Information Science 2011
Review Paper
Content
The paper should present a review of an issue or topic relevant to
cognitive science by discussing a variety of materials, that is, several theorists,
several theories, several methods, historical changes in an area, or some
combination of these factors. The paper should relate directly to the field of
cognitive science and, if possible, draw on two or more of the component
disciplines. If you are discussing an application, make sure that you show
how cognitive science has contributed to that area, or how the area has fed
back to cognitive science.
Getting started
If you are having trouble getting an idea, you might peruse
the books on reserve, textbooks in the field, and/or key journals, such as
Cognitive Science, Cognition, and Behavioral and Brain Sciences.
Psychological Abstracts can be useful for keyword searching and is available
through PittCat.
Also, at Hillman is the Social
Science Citation Index, which can be used to find current articles which make
reference to an older, known article.
Format
The paper must be typed, double-spaced throughout (including
references). There is no need to put extra lines between paragraphs in either
the body of the paper or in the reference section. Start with a cover sheet,
with the title, your name, the date, the course number, and the course
instructor. The main text should start on a new page and should include (1)
an introduction, where you describe the topics to be discussed and give some
idea of the organization of the paper, (2) the main body of the paper, where
you logically present a thoughtful discussion of the topic, (3) a conclusion,
where you summarize the main points of the paper, and perhaps, describe
future extensions or future areas of research on the topic, and (4) a reference
section, listing all articles cited within the paper. Each section should
immediately follow the preceding section; that is, do not force a new page for
a new section.
I expect that it will be 8-15 pages, in length, with 8-16 references. At least 4 or 5
of the references should contribute to the paper in a major way, and you
should strive to include several references from the past two or three years.
You should follow APA format for citations (that is, the method of
referencing within the body of the paper) and for typing the reference list at
the end of the paper. The references should begin on a new page. They may
be followed on a new page by the footnotes, if needed. The paper should be
stapled in the upper, left-hand corner, without a binder or fancy cover.
I will not return the copy that you submit. However, if you include a second
copy of the paper, I will return that with the grade and comments. You may
pick it up at my office after the semester is over, or include a large, self-
addressed, stamped envelop.
Citations
In the text, cite relevant work using the standard APA format, as is
done in the text and in the APA journals. There are two basic formats:
- Hirtle (1982) showed that ordered trees ....
- Ordered trees have been used to model experts (Hirtle, 1982).
Do not use footnotes for citations. In addition, try to avoid direct quotes, but
instead paraphrase the material. However, if you include a direct quote, use
the same format above, but add the page number after the date within the
citation, e.g. (Hirtle, 1982, p. 136). Of course, you must put a citation with any
thought or idea that is borrowed. Plagiarism will result in a failing grade for
the course and possible disciplinary actions!
You should even include citations for ideas where the source is a personal
communication. In this case, include only a citation in the text, but do not
put a corresponding entry in the reference list. The citation in the text should
include a specific date, as follows: (P. Munro, personal communication,
August 27, 1995).
References
In the reference section, list in alphabetical order, by first author,
the articles that you actually mentioned in the main body of the paper. Do
not number the list. Use the current APA format in typing the references. In
the examples below, note use of initials, commas, periods, and italics
(Note: italics can be replaced by underlining, if you prefer).
(1) Journal article:
Hirtle, S. C., & Mascolo, M. F. (1986). Effect of semantic clustering on the
memory of spatial locations.
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning,
Memory, and Cognition, 12,
182-189.
(2) Book:
Haugeland, J. (Ed.). (1981).
Mind design.
Cambridge: MIT Press.
(3) Chapter of edited book:
Newell, A., & Simon, H. A. (1981). Computer science as empirical inquiry:
Symbols and search. In J. Haugeland (Ed.).
Mind design. Cambridge: MIT
Press.
(4) Secondary source:
There may be a case where you need to reference a secondary source, that is,
you want to reference a work, but were not able to obtain the actual paper.
For purposes of this class,
use the following format in the references:
Ehrenfels, C. von. (1890).
Ueber Gestaltqualitäten.
Vierteljahrsschrift für Wissenschaftliche Philosophe,
14, 249-292. [As cited by Gardner (1985).]
Then include the Gardner (1985) reference elsewhere on the list.
For other sources, see the textbook, or (if compulsive) refer to the Publication
Manual of the American Psychological Association, where 63 different
examples are presented.
Final Note
Some of you may feel that your journey through this project has
been a particularly arduous one, involving a great deal of thought and
reading which is not reflected in a reference section compiled in the paper.
You may also be tempted to place some of this biographical history in the text
of your paper. Although this may occasionally be appropriate for some types
of papers, in general, you should avoid this temptation. Try to produce a
clean, succinct logically written paper in a scientific style.
I will accept cover
letters or even short essays covering these more personal
histories if you feel
them necessary, and will consider them in the grading process where
appropriate.
Last Update: June 20, 1995