This document provides guidance for a policy research paper assignment. It outlines that the paper should comprehensively assess a policy problem, proposed policy, and consequences of implementing that policy. It should be written from the perspective of an advisor to a policymaker. The paper must be 8-12 pages following APA style, include at least 6 references, and be submitted by the due date. It should include sections that define the issue, provide background, identify policy alternatives and recommendations.

1. As you consider topics, remember that this policy paper should
contain a comprehensive assessment of the problem, the
proposed policy, and the potential consequences of
implementation of that policy. When you write your paper, you
should think of yourself as a staff person who must advise a
policy maker facing a problem that must be resolved in the near
future. As this staff person, adopt one of the perspectives of
public administration as discussed in class, and frame your
responses around this approach.
The Policy Research Paper should be
8 to 12 pages, double-spaced, size 12 point font
. The paper should include a
cover page, table of contents, introduction, body of the report,
summary or conclusion, and works cited (reference page)
. The page count is of the content and, thus does not include the
cover, table of contents, or reference page(s).
Even though this is not a scientific-type writing assignment, and
is mostly creative in nature, references are still very important.
At least six authoritative, outside references are required
(anonymous authors or web pages are not acceptable). These
should be listed on the last page titled "References."
The paper should follow the American Psychological
Association (APA) guidelines.
Appropriate citations are required.
All DeVry University policies are in effect, including the
plagiarism policy.
Papers are
due during Week 6
of this course.
Any questions about this paper may be discussed in the weekly
Q & A Discussion topic.
The paper should include the following components:
Components
Define the Issue
Introduce the problem or issue that you are researching. The

2. purpose of this section is to tell the reader what problem you
are addressing and why it is important.
Background
Describe any historical aspects of the topic, particularly ones
that are important to an understanding of the issue. Also
important to this section is a discussion of key stakeholders and
policy networks. Policy networks include concerned citizen
groups, elected officials, and special interest groups.
Identification of Policy Alternatives
This is the main section of your paper. In this section, you will
describe what is currently being done (if anything) with respect
to the problem, and then compare that to what could be done.
When you consider possible alternatives that the government
could take, remember to include the following:
Description of two to three alternative methods to resolve the
issue you presented.
Consequences of each alternative method: For example - who
would be affected, what costs might be incurred and by whom,
and what benefits might be realized?
Description of evaluation criteria: This should help you
compare alternatives across a number of areas. For example,
cost could be key criteria for comparing alternatives, but there
may be other concerns that are equally important to resolve.
You might find an inexpensive alternative, but it might not be
politically feasible to implement, for example. Once the criteria
are identified, you should establish a way to prioritize the
criteria. Which are the most important and why? Think about
the discussions in class regarding decision-making and
evaluation.
Recommendations
Remember that you wrote this paper from the perspective of a
staff person presenting this analysis to a policy maker. Now you
are ready to make a recommendation on one of these
alternatives. In this section, outline which alternative you would
recommend to the policy maker, including a brief summary of
how you arrived at this conclusion.

3. References
Grading Rubrics
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Category
Points
%
Description
Research Topic
20
10
How pertinent is the research topic? Is the problem presented
one that is current and one that could be properly addressed via
public policy?
Documentation and Formatting
20
10
Is the paper formatted per APA style? Is a cover page
presented? Is there a header on each page? Are the references
presented on a separate page with each reference entry properly
formatted?
Organization and Cohesiveness
20
10
Is the paper well-organized? Is there an introduction? Are there
appropriate headings for the various topics throughout the
paper? Are transitions used between thoughts and topics?
Editing
20
10
Have basic rules of grammar been followed? Are sentences
properly formed and paragraphs used appropriately? Are
spelling errors infrequent?
Citations
20

4. 10
Has the minimum of six reliable sources been listed on the
reference page? Are citations used throughout the paper to
support aspects such as the existence of the problem and the
attempts to solve the problem thus far?
Content
100
50
Does the body of the paper clearly set forth the issue, the
approach to public administration used, and the recommended
course of action? Are the suggestions practical? Is the
conclusion well-stated?
Total
200
100
A quality paper will meet or exceed all of the above
requirements.
Best Practices
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The following are best practices in preparing this paper.
Cover Page:
Include who you prepared the paper for, who prepared, and
date.
Table of Contents:
List the main ideas and section of your paper and the pages in
which they are located. The illustrations should be included
separately.
Introduction:
Use a header on your paper. This will indicate you are
introducing your paper.
To introduce the subject and highlight why the subject is
important;
To review the main ideas and the order in which they will be
covered; and
To establish a tone of the document.
Body of the Report:

5. Use a header titled with the name of your project. Example:
"The Development of Hotel X - A World Class Resort." Then
proceed to break out the main ideas. State the main ideas, state
major points in each idea, and provide evidence. Break out each
main idea you will use in the body of your paper. Show some
type of division, like separate sections that are labeled; separate
groups of paragraphs; or headers. You would include the
information you found during your research and investigation.
Summary and Conclusion:
Summarizing is similar to paraphrasing but presents the gist of
the material in fewer words than the original. An effective
summary identifies the main ideas and major support points
from the body of your report. Minor details are left out.
Summarize the benefits of the ideas and how they affect the
tourism industry.
Document Your Facts Throughout the Paper:
Document your facts, including the opinions of others,
throughout the paper with proper citations. For example, in
establishing that a problem exists, use appropriate sources to
cite facts, figures, and statistics. In explaining the approach to
public administration chosen, a textbook (including the one for
this course) may be an excellent source. When addressing
solutions attempted thus far, news accounts and scholarly
journals may be useful. In documenting the political aspects,
reliance on news periodicals may be apt.
Work Cited:
Use the citation format as specified in the Syllabus.