written assignment 1

This course requires you to write a research paper that is worth 25% of your final grade. The topic of your paper should be a trend or an issue (some topics are both a trend and an issue). You may choose any topic for this paper that meets the following criteria:

• It must be a global topic that impacts a reasonably large number of countries. It can also be a regional topic, as long as that region is not Western Europe or North America (not including Mexico).

• It must not be a topic that is relevant primarily to a country in Western Europe or North American (not including Mexico).

• It cannot be one of the following banned topics: globalization, the Internet, socialism, capitalism, global warming, climate change, outsourcing, social media, environmental sustainability, green building, sweatshops, global aging, global migration, and ecotourism. However, if you would like to explore something new and original about these topics, talk to me right away! I have provided a list of possible topics below. You are welcome to use any of them, or choose another one you like.

• The paper must be 5-6 pages long, excluding a separate Works Cited page. It must be double-spaced, with 12-Times font and one-inch margins. It must conform to the MLA format in every respect. If you are not familiar with the MLA styling conventions, visit a writing tutor in the Academic Success Center. Naturally, the paper should be thoughtful, analytical, grammatically correct, and spellchecked.

Structure

Your paper must include the following parts:

1. Introduction: This section must introduce and describe the topic. Explain what makes this a “global” topic. Briefly overview the paper and provide your thesis statement. The Intro is the “hook” that gets readers to continue reading your paper, so use it as such.

• Definitions, stats and figures (to develop a global dimension): In the following paragraph(s), provide any relevant definitions and discuss what world regions are affected by your chosen trend or issue? Use stats, tables, charts, graphs, etc., to educate and convince the reader that this is truly a global topic that they need to care about.

• Causes: Present and discuss the factors that led to emergence of this trend or issue. Be analytical. Explain clearly the mechanisms by which these factors caused the trend or issue. The causes might be different in different countries, so be sure to describe and explain those variations.

• Consequences: What are the effects of this trend or issue on the world? Provide illustrative examples from several countries from different regions of the world. Also be analytical.

• Conclusion: Wrap up the paper with your own opinions, thoughts, and comments about the topic. If your topic is also an issue, discuss the various solutions that have been advanced by scholars, policy makers, governments, etc. to this issue. You may also add your own ideas to solve this problem but only after presenting existing ideas in the literature.

• Works Cited: Provide a list of the sources that you referenced in the paper (in alphabetical order; no numbering or bullet points). Note that the citations must conform to the MLA style.

Submission

All papers must be submitted as hardcopies in class on the due dates given in the syllabus.

Sources

You may use any sources for this paper but you need to ensure that they are credible. Avoid random websites. You must use a minimum of seven sources, of which at least three must be academic, scholarly, peer-reviewed journal articles that you locate using the online research databases available through the University library website. You may use sources from the syllabus but they will not count toward the required minimum of eight sources.

Citing Sources

Cite your sources throughout the paper (in-text citations). Do not cite only at the end of the paragraph – cite at the end of sentences when you provide information or ideas that are not originally yours. Not citing sources will be considered plagiarism and your paper will receive an F (and possibly stricter penalties depending on the seriousness of the plagiarism).

Paraphrasing

Unless it’s a direct quote, in which case you place it in double quotes with the source cited, write every sentence in your own words even if you cite the source. You are citing the source to show where you got the idea but that does not give you the permission to use the words exactly or nearly exactly as given in the sentences in the source (even if you cite the source). If you do that, it’s plagiarism.

Important

This is a writing-intensive course and I strongly encourage you to visit a writing tutor at the Academic Success Center before you turn in your paper. Remember to take this assignment prompt and a completed version of your paper with you. Schedule an appointment before you go (schedule through Starfish) .

Grading Criteria

In varying degrees, your paper will be graded on the basis of the following:

• Introduction of the topic; quality of the thesis statement
• Presentation and discussion of the causes of the trend/issue
• Presentation and discussion of the consequences of the trend/issue
• Quality and strength of the conclusion
• The quality of the writing (including proper citation)
• The correct use of the MLA style
• The quality of the sources used
• The overall process and professionalism (e.g., submitting a proper proposal and on time)

List of Suggested Topics