Solitary Confinement and Effects on Prisoners

  1. Introduction (1,000-1,250 words, minimum 5 peer-reviewed articles)- articles included in additional material
    See Example - included as EXAMPLES in additional material
    Describe the topic that you have been investigating, why it is important to the field.
    Topic is: Solitary Confinement and effects on Prisoners
    Give a “big picture” of the literature.
    Present why it is important to explore this topic.
    State your research question.
    Question: what are the consequences of solitary confinement
  2. Main Body (2,000-2,500 words, minimum 15 peer-reviewed articles)- articles included in additional materials:
    See Example - included as EXAMPLES in additional material
    Overview of characteristics of the theme (commonalities, differences, nuances).
    Sub-theme – narrow but grouped findings related to your research question. The sub-themes have a thematic approach based on the findings of your review. Each theme should answer your research question. See example of research question and subthemes below.
    Research question: What are the effects of foot patrol in high crime areas?
    Subthemes:
    Theme 1: Lower crime
    Theme 2: Reduced fear of crime, etc.
    You will hence need to synthesize several of your articles into each sub-theme, so that there is a clear connection between the various sources. You will need to critically analyze each source for how it contributes to the question you are researching. Each work should be critically summarized and evaluated for its methodology, and conclusion.
  3. Topic analysis (1,000-1,250 words)
    Bring in scholarly sources, to better understand and articulate how we, as a society, might respond to the topic or problem identified at the outset of the course.
    State a position relative to the topic/problem identified and discusses the objections, assumptions, and implications of this position.
    Position: solitary confinement should be abolished
    Examine whether the proposed solution is feasible, and under what circumstances their proposed approach would work.
  4. Conclusion (1,000-1,250 words): An evaluation/critique of the existing literature.
    The conclusion summarizes the key findings of the review in general terms and provides an evaluation and critique of the existing literature. Notable commonalities between works, whether favorable or not, may be included here.
    Return to and answer your research question.
    What are the overall strengths of the research in the articles you found?
    What are the overall weaknesses of the research in the articles you found?
    Where are the points of disagreement or divergence amongst scholars?
    What is not known about your research topic(s)/issues(s)?
    What research might be missing (gaps in research)?
    What are some next steps for research? The next steps should explicitly address how to “correct” for strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in research.