The Research Paper will be 19% of the course grade and consist of a minimum of 15 double spaced pages of written content [not including title page, images, charts, abstract, table of contents, and or reference pages]. The inclusion of a “running head” is not required.
The paper will address one of the two following topics [students are to choose 1 of the 2 as the focus for their paper]:
1. Identify, discuss, and compare the roles of members assigned to a crisis team. As a minimum include [a] negotiators, tactical team members, and health care/mental health professionals. Please make sure to discuss [in specifics] what each brings to the team and how they can or and should be used. As part of the latter, include a discussion related to soft versus hard negotiations.
2. A topic focused on a specific aspect of Equity, Diversion, Equality [EDI] as it relates to crisis negotiations and this course. Keep in mind, EDI is far more than simply a discussion on race. Potential EDI areas for consideration can in part include issues related to race, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, tribe, casts, socio-economic status, thinking and communication styles, etc. This topic allows a wide variety of potential topics and in turn is in support of 6 of the 8 COs. All EDI based topics within this category are pre-approved so long as it relates to law enforcement and this course, but if unsure if your topic can work please post it in the Question Tab of the Forums for instructor approval
Note: This paper is linked to the following 6 course learning objectives:
CO2: Summarize the phenomenon known as Stockholm Syndrome, to include traits associated with both survivors and succumbers;
CO3: Recommend actions for negotiating in various circumstances; to include negotiating with individuals with past military experience, and the emotionally disturbed;
CO4: Outline the warning signs and appropriate law enforcement actions regarding suicide by cop;
CO5: Compare and contrast soft versus hard negotiations;
CO6: Examine successful versus unsuccessful traits of hostage negotiators, to include the impact and method of dealing with polarization;
CO8: Extrapolate the role that health care professionals, hostage negotiators, and tactical team members play in successfully dealing with crisis and hostage situations
This paper must have at least 10 references from primary sources, for example the weekly readings, peer-reviewed journals, etc. Use of newspapers, news magazines, and similar periodicals must be kept to a minimum but are fine for background material. Students are encouraged to use the APUS online library in order to utilize peer-reviewed journals to the maximum extent possible.
Web sources should be evaluated based on the site sponsor, among other things, such as: How long has the site existed? Is there sufficient information to judge credentials, authenticity, credibility, and bias? Are facts supported by cited sources? Is the material published only on the web? Wikipedia is not an acceptable source.
This research paper must be written using the most recent version of the American Psychological Association [APA] manual and style. In part this must include the following: [b] Times New Roman style, [c] 12-point font, [d] double-spaced, with [e] 1 inch page margins all around. For general guidance see the current Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.