The following steps are required in order to successfully complete the course.

Identification of the Topic

As noted, the purpose of this course to provide students with practical experience in selecting topics and writing professional grade research papers. As such, you are expected to carry out a literature review, analyze information, criticize explanations, and generally present original thought on a specific topic.

It is expected that students who register in this course will already have ideas about what they would like to investigate (this course does not provide introductory guidance on topics of interest). When first coming into the course, you are expected to consult with the instructor on the choice of research topic prior to undertaking any activity. This ensures that students select appropriate topics, that is, topics that are within the area of interest of the instructor and are neither too broad nor too narrow to fit comfortably within the constraints of this course. The topic is normally negotiated between students and the instructor by e-mail or telephone.

Preliminary Proposal

Following identification of the topic, you are expected to submit a preliminary proposal and outline of the paper. The proposal will outline the theoretical or empirical significance of the topic, or both; identify the documentary sources of information to be consulted (e.g., library sources, newspaper, archives, etc.); identify a preliminary reading list; and give a provisional outline of the final paper. The proposal should not exceed ten pages and should only be submitted after you have analyzed the topic, completed a certain amount of preliminary reading, and thought through the organization and presentation of the material.

Sample Reviews

After submitting the preliminary proposal, you will read and review two sample pieces of literature to be used in the development of your research. These reviews may be of books or articles that are central to your investigation of the topic. Neither of these reviews should exceed five pages.

The purpose of these assignments is to encourage you to develop careful and appropriate reading habits. In reading scholarly sources, pay careful attention to the content of the source. A critical (but not antagonistic) perspective is essential.

A sample review checklist is provided as an appendix the end of this document to guide you through the process of reading and critiquing research articles or books. The questions provided are guidelines only. You may develop your own approach to analyzing scholarly sources.

The Research Paper

The major requirement for this course is the completion of a research paper or research report (between 25 and 50 pages) on the topic identified in the preliminary proposal. To proceed, students must have professor approval of their proposal. Empirical research reports generally follow a standard template. You can discover this template for yourself by consulting a handful of scholarly journals where you would find that empirical reports are generally written with abstract, introduction, methodology, data/report, discussion, and conclusion sections. Empirical papers generally conform to this time-tested formula.

The output structure for theoretical papers is much more fluid. In general, theory papers will have an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion. Writers who undertake theory projects are free to develop the material in a way that makes sense and that successfully communicates the theoretical ideas of the author.

When writing theory papers, do not give in to the temptation to use pretentious language and overly complex sentence structures to convey otherwise simple (or even complex) concepts and ideas. The goal of theory is not to obscure your knowledge and ideas but to reveal them for consideration. Clarity of communication is a cardinal criterion for writing and evaluating theoretical contributions.