This assignment will involve writing a review of an empirically based scholarly article related to policing. An empirically based article is not a news story, it is an article based on real experience or scientific experiments. Articles can come from any academic journal; use library resources to search databases such as ProQuest or NCLive. Your article must deal specifically with policing and not any other part of the criminal justice system. Review your article and write a two to five page paper, not including title page and reference page, about the article. To do this, you will use the following underlined headings to organize your thoughts.
Introduction/Background: Summarize the background facts of the article and what you will be discussing in your paper. This includes the history of research on the topic as listed in the article (what the researchers have based their research on or used to formulate their research questions). Describe only the essential facts that you need to understand the article’s findings as they relate to policing; do not re-write the article.
Issue(s): What is/are the question(s) the researchers are seeking to answer? (This question should be addressed in your paper, but do not write the actual question verbatim in your work.). This need only be one paragraph summing up the purpose of the research and the theory or hypothesis of the researchers.
Results: What did the researchers conclude from their research? Do they suggest additional research to answer questions they were unable to answer? (These questions should be addressed in your paper, but do not write the actual questions verbatim in your work.)
Discussion: What is your conclusion based on the facts of the article? This is where you apply your understanding of policing to the information you have garnered from the article you are reviewing. This is the most important section of your paper. Here you want to describe the conclusions the researchers drew from their research. Be detailed in this section; but, keep in mind this is a two to five page paper. Describe how these finding have changed or could change the present circumstances in policing. Would the changes be beneficial or detrimental to policing as you understand it?
References: Use APA citation format. Your references will be on a separate page at the end of your paper. If you do not know APA I have placed some information in the class site. Please make sure to review it.
Your paper must be composed using a Word document only; 2-5 pages in length (not including title page and reference page), use 12 point Times New Roman font only, double spaced and one-inch margins. Most Word programs are formatted with one-inch margins by default, so you may not have to alter the margins (This document has one-inch margins). It must have your name and course number, and page numbers in the header; and no header on the title page. You must include in-text citations for any referenced material using APA format. Your grade will be based on:
Accuracy of the information you are presenting
Clarity of your writing and ideas (do your ideas follow a logical progression
Sufficiency of and quality of content
Use of proper writing mechanics to include: grammar, spelling, sentence structure, capitalization, and proper punctuation. Be sure you review these formatting requirements and the grading rubric (posted on Blackboard) and follow it so you can avoid losing points. This is college and I expect college level work.
This paper must be original to you. Do not copy-and-paste (copy verbatim) any information from outside sources. Paraphrase any work that is not original to you and credit the author with an in-text citation. Writing large sections of work from an outside source is plagiarism, even if you cite it. Basically, use your own words and original thoughts.
To successfully complete the assignment, you must first understand the issues involved in policing. To understand policing you must read the text and attend class regularly. Realize that policing is not just about driving around town or arresting people, but is in fact a complex undertaking with broad ramifications.
Below is a brief list policing issues/topics.
Community Policing
Discretion in Policing
Goals of Policing
Intelligence-Led Policing
Mission of Policing
Neighborhood Policing
Objectives of Policing
Problem-Oriented Policing
Regulations for Policing
Tasks of Policing (this is not duties of police officers)
Traditional Policing
Values of Policing
This is an academic paper; this should not include bullets or a simple check list. You must explain the topics to a degree that demonstrates your understanding of the topic. Additionally, you must present a well thought out systematic evaluation. Your paper will also need to be well written with proper grammar, spelling and sentence structure. This is a college level course and college level writing is expected.
