Instructions for the Final Project:
Here are the instructions that you were given during Week 1 for the Final Project. Before submitting your Final Project at the end of Week 11, review the instructions to make sure you have included all the required elements in the assignment you submit:
Select one of the following cases. Then, select a specific subject for the focus of your paper that can be discussed in a 10- to 12-page research paper. Imagine that you are assisting an attorney in the case who has requested that you research the specific focus area, and provide a concise report to inform the court about the topic.
Required cases and possible focus subjects:
Jodi Arias, convicted of killing her boyfriend
• Battered woman's syndrome
• Narcissism and violence risk
• Similarities to other death penalty cases
Elizabeth Smart, child victim of abduction and prolonged confinement
• Psychological effects of abduction and confinement
• Psychological strategies for reintegration into family life
• Investigatory strategies for interviewing this victim
Boston Marathon bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
• History of death penalty with minors and relevant court case
• Negative peer influence by older brother as circumstances to mitigate culpability for crime
• Violence risk assessment
One of these three cases is required, but you have the option of selecting a different focus subject with instructor approval.
Final Project Requirements
• Submit all the required weekly Assignments throughout the course that are related to your Final Project. Completion of each project Assignment component contributes toward a successful final project grade.
• Base your paper on the research you gather and not on your opinion. You may use both popular and scholarly references. (Resources explaining proper use of scholarly and non-scholarly resources are available in the Learning Resources section.)
• Use APA format, in text and in the reference list.
• Ensure that you have minimal writing errors.
• Final paper length: 10-12 pages total, plus title page, abstract, and bibliography.
• Final paper structure:
o Brief biographical summary (2-3 paragraphs)
o Introduction to the issue to be discussed
o Summary of the current scholarly research about the issue
o Conclusion (1-3 paragraphs)