Information Science 2330
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. PsycLit can be useful for keyword searching and is available through the University Library's Digital Library . 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.

Some useful web links for gathering material and ideas have been moved a separate page.

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.

Citations

In the text, cite relevant work using the standard APA format, as is done in the text and in the APA journals. Do not use footnotes for citations. Instead, use one of the two basic formats:

Avoid direct quotes at all cost, but instead paraphrase the material. However, if you choose to include one or two direct quotes at critical points in the paper, use the same format above, but add quotation marks around the quoted material and the page number after the date within the citation, e.g. (Hirtle, 1982, p. 136). When quoting more than 40 words, put the quote in a separate paragraph, which is intented 1/2 inch from the the original margin. Direct quotes should be used selectively and only when you are interested in discussing the specific wording used by another author or to introduce a section. Even though it might be tempting, direct quotes should not be used simply because you feel that you are unable to paraphrase the ideas adequately.

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).

You may find it beneficial to review Yahoo's English Language Usage pages, if you have questions about style, grammar, or citations.

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 and include the citing source (e.g., Gardner 1985) elsewhere on the reference list:

Ehrenfels, C. von. (1890). Ueber Gestaltqualitäten. Vierteljahrsschrift für Wissenschaftliche Philosophe, 14, 249-292. [As cited by Gardner (1985).]

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. The proper method for citing Internet references is found on the APA Internet page.

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: February 12, 1998