Explain the importance of your topic and briefly situate your work within the larger corpus of theory and empirics.

Assignment Question

Choose a topic and write a paper.

(1) An introduction that clearly states the objectives and purpose of the paper. This is where you explain the importance of your topic and briefly situate your work within the larger corpus of theory and empirics. You may even hint at your findings.

(2) A review of relevant literature that informs your puzzle; this is where you elaborate on how you situate and contextualize your study. What have the “great thinkers” said about the issues? What mid-range theories are applicable? Is it possible to synthesize theoretical approaches to gain a more complete understanding of the topic(s)/issue(s) at hand?

(3) An empirical assessment. There are many options here, as stated above. In terms of quantitative data, check the list of data portals below. Otherwise, case studies may be undertaken via historical/comparative methodologies. At minimum, simple descriptive statistics may be presented to illustrate the dynamics you treat.

(4) A summary of your findings, conclusions, and implications. Tie back to the initial intent of the paper and situate within the larger corpus of theory and methods. Be sure to flush out the (theoretical, practical) implications of your findings and note the limitations of your research.

You might even provide calls for “future directions” of research. Though #1 and #4 may seem repetitive, the introductory and concluding remarks really