Professors. K.G. Aiken, G. Machlis, and G. Williams; Mentor Mitchell Odom
CRN
32765/32766,
Core 127/177
Mon/Wed,
3:30 pm - 4:45 pm,
TLC 023/041
Research Paper Assignment: Final Paper
Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to gain experience in preparing and completing
a term research paper. The final paper
should be based on the outline and draft paper developed earlier this semester.
As a reminder, the research question must deal with the relationship between
environment and warfare. It can cover historical or contemporary concerns, be
focused at small or large scale issues, relate to the US and/or other nations,
and can deal with one or more stages of warfare as defined in class.
Key Resources
Your draft paper and my review are important guides for this assignment.
All of the assigned readings can be a source of material for the final paper.
Additional resources include national newspapers, websites that deal with
environment and conflict, and the UI Library (books, reports, and scientific
journals). Faculty and fellow students can also help you in locating interesting
and important material for the draft.
Assignment Tasks
1. Re-read your draft paper and my comments, and consider any adjustments or
revisions to the research question that strengthen your final paper.
2. Review available resources online and at the UI Library, to gather materials
related to the topic to guide your research. In some cases,
significant additional library research
beyond draft is necessary to develop a successful final paper.
3. Prepare a 5-7 page double-spaced
final version of your research paper.
This is shorter than the draft paper, and carefully editing is encouraged.
The final version must contain the research question (stated as a formal
question), as well as other key elements of the final paper (see details below
and follow all instructions carefully).
4. Attach the marked-up version of the draft paper to the back of the final
paper. This is important, and all final papers must have the marked draft
paper attached.
4. Proofread the final paper before
turning in the assignment. The assignment must be turned in on paper (see
instructions); electronic submissions will not be accepted.
Instructions for Preparing the Research Paper
The final paper must have the following key sections, clearly identified, though
they can be titled creatively to reflect your question and interests:
I. An introduction that describes the
general topic and why it is important.
II. The research question, clearly
and concisely stated as a question.
This section should also include definition of terms, the scale and unit(s) of
analysis, and the identification of independent and dependent variables, as
discussed in class.
III. The methods, which describes how
you have gathered the information for your research paper.
IV. The results, which organizes and
describes what you have learned that helps answer the research question. This
section should discriminate between correlation and causation as they relate to
the independent and dependent variables, as discussed last semester.
V. The discussion, which includes
what you think are the important implications of your results. This section
should include an evaluation of the quality of the evidence you have used to
answer the research question.
VI. The conclusion, which summarizes
the key points of the paper and suggests further research questions (again,
stated as formal questions) that emerge from your research.
VII. A list of references, which
lists all of the references you have used in your paper. Be sure to use a common
and formal format for all references.
Preparing the Final Paper
The assignment must be prepared in formal prose, with section headings as
described above. The paper must be typed, in 10-point font (the same size type
as this assignment handout). The paper must be double-spaced, single-sided, with
1' margins on all sides. The paper should be 5-7 pages in length, including the
list of references. A title page is not necessary. The paper should have your
name in the upper right of the first page, and be stapled. Remember that the
marked-up draft paper must be attached to the back of the final paper.
The final paper is due at the beginning
of class on Monday, 27 April.
The final paper will be evaluated on its professional preparation (including
neatness, grammar, spelling and organization), meeting all the instructions of
the assignment, and (most importantly) the logic and substance of the paper.
Papers will be available to be picked up at Dr. Machlis’ office (Room 16,
College of Natural Resources) no earlier than 13 May.
Suggestions for Writing a Successful Paper