We live in an information age: much of what we need to know is available through technical sources.This course makes use of the internet web as a source of information you will need. I have posted a number of interesting links to other sites that have information about marriage and family research, interventions, assessment, professional and public policy information listings.  Please visit these sites (and follow their links) as you think about your term paper or the readings and discussions we are having in class.

   As a fun homework assignment, I am asking that you visit a site or two of your own discovery (or use one I have listed as a link),  and find something of psychological interest from that site. Tell what the site address is, what its purpose is, and what special information you found there of interest. Here is what I have in mind: There are professional organization sites that some of the leading researchers in the marital area use to publish and discuss their work. You may (someday) come across these in paper journals. But now you can look over their shoulders as it were and watch what the big kids are doing. A former student of mine, Dr. Rick Heyman, has a site that deals with spouse abuse issues. A great source of leading edge research! There is also a Special Interest Group (SIG) of Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy (AABT) that is devoted to couples' research. Again, some of the movers and shakers list materials on that site, as well as debates on important issues. Another colleague has published a survey of self-help marriage books that I found very interesting. Make it a fun exploration and learn in the process!

What to avoid: Avoid preaching sites. These are basically "if you don't agree with my politics you shall die!" sites. They offer little science based information, have an ax to grind, and although fun for literary class, not a good idea for this class. Avoid sites that are just opinions, whether you happen to agree with them or not
 
    Although this is a graded assignment, please don't make it a huge undertaking. Write about it a friendly way, citing the complete URL reference, who seems to sponsor it, and what you found worthwhile learning about .
Two pages MAX!
    The sooner you do this the more useful the skill will be for your paper research. There is a deadline, but you can complete it much before the deadline.