Intro to Sociology Article Abstracts Assignment: First, choose a research topic that can be studied from a social science perspective and a topic which has some personal interest to you. Second, locate and write an abstract for two professional journal articles, which are related to your research topic of interest. Using the format and model provided below, for each article discuss the a) problem statement, b) sample, c) research methods, d) findings, and e) application. Procedure: Use the information provided by the resource librarian who came to class, as well as the written materials provided. Materials from the text book, bibliographies, etc. may also be of use. Find professional journals used in the social sciences, especially sociology journals, and locate three articles related to your research topic. Do not use popular periodicals like Newsweek, Time, The Wichita Eagle, Jet, or Cosmopolitan. Format: Use a separate page for each abstract. At the top of the page, give a full citation of the article using this form: Author's last name, author's first name. Year. "Title of the article in quotation marks." Title of the Journal underlined Volume Number (date); pages. In addition, use the following headings as an outline for the required information from each article you abstract. The writing task under each heading is noted. A. Problem Statement: State clearly and concisely the research problem of the study...that is, what is the purpose of the research? B. Sample: State clearly who is studied, where, and when. Briefly discuss the size and nature of the sample. C. Methods: Tell briefly and clearly how the information for the study was collected. Interview, observation, survey, experiment, etc. D. Findings: Without using statistics, summarize the important findings in the study. E. Application: What is the significance or value of the findings? How does the author suggest they be used? To whom might these findings be useful? F. Abstractor’s name and date. Each Abstract is worth 50 points each. SAMPLE ABSTRACT Downey, Douglas B. and Brian Powell. 1993. "Do Children in Single-Parent Households Fare Better Living With Same-Sex Parents?" Journal of Marriage and the Family 55:55-71. Problem Statement: The purpose of the study is to answer the question whether living with a single parent of the same sex provides any advantage over living with a parent of the other sex. Sample: A nationally representative sample of 3,892 eighth graders living with a single parent; 3,483 of whom live with their mothers, and 409 of whom live with their fathers. This subset is part of a much larger data set, National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88), where 24,599 subjects were selected through a stratified random sampling design with clustering of sampling units within schools. Methods: Survey methods were used to collect data from students, teachers, parents, and school reco.

1. Intro to Sociology
Article Abstracts
Assignment: First, choose a research topic that can be studied
from a social science perspective and a topic which has some
personal interest to you. Second, locate and write an abstract
for two professional journal articles, which are related to your
research topic of interest. Using the format and model provided
below, for each article discuss the a) problem statement, b)
sample, c) research methods, d) findings, and e) application.
Procedure: Use the information provided by the resource
librarian who came to class, as well as the written materials
provided. Materials from the text book, bibliographies, etc.
may also be of use. Find professional journals used in the social
sciences, especially sociology journals, and locate three articles
related to your research topic. Do not use popular periodicals
like Newsweek, Time, The Wichita Eagle, Jet, or Cosmopolitan.
Format: Use a separate page for each abstract. At the top of
the page, give a full citation of the article using this form:
Author's last name, author's first name. Year. "Title of the
article in
quotation marks." Title of the Journal underlined Volume
Number (date); pages.
In addition, use the following headings as an outline for the
required information from each article you abstract. The
writing task under each heading is noted.
A. Problem Statement: State clearly and concisely the
research problem of the
study...that is, what is the purpose of

2. the research?
B. Sample: State clearly who is studied, where, and
when. Briefly discuss the size and nature of the sample.
C. Methods: Tell briefly and clearly how the
information for the study was collected. Interview, observation,
survey, experiment, etc.
D. Findings: Without using statistics, summarize the
important findings in the study.
E. Application: What is the significance or value of the
findings? How does the author suggest they be used? To whom
might these findings be useful?
F. Abstractor’s name
and date.
Each Abstract is worth 50 points each.
SAMPLE ABSTRACT
Downey, Douglas B. and Brian Powell. 1993. "Do Children in
Single-Parent Households Fare Better Living With Same-Sex
Parents?" Journal of Marriage and the Family 55:55-71.
Problem Statement: The purpose of the study is to answer the
question whether living with a single parent of the same sex
provides any advantage over living with a parent of the other
sex.
Sample: A nationally representative sample of 3,892 eighth
graders living with a single parent; 3,483 of whom live with
their mothers, and 409 of whom live with their fathers. This
subset is part of a much larger data set, National Education
Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88), where 24,599 subjects

3. were selected through a stratified random sampling design with
clustering of sampling units within schools.
Methods: Survey methods were used to collect data from
students, teachers, parents, and school records. These studies
have been carried on for more than 20 years.
Findings: There were three important findings in the research:
a) there is no support for the same-sex hypothesis and boy and
girls do at least as well in homes with cross-sex parents, b)
ironically, for some of the outcome measures, there is evidence
that children are advantaged in cross-sex households...just "a
slight bit," however, and c) the apparent reason that single-
parent father households offer an advantage is due to greater
income than in the typical mother's household. The fact that
these findings disagree with many other pieces of work in the
social sciences may be influenced by the older age of this
sample, 13 to 14 years, compared to many studies done with
younger children.
Application: This line of research may eventually affect
custody decisions in the court such that the same-sex parent
advantage assumed by most courts will be called into question.
However, the researchers caution that it is still too early to draw
such a conclusion from these and other social science findings.
This research would be most useful to family members,
professionals, and the legal profession dealing with or affected
by such matters.
Ron Matson, January 14, 1995

4. SOC 111: Introduction to Sociology
SOC 111: Introduction to Sociology
3
ABSTRACT Grading Criteria
Assignment: _____________/50 points
_____ ONE PAGE typed, single spaced [3 pts]
_____ Use of appropriate format for each of the criteria [5
pts}
_____ Proper Citation [5 pts]
_____ Name & Date at the Bottom of the Abstract [2 pts]
_____ Problem Statement
____Stated clearly and concisely the research problem (2
pts) ___ Recognized the Purpose of the
study (2 pts)
___ Declarative sentence, not worded as a question. (1 pt)
_____ Sample
____ Stated clearly the sample - Who, Where, When (3 pts)
___ Identified the size & nature of the sample (1 pt)
___ Discussed & Summarized in their own words (1 pt)
_____ Method
____ Identified the method used (3 pts)
___ Summarized the collection method (2 pts)
_____ Findings
____ Summarized the Important Findings [5 pts]
· Without Using Numbers

5. · Without Directly Quoting from the Study
_____ Application
____ Stated the significance or value of the findings (5 points)
___ Identified how the author suggested they be used (2 pts)
___ Identified who might use this study and for what
possible purpose (3 pts)
_____ Spelling/grammar [5 pts]
NOTES/COMMENTS:
Module 8 Case Study
The budgeting process and budgets themselves have significant
impacts on management actions and performance, in both
positive and negative ways. It is common at many local, state,
or national governmental agencies, and nonprofit organizations,
and even in some for-profit enterprises for managers to increase
spending at the end of the budget cycle. This process, usually
referred to as “use it or lose it" can be harmful to objectives of
any organization. Managers do this, as they often feel that if
they don't spend the amount that was budgeted this year, next
year their supervisors will reduce their budget by the amount
not spent in the current year. So, to avoid having their budget
dollars reduced, managers often increase spending at the end of
the year to ensure all budgeted amounts are spent even if items
are not necessarily needed. This is more common in government
and nonprofit organizations, but can be found in for-profit
enterprises as well.
Requirement: Write a memo to the budget managers in an
organization, assuming you are the CEO. Your memo should

6. direct budget managers not to utilize this approach, but also
offer a logical rationale, and perhaps an alternative solution.
Short Paper/Case Study Analysis Rubric
Requirements of submission: Short paper assignments must
follow these formatting guidelines: double spacing, 12-point
Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and discipline-
appropriate citations. Page length requirements: 1-2 pages
undergraduate courses; 2-4 pages graduate courses.
Refer to this link for viewing and printing Turnitin paper
feedback.
Instructor Feedback: Students can find their feedback in the
grade book as an attachment.
Critical Elements
Exemplary
Proficient
Needs Improvement
Not Evident
Value
Main Elements
Includes all of the main elements and requirements and cites
multiple examples to illustrate each element
(23-25)
Includes most of the main elements and requirements and cites
many examples to illustrate each element
(20-22)
Includes some of the main elements and requirements
(18-19)

7. Does not include any of the main elements and requirements
(0-17)
25
Inquiry and Analysis
Provides in-depth analysis that demonstrates complete
understanding of multiple concepts
(18-20)
Provides in-depth analysis that demonstrates complete
understanding of some concepts
(16-17)
Provides in-depth analysis that demonstrates complete
understanding of minimal concepts
(14-15)
Does not provide in-depth analysis
(0-13)
20
Integration and Application
All of the course concepts are correctly applied
(9-10)
Most of the course concepts are correctly applied
(8)
Some of the course concepts are correctly applied
(7)
Does not correctly apply any of the course concepts
(0-6)
10
Critical Thinking
Draws insightful conclusions that are thoroughly defended with
evidence and examples
(18-20)
Draws informed conclusions that are justified with evidence

8. (16-17)
Draws logical conclusions, but does not defend with evidence
(14-15)
Does not draw logical conclusions
(0-13)
20
Research
Incorporates many scholarly resources effectively that reflect
depth and breadth of research
(14-15)
Incorporates some scholarly resources effectively that reflect
depth and breadth of research
(12-13)
Incorporates very few scholarly resources that reflect depth and
breadth of research
(11)
Does not incorporate scholarly resources that reflect depth and
breadth of research
(0-10)
15
Writing
(Mechanics/Citations)
No errors related to organization, grammar and style, and
citations
(9-10)
Minor errors related to organization, grammar and style, and
citations
(8)
Some errors related to organization, grammar and style, and
citations

9. (7)
Major errors related to organization, grammar and style, and
citations
(0-6)
10
Earned Total:
Comments:
100%