{"id":342,"date":"2018-02-14T22:16:51","date_gmt":"2018-02-15T06:16:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/a12012\/?page_id=342"},"modified":"2023-03-17T10:24:48","modified_gmt":"2023-03-17T17:24:48","slug":"essay-guide","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/a12012\/essay-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Essay Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Political Science 372A (3)<\/b><\/p>\n

Multinational Corporations and Globalization in the Developed and Developing World\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Research Proposal and Essay<\/b><\/p>\n

\u00a0Rubric & Guide<\/b><\/p>\n

Research essay proposal: <\/b>you will write an essay proposal 2-3 pages long in which you make a case for a particular topic for your final paper (this should be based on selected topics provided by myself), provide a provisional title, overview of your argument, a draft structure, and an indicative reading list (e.g. a bibliography of all the sources you have located so far). The purpose of the assignment is to see how your ideas are developing, assess whether the argument is hanging together, and receive some thoughts about what, if any, gaps need to be filled either in terms of research or conceptualization. It will also prompt you to think early about your final paper (discussed below) and ensure you receive concrete feedback from myself and\/or your TA prior to submission of the final assignment. This assignment is due March<\/strong> 5 <\/b>and makes up a maximum 5% of your final grade.<\/p>\n

Guidelines<\/b><\/p>\n

This is a proposal that, by definition, cannot and should not contain a fully developed argument. Your proposal will be evaluated for its coherence, feasibility, preparation, and research skills.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. coherence: be sure to have a clear central focus that expresses a core purpose (or set of purposes) aka a \u201cthesis\u201d; the proposal should be written like a mini essay (with properly structured sentences & paragraphs). It is also important that you not confuse topics with questions. The topic is a general area of inquiry and not an argument in itself. Work on narrowing the topic down to a clear question, and narrowing down the research sources you should be looking for. And focus the proposal on explaining the objectives of your paper, not on its organizational structure, which you cannot predict in advance.<\/li>\n
  2. feasibility: make sure that you can do what you promise to do. Create realistic expectations about your proposed focus and argument.\u00a0 Do not, for example, talk about what you plan to do in your research if you do not yet know whether the sources you say will be analyzed actually exist. Also, while it\u2019s always great when research can be applied to solve problems, focus your efforts on manageable questions. Do not, for example, promise to prove that multinational corporations will cause (or conversely solve) all of our problems.<\/li>\n
  3. preparation: make sure you engage in substantial and serious preliminary reflection on your project, and start early enough to make this possible. Do not leave this to the last minute. The assignment is intended only to help you and you will get the most out of it by doing more than throwing together a couple of paragraphs. Yes, it is \u201conly\u201d worth a maximum 5 marks but, if taken seriously, should help you dramatically improve your much more heavily weighted essay grade.<\/li>\n
  4. Remember that a core purpose in writing both the proposal and, ultimately, the essay is to demonstrate an ability to do research. If and when you approach the TA and\/or myself for advice (as you should) make sure that you are telling, not asking, us about what sources you will use. This is your project so take ownership of the relevant literature. We will guide you in research, but please remember that part of the purpose of the assignment is to test your abilities to work independently. This said, what follows are some general tips for engaging in research.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Research Tips<\/b><\/p>\n

    There are many sorts of essays and questions that can arise in the context of research, and what follows is general advice not a magic formula.<\/p>\n

    Where to go<\/i><\/p>\n

    While the birth of the internet has made it possible to conduct research without entering an actual library, it is crucial to be aware that most of the information on the internet is useless, incorrect, incomplete, and almost always of lesser quality than professionally published, peer reviewed materials. Remember that anybody with a computer can self-publish and it is not always easy to spot the difference between legitimate academic or news sources and the seemingly authoritative musings of an amateur. That said, it is possible to use electronic media to access many legitimate academic sources, and many traditionally published works are readily available online. Some of these materials reside behind expensive paywalls, but happily UBC has online subscriptions to numerous scholarly journals, powerful bibliographic tools, reference works, and full-text newspapers.<\/p>\n

    What to look for<\/i><\/p>\n

    A major challenge in writing a research paper is finding the right <\/i>sources. The two things that should drive & guide your search are:\u00a0 a. relevance, and; b. quality. There may be 18 books or articles that touch on your subject, but perhaps only 5 or 6 of these actually help you to address your purposes. If a source seems peripheral to your question, it probably is, so drop it or limit its use. Focus on quality not quantity, and do not pad your bibliography with marginally relevant materials. Many journal articles have abstracts, which can be read quickly, so be choosy and eliminate materials that do not seem to bare directly on your research question. As for quality, stick to well known, peer reviewed journals, books, highly regarded periodicals, and well known, established news sources. If you are in doubt, look for works published by university presses, or high quality private publishers like Palgrave, Macmillan, Routledge, etc. If still in doubt, ask.<\/p>\n

    Journal Articles? Books? News sources?<\/i><\/p>\n

    Yes. In other words, it\u2019s good to have a mix, but what you wind up with in your bibliography will be partly a function of what you are focusing on. A research essay will often contain a balance of scholarly books (stand alone authors or edited collections), articles, and news accounts (especially if you are researching a recent issue). Be cautious of editorials, biased advocacy-group reports, and blogs. It is not that you can\u2019t use such sources, but use them sparingly and never at the expense of scholarly materials. It is also important not to wind up with an imbalance in perspectives. For example, while Susan Strange is a leading authority on MNCs, and a deeply respected academic, you should not have a bibliography dominated by her works to the exclusion of other voices and viewpoints.<\/p>\n

    How many sources?<\/em><\/p>\n

    This is a very common but difficult question, and the answer depends partly on the nature of the argument. But if you have fewer than 10 sources total you very likely have too few. If you have 30 or 40 sources for a 12 to 15 page paper, you almost certainly have too many, or are padding your bibliography. Use your instincts. Again, if in doubt, ask.<\/p>\n

    List of Peer reviewed Journal\/Periodicals<\/b><\/p>\n

    (Note: the journals most likely to be relevant are highlighted in bold; many of these journals have searchable indexes)<\/p>\n

    American Journal of International Law<\/i><\/p>\n

    American Journal of Political Science<\/i><\/p>\n

    American Political Science Review<\/i><\/p>\n

    Annual Review of Political Science<\/i><\/p>\n

    Australian Journal of International Affairs<\/i><\/p>\n

    British Journal of Politics and International Relations<\/i><\/p>\n

    Cambridge Review of International Affairs<\/i><\/p>\n

    Canadian Foreign Policy<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Chinese Journal of International Politics, The<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Comparative Politics<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Conflict Management and Peace Science<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Cooperation and Conflict<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 East European Politics<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0<\/i> Ethics & International Affairs<\/i> (also has an excellent blog)<\/b><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/i>European Journal of International Law<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 European Journal of International Relations<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 European Union Politics<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Foreign Affairs<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/i>Foreign Policy<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Foreign Policy Analysis<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Georgetown Journal of International Affairs<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0<\/i> Global Governance<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/i>Global Policy<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Harvard International Law Journal<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Harvard International Review<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/i>International Affairs<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0<\/i> International Feminist Journal of Politics<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 International Journal of Conflict and Violence<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 International Journal of Transitional Justice<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 <\/i>\u00a0 International Organization<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

    International Political Science Review<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 International Political Sociology<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 International Relations<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 International Relations of the Asia-Pacific<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 International Security<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 International Studies Perspectives<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 International Studies Quarterly<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/i>International Studies Review<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 International Theory<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Journal of Common Market Studies<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Journal of Conflict Resolution<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Journal of European Integration<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Journal of European Public Policy<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Journal of International Affairs<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Journal of Peace Research<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Journal of Politics<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Journal of Strategic Studies<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Marine Policy<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Mediterranean Politics<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Millennium: Journal of International Studies<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 MIT International Review<\/i><\/p>\n

    New Political Economy<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

    Orbis<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Perspectives on Politics<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Political Science Quarterly<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 <\/i>\u00a0 Review of International Organizations<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/i>Review of International Political Economy<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/i>Review of International Studies<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/i>Review of World Economics<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 SAIS Review<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Security Dialogue<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Security Studies<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Survival<\/i><\/p>\n

    \u00a0 \u00a0 Terrorism and Political Violence<\/i><\/p>\n

    West European Politics<\/i><\/p>\n

    World Economy, The<\/i><\/p>\n

    World Focus<\/i><\/p>\n

    World Policy Journal<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

    World Politics<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

    Yale Journal of International Affairs<\/i><\/p>\n

    Newspapers\/Magazines\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

    Atlantic, The<\/i><\/p>\n

    Christian Science Monitor<\/i><\/p>\n

    Economist, The<\/i><\/p>\n

    Far Eastern Economic Review (final issue 2009)<\/i><\/p>\n

    Financial Times<\/i><\/p>\n

    Guardian Weekly<\/i><\/p>\n

    New Yorker, The<\/i><\/p>\n

    New York Times\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

    Washington Post<\/i><\/p>\n

    Please note that in most instances you are expected to identify case studies (countries, regions, industries, MNC examples, etc.) on you own. The essay topic is generally a framework in which you are encouraged to propose examples of your own. You may also wish to develop your own topic, but this must be done in consultation with both<\/b> myself and the course TA.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Political Science 372A (3) Multinational Corporations and Globalization in the Developed and Developing World\u00a0 Research Proposal and Essay \u00a0Rubric & Guide Research essay proposal: you will write an essay proposal 2-3 pages long in which you make a case for a particular topic for your final paper (this should be based on selected topics provided […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16178,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-342","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/a12012\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/342","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/a12012\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/a12012\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/a12012\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16178"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/a12012\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=342"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/a12012\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/342\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1009,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/a12012\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/342\/revisions\/1009"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/a12012\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=342"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}