TERM PAPER INSTRUCTIONS
Your 10 to 12-page original paper should apply theory to develop an analytical argument that helps us explain or understand the puzzle or research question at the centre of your research. You are expected to choose one of the approaches that we explore in class and apply it to develop your analysis. You must employ three case studies to demonstrate your argument. Your argument must be based on one of the following topics:
Why does politics turn to violence?
Why is people’s movement restricted?
Why do citizens revolt against the state?
Why do states partner in world politics?
Why does gender matter in world politics?
Your paper should establish a clear theoretical position and present a clear thesis statement. You may wish to start by choosing a theory and then reflect on how that theory would answer the question or you may wish to work backwards and think about which theory helps you justify or understand your answer. You should then engage in secondary source research (books, academic articles) to find evidence in support of your core theoretical argument. You do not need to do primary research to test your hypothesis, but you should read the published academic work of scholars who take different theoretical approaches to these issues and review their evidence. Your job is to engage with the academic literature so that you can make your own contribution to the ongoing debate.
A good research paper will have no fewer than 10 academic sources (sometimes called scholarly sources) and will often cite much more. Aside from academic journal articles or chapters from books published by university presses (i.e. pieces that are peer-reviewed), your bibliography might also include official documents (e.g. UN Declaration on Development), non-governmental organization material (e.g. Sisterhood is Global ), and reports from weekly or daily news magazines or newspapers (N.B. these should only be used when better sources are not available).
Papers should be written in 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins.
You must use in-text citations. I recommend the style guide used by the Canadian Journal of Political Science:
https://www.cpsa-acsp.ca/documents/pdfs/Editorial%20Style%20Guidelines%202008.pdf
Last Completed Projects
| topic title | academic level | Writer | delivered |
|---|