This document contains an outline for a research paper on suicide. The outline includes five sections that discuss the history and social aspects of suicide, causes of suicidal behaviors, warning signs and prevention, and references. Key points addressed in the outline include that suicide rates correlate with cultural, social, political, and economic forces. Research on suicide faces obstacles that limit understanding and prevention. Suicide has been part of history dating back to ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Causes of suicidal behaviors can include depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and life stressors. There are early warning signs and ways to prevent suicide.

1. Outline 1
Outline
Student Name
College
Class Name and Number
Instructor
Date

2. Outline 2
I. Over and over again families are left without their loved
ones, to the acts of suicide. Suicide doesn’t only
include the people who have died but also the attempts
that have been made. There are warning signs and
prevention of suicide but that has not made suicide low
on the death rate.
A. Suicide carries a social and moral meaning in all
societies. At both the individual and population
levels, the suicide rate has been long understood to
correlate with cultural, social, political, and
economic forces. (Institute of Medicine, 2009)
B. Given its unique nature, research on suicide faces a
series of obstacles that limit progress in the
understanding, prevention, and treatment of the
problem.
II. Suicide is not something new but something that is a part

3. of our history.
A. This history of suicide dated back to Egypt, Greece,
and Rome where suicide was used as part of a ritual.
i. Suicide in ancient Egypt was viewed as a neutral
event, because death was merely a passage from one
form of existence to another. It was simply a
means of avoiding, disgrace, abandonment, guilt,
Outline 3
cowardice, or loss of a loved one. Or an
expression of general mistrust of the world.
(A1b2c3, 2009)
ii. Cleopatra committed suicide as part of a ritual.
B. Some of the causes of suicidal behaviors can accompany
many emotional disturbances, including depression,
bipolar, and schizophrenia.
i. Suicidal behaviors often occur in response to a

4. situation that the person views as overwhelming,
such as social isolation, death of a loved one,
emotional trauma, serious illness, aging,
unemployment or financial problems, guilt
feelings, or dependence on alcohol or other drugs.
(Health, 2009)
ii. When people are suicidal, they often mistakenly
believe that they are doing their friends and
relatives a favor by taking themselves out of the
world. These irrational beliefs often drive their
behavior. (Health, 2009)
C. There are early warning signs, critical signs, and the
prevention of suicide.
Outline 4
i. Many people who attempt suicide talk about it
before making the attempt.

5. a. Early signs of suicide include: Depression,
statements or expressions of guilty feeling,
tension or anxiety, nervousness, impulsiveness.
Critical signs include: Sudden change in
behavior, especially calmness after a period of
anxiety, giving away belongings, attempts to
“get one’s affairs in order”, direct or
indirect threats to commit suicide, direct
attempts to commit suicide. (Health, 2009)
III. Suicide attempts and threats should always be taken
seriously. About one-third of people who attempt suicide
will repeat the attempt within 1 year, and about 10% of
those who threaten or attempt suicide eventually do kill
themselves.

6. Outline 5
References
Institute of Medicine (2002), Reducing Suicide: A National
Imperative
(http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10398&page=19
3
retrieved on 02/18/09 at 8:27 PM)
Grinion E. Dr. Peter (2006). Working with suicide survivors:
Opportunities and Challenges
(http://www.nacsw.org/Publications/Proceedings2006/GrinionP
Worki
ngWithSuicideSurvivorsE.pdf)
New York Times (2009) Health Guide “Suicide and Suicidal
Behavior”
http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/suicide-and-
suicidal-behavior/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier

7. ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 1
Updated 02/2010
APA 6
th
Edition Guidelines: Annotated Bibliography
An annotated bibliography is the full citation of a source
followed by notes and commentary
about a source. The word “annotate” means “critical or
explanatory notes” and the word
“bibliography” means “a list of sources”. Annotations are not
the same as abstracts. Abstracts
are purely descriptive summaries often found at the beginning
of scholarly/ academic journal
articles. Annotations are meant to be critical in addition to
being descriptive.

8. Format:
The format for an annotated bibliography is similar to that of a
research paper. Use one-inch
margins on all sides, double-space your entries, and arrange
each entry in alphabetical order.
Hanging Indents are required for citations in the bibliography,
as shown below. The first line of
the citation starts at the left margin and subsequent lines of the
citation will be indented.
Example: Journal Article with DOI
Calkins, S., & Kelley, M. (2007, Fall). Evaluating internet and
scholarly sources across the
disciplines: Two case studies. College Teaching, 55(4), 151-
156. doi:10.1111/j.1747-
7379.2007.00759.x
This article discusses the problem of unintentional online
plagiarism and many
students’ inability to evaluate, critique, synthesize, and credit
online sources properly.
Two case studies from different disciplines, which were
designed to foster critical

9. evaluation of the Internet and scholarly sources, are discussed
in detail. The CARS
(Credibility, Accuracy, Reasonableness, Support) checklist for
evaluating research
sources is also introduced and applied in these case studies. I
found this article useful
because much of the content of these case studies can be easily
adapted to fit
assignments in different academic disciplines. One information
literacy assignment
in one quarter at college is not enough. If students are expected
to use the Internet in
a responsible way, educators must provide guidelines and
relevant experience that
allows students to apply those guidelines in practical ways.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 2
Updated 02/2010
For annotated bibliographies, use standard APA format for the
citations, then add a brief entry,
including:
• 2 to 4 sentences to summarize the main idea(s) of the source.

10. o What are the main arguments?
o What is the point of this book/article?
o What topics are covered?
• 1 or 2 sentences to assess and evaluate the source.
o How does it compare with other sources in your bibliography?
o Is this information reliable?
o Is the source objective or biased?
• 1 or 2 sentences to reflect on the source.
o Was this source helpful to you?
o How can you use this source for your research project?
o Has it changed how you think about your topic?
Example: Journal Article without DOI (when DOI is not
available)
Calkins, S., & Kelley, M. (2007, Fall). Evaluating internet and
scholarly sources across the
disciplines: Two case studies. College Teaching, 55(4), 151-
156. Retrieved from
http://www.heldref.org/pubs/ct/about.html
This article discusses the problem of unintentional online

11. plagiarism and many
students’ inability to evaluate, critique, synthesize, and credit
online sources properly.
Two case studies from different disciplines, which were
designed to foster critical
evaluation of the Internet and scholarly sources, are discussed
in detail. I found this
article useful because much of the content of these case studies
can be easily adapted
to fit assignments in different academic disciplines. One
information literacy
assignment in one quarter at college is not enough. If students
are expected to use the
Internet in a responsible way, educators must provide guidelines
and relevant
experience that allows students to apply those guidelines in
practical ways.
Course Project - Outline and Annotated Bibliography
Write and submit your Outline and Bibliography. The Outline
should contain your thesis statement and the remainder should
be a full sentence outline where you specifically show how your
paper will flow.
The Annotated Bibliography should include no fewer than 5
sources (but not your text). You should find a minimum 3
sources from the Rasmussen library. Remember that this is
different from a traditional bibliography. First list the reference

12. in APA format just as you would on a reference page. However,
directly below the reference, provide an annotation in three
parts: (1) a 2-3 sentence summary of the reference; (2) a brief
assessment or evaluation of the source (why it's reliable, how it
compares with others, and so on); (3) a 1-2 sentence reflection
on the source (how it will help your project).
Will attach layout example of both the Outline and the
Annotated Bibliography- NEED TO FOLLOW THAT LAYOUT
MY TWO PHILOSOPHERS FOR THIS PAPER ARE ST.
AUGUSTINE AND ST. AQUINAS AND THE CHOSEN
COMPARING/CONTRASTING POLITICAL VIEW IS Who
should govern - one, few, or many?
Research Paper Boot Camp
Personal Trainer: Andrew Burklund Learning Center
Coordinator – St. Cloud Campus
Objectives

13. An overview of the Research Process (note: there are various
in-depth webinars on many topics we discuss tonight)
Tools to help you organize and take notes.
Outlining and Thesis writing techniques.
Writing techniques to organize and develop thoughtful
paragraphs.
What do you think is the best definition of a Research Paper?
POLL #1
ANSWER:
In short, you use your source material and your own insights to
prove your point(s).
Research:
Consciously cite source material in various parts of your paper
in an attempt to prove your conclusions are valid.
This does not mean that you copy and paste someone else’s
work; it means you can use tiny insights from other authors and
properly cite them in your text. Make sure to give the authors
credit for their work.
Analysis:
You need to investigate and evaluate sources with the intention

14. of offering an interpretation of the source material in the
context of the overall topic.
Q: What is a Research Paper?
ANSWER:
It is NOT using information and claiming it as your own.
It is NOT a summary.
Copying another author’s work without properly citing them in
your paper is plagiarism, and plagiarism is strictly prohibited;
see our Academic Integrity Online Guide.
Q: What is NOT a Research Paper?
Think of this like stretching before you run.
Read your assignment CAREFULLY!
Your instructor will provide you with a topic or list of topics to
research.
ASK QUESTIONS! Contact your instructor early and
frequently to discuss your questions and topic ideas.
Before Starting Research

15. What is the length of the paper?
How many sources are required?
What type of sources are required?
Is the topic provided or do you have to narrow down the topic
yourself?
Are there keywords or phrases that you do not understand?
What are the important deadlines/due dates?
Special notes from instructors.
Knowing your Assignment
Before you decide on a topic and invest a lot of time and effort,
do a quick search to make sure there is enough information
available.
Jot down key terms related to your topic. Answer all of the
following:
Who?
What?
Where?
When?
Why?
How?
Preview Topic & Keywords

16. The Good: Wikipedia is a great place to
look for keywords and phrases to START.
The Bad: Wikipedia might have
great information, but it should
not be used on your bibliography.
The Ugly: Wikipedia provides open
source access. This means that content
can be edited and changed. This helps
you know where to start but should not
be the compass.
Wikipedia – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
A system for taking notes is vital to organization.
Notebook paper
Note Cards
Electronic note taking websites and apps
EverNote or Google Notes to name a few.
Write information in your own words. Put quotation marks
around word-for-word info.
Taking Notes

17. Keep track of your sources and the info you collect.
NoodleBIB is GREAT tool that will format and create a
bibliography for you!
Keep track of your sources early on.
Skim a source.
If you take notes, collect source information.
Make your bib. on-going, not an afterthought.
If you utilize information from a source, write it down so you
don’t forget/lose it.
NoodleBib
NoodleBib
www.noodletools.com
As a Rasmussen student, you should have an account already set
up for you.
1. Click on Existing User
2. Personal ID should be in the form of firstname.lastname
3. Your password is the same as your Rasmussen password
Please Contact the Personal Support Center 1-866-693-2211 for
questions on your personal account.
NOTE: You may be asked for a school/library username and

18. password. For that information, contact your Rasmussen
librarian.
It’s time to run the race! You can have a perfectly written
paper, but without the research to back your ideas, the paper
will not cross the finish line.
Research Time
Use quality sources!
Evaluate information with a critical eye. Make sure you
know/understand who published the content, when it was
published, and WHY it was published.
You can’t always judge a book by its cover….but who would
you rather get medical advice from?
A. Or B.
Evaluating Your Sources

19. Consider domain names for websites.
.edu (educational)
.gov (government)
.org (non-profit organization)
.com (commercial) – These are most common and can contain
bias. Read/analyze carefully. Some are useful, many are not.
Look for important information needed in your bibliography.
Can you find better info somewhere else?
Evaluating Websites
Why are Databases usually better than Websites?
POLL #2
Quality vs. Quantity
Searching the Internet may give you information faster, but
databases will give you better information.
Rasmussen has100+ different databases.
Databases return scholarly/reputable publications.
Most sources include all required information for your
bibliography.
Databases 101

20. How to find Databases:
Student Portal -> Library Resources ->
E-Resources -> All Databases Listed
Discovery – 1st database in list of databases. Searches all
databases at once.
Databases 101 Continued.
Quotation Marks
Let’s use the term Boot Camp for our search.
No Quotation Marks:
Quotation Marks:
Better Database Searching

21. Full Text
Make sure you are searching for
full text only.
Let’s use the term Boot Camp for
our search.
Without Full Text:
With Full Text:
Better Database Searching
Peer Reviewed
High quality source.
Reviewed and edited by other professionals before publication.
Better Database Searching

22. Advanced Options
Lets you search titles, authors, subjects, and date ranges
exclusively.
Add other terms to search for and limit the search.
Helps make your results more specific
Let’s use the term “Boot Camp” and search only in titles.
Better Database Searching
353
Let’s narrow it down even more:
Search: “Boot Camp” -> (Titles only) AND Military
Full Text
Peer Reviewed
Better Database Searching
Cover Page
Introduction (approximately ½ page)
Catches the readers attention, sets up needed background

23. information, and presents the Thesis.
Body Paragraphs (Varying lengths)
Primary part of the paper. Typically 3+ paragraphs.
Information presented to defend/argue the Thesis.
Presents cited information.
Conclusion (approximately ½ page)
Re-evaluates information and closes strong.
Bibliography
Components of a Paper
Our Practice Paper
Your instructor has just assigned you a Research Paper on:
“Why Rasmussen is Awesome”
A graphic organizer might help you brainstorm ideas.
Great Instructors
Support
Community Involvement
Defines the reason you are writing.
The thesis is the roadmap of your paper.
Clearly indentifies the topic being discussed.
Is specific: it should only cover what is being discussed in the

24. paper.
Is arguable: your research needs to support this idea.
Ideally is one sentence long and located at the end of your
introduction.
Develop a Thesis
An announcement:
My paper will be about…
I have researched …and will write…
Obvious:
Friendship is important.
College is difficult.
A question:
How does long distance friendship work?
Which is better, a little dog or a large dog?
A Thesis is NOT:
Outline Your Paper

25. Use your outline to write the paper.
The body paragraphs are the heart and soul.
Paragraphs should present a blend of your ideas & analysis and
SUPPORT your thesis.
Be sure that you use a topic sentence.
3-4 sentences minimally with research.
At least 1 paragraph per topic of your outline.
Avoid personal pronouns:
You, your, we, I, my, us…
Body Paragraphs
Simply defined:
It’s stealing; Using words, thoughts, or ideas that are not your
own.
A paper should be your thoughts SUPPORTED by the research.
Utilize:
Quotation marks.
Paraphrasing with citations.
Plagiarism

26. You must utilize research from a variety of sources/authors.
It does NOT mean you copy and paste.
It means you can use tiny insights from other authors and
properly cite them in your text. Make sure to give the authors
credit for their work.
WHEN IN DOUBT, CITE!
Avoiding Plagiarism
Expand Outline, Add Research, Cite!
One of the many reasons Rasmussen is so wonderful is because
of the trained instructors available to help. According to a
student satisfaction survey done in 2011, 95% of students felt
their instructors were “very willing to provide assistance”
(Smith, 2011).
Keep expanding this paragraph. Paraphrase content and also
provide direct quotes. Give credit where credit is due! Make
sure your paragraph supports the thesis.
Visit the APA online guide:
guides.rasmussen.edu/apa

27. Videos, handouts, guides
Download the Research Paper Guide
Download the APA Paper Template!
Utilize your Librarian.
“Work Smarter, Not Harder”
Proofreading is the polish. This is where many mistakes can be
found.
Mechanic Mistakes
Citations Mistakes
Plagiarism
Brainfuse Writing Lab
Tutors
Librarians
Proofread, Proofread, Proofread!
Unsure? Perplexed? Confused?
Don’t forget:
Ask your instructor questions!

28. Learning Center Coordinators and Librarians can help.
You can ask a tutor.
Use the Online Resources.
ASK QUESTIONS.
Ways to get Help:
Email [email protected]
Email [email protected]
Visit the online APA guide: guides.rasmussen.edu/apa
Text a question to 952-314-3920, begin with “askLLC”
IM & Twitter: LLCRasmussen
Chat on the Library Resources home page
Use the ANSWERS Database rasmussen.libanswers.com
If all else fails, call any campus and ask for help!
Questions about this presentation?
Please feel free to contact me at [email protected]
Was this Webinar helpful? Take our survey!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LLCWebinars
Personal Support Center (PSC)
[email protected]
1-866-693-2211

29. Comparative Politics Project- Thesis and Outline
Using the research you began gathering in the last module,
submit a final thesis statement and outline for your Comparative
Politics Project. In the outline show where you will insert your
research quotations and citations.
MY TOPIC IS
1. USA. "Describe what you feel will be one or two key
economic and social issues to be debated at the 2016
Presidential elections in the United States - based on your work
in this class. What direction do you feel should be taken in the
country in order to solve the specific problems mentioned?"
Written Assignment - Separation of Church and State
Earlier we examined Augustine and Aquinas, both of which had
great influence on the role of the Church in government. With
Reformists like Calvin and Luther, the role was further defined.
Write a 1-2 page paper in which you analyze the role of religion
and its influence on the state in one of the following modern
(within the past 20 years) countries: Iran, Iraq, USA.
USE IRAQ AS THE COUNTRY.
Written Assignment - Pain of Union
Unifying separate countries offers varied unique opportunities
for growth but also gives way to complex challenges. For this

30. module, write a one page paper explaining why the unification
of Germany into one country (combining East and West
Germany) proved to be more of a burden to the German people
than expected. Base comments on what you've learned so far in
your lecture notes and other sources you find helpful. Cite
sources in proper APA format.