The second step in your term project is the preparation of a detailed outline of your paper.   In this outline, it is extremely important that you show me how your paper will be structured and organized, how and where the references will be used to support your arguments, how you will examine developmental issues, and how you will incorporate multiple perspectives on your topic that vary by age, gender, culture, or history.

• 2 pages long Detailed Outline (8 points)
• give suggested headers/subheaders

• Use format (i.e., I. A. 1.a.)
• Show in outline where using your references (APA formatted)

• 5 scholarly references - APA format on a Reference Page (2 points)

• Paper layout: Margins, headers, page numbers, double spaced, 12-point font, Times New Roman, etc)

• 1 photocopied title page and Abstract of ONE key reference that you intend to use in your paper (4 points)

• 2-3 page, double-spaced summary and critique of the article (6 points)
• For articles describing specific studies or experiments, summaries should include
• a brief summary of the goals or hypotheses of the study,
• A brief summary of the methods used,
• A brief overview of the results. 
• Your summary should also include any commentary on how well you think the data support the issue/topic you have chosen. 

• For articles that are review pieces or personal commentaries,
• Your summary should review the key points raised in support of and questioning your issue/topic. 
• You should review the strength and depth of the evidence provided. 
• Does the author have a particular agenda or stance on the issue? 
• Were there any gaps in the logic or presentation? 
• Were you convinced?

The purpose of this step is to help you use psychological databases to search for topics and to choose appropriate sources from mainstream developmental journals. Use psychological journals such as those listed at the bottom as a starting point and seek others that may be appropriate for your topic. Avoid popular media and esoteric sources as references. Your outline and paper will have points deducted for poor references. Browse through the journals to find interesting articles that are comprehensible to you. Don't worry if you cannot understand the details of the statistical part of the article. Review the article carefully and organize your ideas before you start writing. You are expected to turn in detailed outlines with an original critique of an article.

Recommended Journals for Papers: Developmental Psychology, Child Development, Journal of Developmental Psychology, Journal of Educational Psychology, Infant Behavior and Development, Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Journal of Adolescence, Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, Sex Roles, Cognitive Development, American Educational Research Journal, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Adolescence, Journal of Cross-cultural Psychology, Psychology and Aging, Journal of Gerontology, Journal of Marriage and the Family, Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, Human Development.  If you choose to use a journal that is not on this list, you might want to check with me to see if it is.