Research Proposal

Angelica Ardines

SP 2014

Date: February 3, 2014 To: Dr. Steffen Guenzel From: Angelica M. Ardines Subject of my paper: The role of pleading insanity in the court system. Purpose: Im majoring in psychology and want to pursue a doctorates degree in forensic psychology. This topic will be beneficial to me because forensic psychology is about interpreting criminals behavior in order to make a verdict in court about a specific criminal case. Having an understanding of the role of pleading insanity in the court system will help me to better understand the role I will play, based on my career choice, in the court system. Preliminary Thesis/Argument: The role of pleading insanity in the court system has led to unfair trials and punishments. Intended audience: Students willing to pursue the same career goals Im pursuing. People interested in the in the role pleading insanity takes in the court system. Types of research areas: I will be using all three types of research area: scholarly, internet, and field research. The scholarly area will be important because it will help me define certain terms (i.e. insanity in the court system). The internet area is important because it will help me gather information about criminal cases in which insanity has been pled. Field research is important because it will help me find statistics about the pleading of insanity in the court system. Kinds of sources I will use and why they will benefit my paper: I will use scholarly journals, which will benefit my paper because the credibility of the authors will provide for more accurate information. I plan on using internet resources to get some background information on my field of study and the court system. Graphs or charts: No graphs or charts at this moment. Documentation Style: APA Tentative List of References: Criminal insanity. (n.d.) West's Encyclopedia of American Law, edition 2. (2008). Retrieved February 2 2014 from http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Criminal+insanity Criminal insanity. (n.d.) The People's Law Dictionary. (2005). Retrieved February 2 2014 from http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Criminal+insanity