Choose one infamous crime for your research paper: serial murder, policy, or the law. Subjects should be discussed with the professor prior to taking on the subject. This is to ensure the subject matter meets the requirements.
The research paper should be between 2000 to 2500 words. The research project must be done in APA style, either the sixth or seventh edition (https://apastyle.apa.org/), with the appropriate headings. Title pages, abstracts, references, and appendages are not part of the page count. Additionally, you must have at least two book resources and two peer-reviewed journal articles, with professional journals having a preferred standing.
If you have chosen a criminal case or event, such as a murder or serial killer, I would suggest the event to be one of relatively short duration. Serial killers, such as BTK and the Green River Killer, have committed offenses over decades and require a more indepth approach to the research. Single events, quick intervention by law enforcement, or modern offenders will provide resources and a better-constructed research paper of this duration. Criminal offenders such as Susan Smith, Jodi Arias, and Larry Nassar are better suited for shorter papers.
You will discuss of history of your selection and biography; you will explain the policy and how the policy works or how the criminal justice system processed the individual. Additionally, you will need to determine if the criminal justice system handled the individual fairly, legally, and morally. Finally, if you have chosen a policy or law, discuss the policy’s legality, whether it is fair, does it affect any person or class unfairly, and any historical references.