What particular research question(s) or hypotheses are you interested in addressing?
(Try to phrase your research questions or hypotheses in such a way that they could be
tested—that is, so that someone could observe when and under what conditions the
phenomenon in question does or does not occur)
Your Theme Paper is intended to serve as a final demonstration of your active engagement with
course material and how you are making it your own. You are not expected to produce “new”
(i.e., original) research. Rather, you are to conduct your own further study (focusing mainly on
current and recent research literature), and report on some particular aging-related topic of your
choice about which you would like to learn more. (While it is not absolutely necessary that you
continue with the same topic I approved after reading your Theme Paper Topic Proposal, I
highly recommend that you get back with me if you are considering a change.) This assignment
will count for up to 20 credit points total toward your final grade.
You will be graded on the overall thoughtfulness and thoroughness of your paper; the more
specific detail and pertinent examples you provide, the more credit you stand to earn. Do not
restrict yourself to answers or viewpoints found in textbooks, PowerPoints, class notes, and
resource articles; your own creative reflection, bringing together everything you have learned
from whatever sources, will be a big plus. However, be sure to credit and cite your sources for
any quotes or borrowed ideas. See the following page for the grading rubric I will be using when
evaluating your papers.
Your paper should be a minimum of eight double-spaced pages (12-point font, 1-inch margins),
including a title page and separate References section. It must be written in either ASA style
(used in most Sociology journals) or APA style (required in Psychology, Social Work, and many
Gerontology journals). You will need at least five peer-reviewed references (i.e., no Wikipedia
or popular media!) in addition to any non–peer-reviewed sources you might cite as examples to
illustrate your points. (For a general idea as to the kind of discourse and writing style I will be
looking for, see the accompanying PDF file “Sample Theme Paper – Eliassen 12-5-2000”—
based on a term paper I wrote for a Fall 2000 graduate course in Aging and the Life Course.)
**in the attachment, i sent an example from the professor.