The Effects of Social Media on the Self and Self-Esteem

Structure
A scholarly paper always comprises three major segments: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. Begin your writing by making an outline to sketch out the parts of your paper. An outline will demonstrate whether your arguments are logical and lead from the introductory section, which defines the issue, to your conclusion. It also indicates any future research needs or practical applications you will have identified.

Abstract
The abstract is a summary of the key points presented in your research paper. It should be 100-150 words and should appear at the beginning of your paper. It is, however, easier to write the abstract after you have finished writing the rest of the paper.

Introduction
The introduction to your paper addresses the following questions in a scholarly manner:

What do you intend to do? What issue(s) will you discuss and from what point of view? Be specific, mentioning not only the theme of your paper, but also any unique aspects of that theme that you plan to address.
Why is it worth doing? What is the importance of this issue, and how does it fit into the area of social psychology?
What approach will you take in addressing your topic? Here you will need to explain your strategy, which might be to examine a particular theory or body of research, to compare several theories, or to consider the relevance of some particular theory or body of research to everyday reality.
What will be the limitations of your research and your discussion? The length of your paper will most likely limit the extent of your work. This section should define what you will and will not cover. Be sure to note any obvious relevant variables that you will have to omit.

Body
The body of your paper is where you do what you said you would do in the introduction to your paper. Pay attention to the clarity of interpretation and the relevance of the theories, concepts, and research findings to social psychology. Any quoted material and any ideas attributable to someone else must be acknowledged in proper in-text citations, and must be listed in correct reference format at the end of the paper. Refer to the APA Style section in the Assignment section of the course site.

Conclusion
The conclusion of your paper reviews the relevance of the topic to social psychology. In it you summarize the argument you have developed and include any suggestions you may have about what should be done with your work or about what further research is needed.

Marking Key for Option 3
Abstract (10)    _______
Introduction (15)    _______
– purpose of the paper
– research questions
– scope of the paper
– approach to the topic
Body (50)    _______
– theory
– research findings
Conclusion (15)    _______
– summary of answers to research questions
– relevance to social psychology
– any limitations of your paper
– suggestions for future research
Form (10)    _______
– writing
– organization/style/neatness
– documentation (in-text citations and references)
Total (out of 100)    _______