Writing Policy Papers

Writing Policy PapersIf you are a college student and a member of your class is required to write a paper on a topic that has very little to do with the topic you have chosen, there is one surefire way for them to get a lower grade than they deserve. It's known as the 'Thesis Statement Effect.'The research was done by psychologist Alan Kazdin, PhD, who studied the effects of subjecting students to an assignment where they had to write about something totally unrelated to their field of study. They were also required to answer some questions regarding their abilities, before they started writing.Dr. Kazdin used a mathematical model and a statistical analysis to determine what effect this type of assignment would have on the grade of the student. The results showed that there is a large and significant difference in how many students get a higher grade when they write the paper about another topic.Students who focus on the topic they are assigned always seem to get a better grade, as o pposed to students who try to write a coherent and well-written paper on an unrelated topic. Students who choose a related topic seem to give themselves a leg up over students who chose a more general topic. This is why your professor does not like to give students' papers that aren't very 'focused'central.'One thing you can do to avoid this is to allow the professor to decide which papers should be written and which ones should not be written. Don't let them dictate the paper you will write because then you are more likely to be written by your teacher on the specific topic.Another thing you can do to get an A when it comes to writing policy papers is to use the thesis statement effect to your advantage. This means that when your professor asks you a question regarding your abilities are directly related to the topic, you need to be honest about your abilities and answer the question truthfully. If you can honestly answer the question, 'What does your level of expertise in this sub ject/topic indicate to me about your capabilities,' then you can actually give yourself an A when it comes to writing policy papers. What most students don't realize is that they are perfectly capable of answering the question 'What do you know about your topic?'One other thing you can do when writing your paper is to write about what is in your mind. When you think about something, you really have no idea how to write about it, but if you write in your own mind then you have the ability to write it down.