Research Project on Alcohol and Special Populations: Summary Paragraphs and Annotated Bibliography (25%)

This project consists of writing two paragraphs for each of the six headings based specifically on research articles and National studies alone. This is not a project that most can do within one week because research is emphasized more that the writing — you need a minimum of 14 research studies. This is the core objective — to learn how to use research to develop a well written, but brief paper. Start early, first by selecting a very specific population. The paper is written only about alcohol use, alcohol misuse, and dependency (alcohol use disorders). It is not a content paper (such as the physiology of alcohol metabolism) — it is a paper about a specific population (such as adults who have cognitive impairments, African American women, Gay men, Hawaii and Other Pacific Islanders, etc.). Once you decide on your population (make it specific enough, but not too specific so you have research available), then post your topic selection in the Module under general Discussion tab, called “Research Project Population” in order to gain approval. I will indicate approval in a response, or I may have more questions or guidance that will need your response before you are approved.

Timeline for research project:

End of Week 2: Identify a special population and post under the general discussion tab called, Research Project Population. Topic must be approved. If you don’t see acknowledgement, then it is not approved.

End of Week 5: Research paper due. (100 points)

Late submissions are subject to a 10% penalty for first day, 5% each subsequent day.

This research paper is focused on the following areas within your approved population. These are also your headings for your paper:

Headings:

• Introduction and describing the patterns of use of this population,
• Beliefs surrounding alcohol use within this group,
• Comparison to other groups nationally using National population studies (only S. National studies, e.g. National Household Survey on Drug Abuse,
• Biopsychosocial effects and consequences specific to this population,
• Help-seeking and treatment beliefs specific to this population, and
• Specific prevention and treatment strategies used with this special population, g., evidence-based practices that are specific to this population. Nothing generic.

The paper should only be written about a specific population, and focused only alcohol use and misuse only.

Layout of Paper:

• Title Page
• Paper is broken into 6 major Headings, each heading (see above) contains a minimum of a 2 paragraph summary: These two paragraphs summarize the heading topic supported by your references only.  You must use in-text and the corresponding references for each section. The headings are pre-determined, and you must use them.
• After each two paragraph summary, then you provide a minimum of 2-4 annotated references that supported your summary. What is an annotated reference? A complete APA citation with the abstract. Use the abstract provided from each of the references –  please don’t write your own. This will make it easier for you.

Note: Under each designated heading (see your 6 major heading in the first paragraph), you will write a 2 paragraph summary (must be a minimum of 2 paragraphs, 8 sentences with in-text citations using only original research studies (you can not use reports, news articles, commentaries/editorials, educational materials — only original research studies). Also, you can not use papers that report on someone else’s study, use the original work).

Anything that you cite in your 2 paragraphs must be in your annotated bibliography right below the paragraphs, and the in-text citations must coincide exactly to how it is listed in the annotated bib. You must provide a minimum of 2 to 4 annotated references after each summary.

References:

Use only studies outside of the course for your specific population

Use a minimum of 1 large (100 participants to thousands) or National research study under each heading to support your summary. Some studies may be small sample sizes depending on your heading, e.g., help seeking attitudes. Yet, most populations have National statistics available when addressing pattern of use, treatment/interventions, comparison to other similar populations, etc.

Use original research, and only studies from 2010 to present

Use only scholarly, peer-reviewed research studies. The UMUC Library databases, including PubMed, are generally good sources. You can not use Web-based information such as Wikipedia, Mentalhealth.com, About.com, and popular news outlets. You can not use commentaries, editorials, nor student sites that provide papers! You also can not use a report that talks about studies. Go to the original source. You are allowed to use meta-analysis studies as a study, if fact, these are wonderful studies to use because they evaluate many studies that have taken place under a given topic area at one time.

How can you tell if it is a study? Does it have an introduction? Does it provide a sample size? Does it have a methods, a statistical/analysis, a results, and discussion section? You can easily tell if it is a study if the research article is broken into these main areas — that is what you are looking to obtain for your annotated bibliography and in-text citations. Large National studies may begin with an executive summary and be sectioned off differently, but you always look for methods and statistical analysis to insure that you indeed have a study in hand.

If you are unclear as to whether a source is acceptable, contact the instructor or visit the UMUC Library’s page on locating and evaluating  scholarly  articles:  

http://www.umuc.edu/library/database/articles.shtml#evaluatingcitations

Guidelines:

APA format and citation style  (

http://sites.umuc.edu/library/libhow/apa_examples.cfm)

6 major headings, and underneath each heading provide 2 paragraph research summary (min. 8 sentences each), then a list of 2-4 annotated references (APA citation with abstract) — the ones that were cited in your paragraphs. 

You need a total of 14 research articles — all have to be used appropriately in the text.

Separate title page 12 point font Numbered pages 1″ margins

SAMPLE

Here is a brief sample on just one heading (This sample does not meet the minimum requirements for you even this heading, but it should give you idea on how to do it):

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Introduction and Pattern of Use: Heading

Summary: Alcohol is the substance older adults use most (Chou, Liang, and Mackenzie, 2011). Binge drinking among adults ages 65 and older is on the rise (Clapp, Reed, Martel, Gonzalez, and Ruderman, 2014), as is alcohol use in combination with other substances (Citation, 2011). Noting the unique needs and circumstances of older adults is key when addressing alcohol-related issues. (Of course, your summary will be longer than this).

Annotated Bibliography (remember you need to use the reference in your summary, and it must support what you are saying. Don’t reinvent the wheel, use the abstract that is provided at the beginning of your research article. Copy and paste it, but use the same font as your the rest of your paper).

Chou, K.L., Liang, K., & Mackenzie, C.S. (2011). Binge drinking and Axis I psychiatric disorders in community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 72(5), 640-647.

Chou, Liang, & Mackenzie (2011) used data from both waves of NESARC to evaluate binge drinking among middle aged and older adults (50+). Among older adults aged 65 to 79, 1.2 percent reported binge drinking less than once per month and 1.9 percent reported binge drinking at least once per month. For those aged 80+, only 0.2 percent reported binge drinking less than once per month and 0.3 percent reported binge drinking at least once per month. Older adults (male and female) who engaged in binge drinking at all were significantly more likely to have an alcohol use disorder than those who did not. For older adult women, binge drinking was also associated with a significantly greater likelihood of having panic disorder without agoraphobia and/or PTSD.

Clapp, J. D., Reed, M. B., Martel, B., Gonzalez, M. C., & Ruderman, D. (2014). Drinking behavior among low-income older adults: A multimethod approach to estimating alcohol use. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 38(11), 2862–2868.

Clapp, Reed, Martel, Gonzalez, & Ruderman (2014) screened 174 older adults (60+) living in a low-income residential senior center using the AUDIT to determine at-risk drinking. Almost half (46 percent) of the sample had monthly incomes below the federal poverty level. The authors found 41.2 percent said they drank, 25 percent drank at least once a week, and 9.8 percent were screened as engaging in risky drinking. Participants were significantly less likely to engage in at-risk drinking if they used prescription medications, had diabetes, were married, and/or were non-White. (You need at least five of these per heading to support your summary).

Then Next Heading (as listed in order in the 1st paragraph).”