This is NOT the complete assignment. See your BrightSpace shell for more details.
Research Paper
Select a discipline/profession you are interested in or considering as a career (i.e.: nurse, doctor, dentist, PA, pharmacist, social worker, Vet Tech, etc.). Research the profession and prepare a college level research paper that included all of the following, using APA format:
Abstract: Not needed * see the APA Student Paper Sample on the Citing and Plagiarism tab
Title Page: Include Name of profession, student name, Title of course, Name of Professor, Date of paper. Follow the format of the APA template posted in Brightspace.
Introduction: In at least 5-6 sentences, explain why you are interested in this career. Help the reader to understand why you selected this career as the topic for your paper.
Body: This part should be two to three (2-3) pages and appropriately use in-text citations from peer reviewed articles using APA format to support information presented in the paper. Do not copy and paste content from your research source. Information from peer reviewed sources should be paraphrased and demonstrate that the student understands the content. The paper should be written in your own words, using the research as a basis for the information contained in the paper. The following should be included in the body of the paper:
a. Brief history of the profession including how the profession first started, what the educational, legal and other qualifications were to practice this profession (i.e.: license, certification, training) when it first started
b. Current educational preparation, certification, licensure and other legal requirements necessary to practice this profession in New York State, including agency responsible and process for obtaining license/certification and costs.
c. Requirements you must meet in order to obtain your first job to work in this profession in New York State.
d. Type of patients served by this profession. Be specific. Not all professions serve all types of patients.
e. Other health care professionals with whom this profession works.
f. Opportunities for advancement, if any. Educational requirements, other training, licensure or certification needed for advancement.
g. Employment opportunities and job prospects for this profession. Projected job growth potential and salary range in New York State.
h. A personal statement about why the career interests you.
Conclusion: Reemphasize the topic and summarize the important points discussed. Do not repeat the introduction or everything in the body of the paper.
See the tabs above on recommended sources and search tips and how to cite sources in APA format.
See the Search Strategy tab for a list of Dept of Labor and Bureau of Labor Statistics websites for data and stats on your career, including a link to the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Make note of organizations, institutions and prominent people in the field.
See the Finding Articles tab for a list of relevant databases to search for articles on your career. See the Search Strategy tab for effective search techniques. Log in with your WCC id when off campus or using a non-networked device.
Also check the professional associations and organizations of your intended career field.
Look for salary surveys, demographics, career information and other pages/links that might answer some of your questions. (Access to some material may require registration or membership).
If you don't know the main professional organizations for your career, you can often find them in career articles, and in the Occupational Outlook Handbook under the 'How to become one' tab.
