep in mind that the references you select must include: (a) at least one scholarly book (i.e., an edited volume or full-length book) published within the last three to five years (this will indicate that you are familiar with current research and data in the field), and (b) at least one criminal justice professional journal article published within the last three to five years (this will indicate that you know how to find current information in this field).
2. Include an annotated bibliography in your outline. Your mentor needs to know that you have a rationale for selecting the sources you did. Therefore you must provide an annotated bibliography for each of your sources. Include this annotated bibliography as part of the References section of your outline.

An is a summary of each source. Read and analyze the source, identify the main ideas, and determine whether the information is relevant to your topic. Paraphrase (use your own words) to express the main ideas. Each annotated bibliography entry should be at least one paragraph (minimum of four sentences). Start by paraphrasing the main ideas. End by explaining how the source is relevant to your topic.

1. Take a stand on the issue. After you have settled on an issue, think about the issue and take a stand. Formulate your thoughts. Know why you feel the way you do about the issue.
2. Evaluate the pros and cons of both sides of the issue. Display objectivity! You are not merely expressing your opinion. You are taking a point of view supported by professional literature. Do not merely conduct a superficial review of the issue. Roll up your sleeves and dig deep into the issue. Immerse yourself with the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of both sides of the issue. You must support all of your statements with citations from professional literature.

While you are analyzing your issue and using your multiple professional sources, it will be important to analyze how the sources relate. If you are using only one source in a section of your paper, remember to connect the source to overarching concepts and themes you have discussed in your paper. All parts of your paper, including your sources, must be related.

1. Create your outline. Present the structure and basic content of your paper in a full-sentence outline, including the sections it will have and the areas, ideas, theories, issues, and so on that you will present.
2. Abstract
3. Statement of the problem (reaction statement)
4. Analysis and defense of your position (create a separate point for each main idea or defense you will use to support your position)
5. Conclusion

In-text citations must be included in your outline and references must appear at the end of your outline. As stated, each reference must include an annotated bibliography. Note: When you write your final position paper, remember to remove the annotations and include just the references. All the references must be in proper APA format. Remember, a minimum of five references, excluding the course textbook, is required. Use a variety of references, not just one type of reference.