First-year Paper

All students will complete a first-year research project. The purpose of this research requirement is to get students immediately involved in doing research as part of their graduate training. Each project should consist of a small research project in some relevant area of Psychology. Students may conduct an empirical study, analyze existing data, or complete another research project as approved by their advisor. Many of these projects are grounded in the faculty advisor’s work. Faculty advisors take the responsibility to assist students in framing their research questions and helping to design the first-year project.

By the last day of instruction of the first year (date posted in the Schedule of Classes), each student will submit an APA-style written report of this project. The written report should describe the general question considered, provide some review of the relevant research literature, present the data collected or examined and discuss the implications of this work for psychological theory and application. The first-year project requirement is intended to be a substantial and serious exercise, but need not result in a publishable paper. Consult with your advisor for more details about the content and expected length of this paper. There may be variation across faculty in expectations. This deadline (last day of instruction) is a firm requirement that students are expected to meet.

By the deadline, students need to have turned in a final draft of their first-year project paper to (a) their advisor, and (b) their second reader (in the department), approved by the student’s advisor. The advisor and second reader will sign off on the title page (format example linked here) indicating they have received the paper by the deadline (the signature itself need not take place by the deadline). The submitted paper should be a finished piece of work and not an early draft. The expectation is that each student will have had their main advisor read and comment on an earlier version(s) of the first-year paper well before the last day of instruction deadline. Once the signatures have been obtained, only the title page is submitted to the department office for filing. Be sure the title page has your name, date, the title of the paper, and the names of your advisor and second reader on them. 

After reading your paper, revisions may be required by the advisor or second reader. Once all required revisions are made and the project is complete, your advisor and second reader will sign the title page on file in the department, indicating the project has been approved. Students will also give a short (15- to 25-minute) oral presentation of their first-year project at a colloquium meeting (PSYC 230 for cognitive students, PSYC 231 for social students or PSYC 242 for developmental students) in the spring quarter. See the faculty colloquium coordinator for the spring quarter for more details about the logistics of the colloquium presentation.