You will complete a minimum 2000-word (8 pages) research paper related to a criminal investigative topic pre-approved by the instructor.
This paper MUST integrate the Saint Leo core value of Integrity which for purposes of this paper will be consistency in what is stated or prescribed or proscribed and what is actually practiced in criminal investigations as it relates to your topic.
Mandated considerations for your research paper assignment:
1. Be as specific as possible and keep the main topic the main topic. Keep in mind a research paper is not merely an “information dump” of statements reflecting no analytical or critical thinking, e.g., no discernment of untruths, partial truths, false assumptions, political agendas, etc., and no well-informed summary and conclusion.
2. Only two references from the web may be used. Use scholarly journals, books, (not information unsupportable by fact-based sources).
3. If you fail to use at least five different references excluding the course textbook in your research assignment or if you fail to in-text cite in the body of your research assignment all of the references you list on the references page there will be a significant reduction in your final grade.
4. The use of proper grammar, spelling, punctuation and overall writing mechanics will be scrutinized.
5. You must properly in-text cite any quoted or paraphrased content. Cite the sources for all cited statistics. The APA 7 Publications Manual and other APA resources describe how to cite different types of sources such as government documents, pamphlets, websites, etc. Properly cite all references.
6. In your paper you must detail and comprehensively address the investigative approaches, techniques, strategies, methods, investigative tools, and specific constitutional considerations incident to the investigations and/or practices, e.g., Fourth and Fifth amendments. The paper is not to focus on a specific case or specific cases.
7. Address the need for applying integrity in the investigative processes addressed in your paper, e.g., what is stated or prescribed or proscribed and what is actually practiced and applied in criminal investigations as it relates to your topic.
