Psyc 1081 (Drugs and Human Behavior) papers:

For students choosing to do the paper:  

If you choose to have 25% of your grade based on a paper, the paper must follow the structure and content listed here and must be turned in by class time on Friday, December 12.  The paper will focus on a drug or class of drugs (other than alcohol) that has appeared in the news this past year (trust me—that includes a wide variety of substances).  The paper needs to include all of the following:

1.         A brief description of the pharmacological effects of the drug and its mechanisms of action (i.e., how it works).

2.         A summary of the primary risks and benefits associated with use of the drug.  “Benefits” should include not only the purpose for which the drug was developed (e.g., extended pain relief for OxyContin), but also the effects sought by people who abuse it, if it is abused (e.g., the heroin-like effects when OxyContin is misused).

3.         A brief summary account of the drug's history and social/legal impact and status.

4.         A summary of news accounts related to this drug from the past year*.  (You may want to check this part first before writing the rest of the paper to make sure articles will be available). The purpose of this is to investigate the current issues related to the use of the drug.  This is to be a SUMMARY of what has appeared, NOT cut-and-paste presentation of news articles.  What are the issues?  Are there implications related to these?  Do the news items illustrate some point about drug use or its control?  (Be sure to cite news article sources and dates).

When I say brief, I mean it.  I expect each section to be approximately 1-2 typed page in length (total paper length approximately 5-7 pages).   

NOTE: You should treat each of these parts of the paper as-if they are lengthy essay questions.  Include specific information that demonstrates your understanding of each component.  Each part will be graded for completeness and accuracy.

 Additional Information and Resources

Books will be available on reserve at the library for your use, but additional items can (and should!) be ordered through inter-library loan as soon as possible.

If you're going to rely on Web resources, carefully consider the sources that you're using and seek confirmation from other sources for accuracy.  DO NOT rely on single sources for information

FOR NEWS ARTICLES:  Your best bet is to use the Lexis-Nexis link via the library.  This allows you to access newspaper articles from around the world.

Any type of drug other than alcohol is fine, but keep in mind that you'll need to talk about all the issues listed in the criteria. In particular, some drugs (especially obscure therapeutics) won't have much in the way of news coverage, so choose wisely. 

Please include a bibliography and cite sources completely.  Writing style, grammar, etc., will be taken into account.  (APA style is preferred).

Pay attention to plagiarism and copying prohibitions.  University guidelines will be followed:

Cheating and plagiarism policy 

The University defines scholastic dishonesty as “submission of false records of academic achievement; cheating on assignments or examinations; plagiarizing; altering, forging, or misusing a University academic record; taking, acquiring, or using test materials without faculty permission; acting alone or in cooperation with another to falsify records or to obtain dishonestly grades, honors, awards, or professional endorsement.”  Scholastic dishonesty, in the form of cheating on exams, using a previous student’s paper, etc., will result in a “0” for the assignment or exam, at the minimum, and possible removal from the course, at the maximum.  Incidences of scholastic dishonesty will be reported, in writing, to the Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs.

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*  No news articles related to the drug you picked in the past year?  How about a related drug?  You should check for news article availability before attempting to do paper.

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