literature review comparing united states correction system to norways correction system
Basic guidelines and formatting:
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This paper must be in APA formatting. If you need help with this formatting, here are two
websites that may be useful: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01… and
http://www.apastyle.org.
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This also means that the paper must be double-spaced, have 1-inch margins (top, bottom,
left, and right), and be Times New Roman size 12 font.
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This paper must be at LEAST 1000 words but no more than 1500 words long. You must
also have a cover and reference page (APA style), however these pages do not count
toward the word requirement. In-text citations are required for this paper.
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5 peer-reviewed, scholarly, peer-reviewed journal articles are required. A good place to
start looking for these sources is through the UTC Library (
https://www.utc.edu/library/).
While other references may be used, they will be supplemental to the 5 required peer-
reviewed journal articles.
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While it is acceptable to use quotations, it is better to explain in your own words. Please
keep quotes to a minimum and paraphrase when possible. Points will be deducted for
excessive quotations.
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Please remember that this is a formal paper. Do not use first person in this paper. Do not
include subjective/biased language. Do not use colloquialisms or vernacular terms or keep
their use to a bare minimum. Do not use contractions (e.g., don’t, can’t, wouldn’t). Do not
use abbreviations (e.g. rehab). Introduce acronyms before using them (e.g., The Federal
Bureau of Investigations (FBI)…).
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If you do not follow these guidelines, points will be deducted.
Contents and Components:
In this assignment, you are expected to write a succinct review of
literature which focuses on your particular topic. It may be useful for you to pose a question
about your topic that you would like to answer using empirical literature. For example, maybe
you are interested in substance abuse treatment programs. A good guiding question for your
paper might be: what is the history of substance abuse treatment programs in the US and what is
the current standing of these programs? You might also be guided by: what are the most
effective components of substance abuse treatment programs? In order to do this, you are
required
to use at least 5 scholarly, peer-reviewed journal articles. While you are allowed to use
other sources as well, these will be supplemental to your 5 required ones. There are several
components that you might have in this paper to accomplish this task.
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In parentheses beside
each header I have included a tentative word count to give you an idea of about how much of
the paper each section should take up – these are not set-in-stone rules, but rather
suggestions).
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Introduction (200-300 words)
– introduce your topic. In this section, you explain the
significance/importance of your topic. You will also need to provide a roadmap as to
where the paper is going.
Please remember that an introduction to any paper is where you answer the “so what?†question. You are luring the reader in – explaining why she should
care.
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Your introduction may include a brief history of the issue or it may convey the
current standing of the issue, or both. It is important to remember that this section is
a brief overview to highlight what is to come.
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Review of Literature (750-1000 words)
– in this section you will review relevant literature
concerning your topic/issue. In this section you highlight relevant themes concerning your
topic. It is important to remember that a literature review should be written
thematically
rather than by study. This means you move from one theme to the next rather than from
one study to another study to another study.
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A literature review helps you better understand the research that has been done
about a topic. It also helps you understand what we know about this topic.
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It may describe relationships, for instance, the relationship between gender and the
death penalty.
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It may also reveal gaps in the literature – you may need to highlight what we do not
know about your topic. What hasn’t been studied? What answers haven’t been
provided?
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KEEP IN MIND – each time you provide a fact or figure beyond common
knowledge you need to cite it. So, if you tell me that 60% of inmates have a drug
problem, cite the source where you found that information. If you say a majority of
inmates have a drug problem, you are still indicating a number and you need to cite
it.
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Conclusion (100-250 words)
– tie it all together. Hit the main points again. End on a high
note.