miniority politic
Castle123
MajorPaperOverviewwithNarrationMP1.pptmMajor Paper Overview
Summary Point Discussion Included
Overview
Acceptable Journals
American Political Science Review
American Journal of Political Science
Journal of Politics
British Journal of Political Science
Public Opinion Quarterly
Political Behavior
Political Psychology
Social Science Quarterly
National Review of Black Politics/National Political Science Review
The Social Science Journal
American Review of Politics
Political Research Quarterly
New Political Science
Journal articles specifically approved by the professor prior to submitting the paper/summary points
NOT Acceptable for REQUIRED Sources
PS: Political Science & Politics
This journal is in the political science section of JSTOR, but it is NOT acceptable for this paper.
JOURNALS FROM JSTOR THAT ARE NOT listed in political science
ANY JOURNAL THAT IS NOT ON THE LIST
Please note that you ARE PERMITTED to use other sources, but they will not count toward your 10 required sources.
Structural Assistance I
The professor is only requiring 10 sources so you really need to use the 10 required sources thoroughly. One or two cites is not going to be sufficient;
Remember that the professor does not want to see direct quotes and limits the number of direct quotes you may use;
Do not address one article at a time unless you’re considering different concepts. The idea is to talk about the content rather than the article. If you take the “first I looked at X, then I looked at Y…” approach your paper will read like an annotated bibliography (ask if this is confusing);
Spelling, grammar and structure do matter; and
Do not let a story unfold – the professor should not be surprised by the direction your paper takes.
Structural Assistance II
The following outline should help (it’s not a good idea to label sections “introduction,” “body,” etc. This is just to help you know what to do.
Introduction
What are you studying/What is your research question?
How do you proceed?
Literature
Look for concepts in the readings.
These concepts or themes are different ways others have answered your research question.
Conclusion
Concluding remarks should summarize what you found. What do you think best answers your research question? Are there limitations in the research you found (e.g. data are old, samples are insufficient, omitted variable bias)
IMPORTANT
Do not get normative. This paper shouldn’t be about your opinion so endeavor to keep your opinion out of it.
Getting into JSTOR I
Getting into JSTOR II
Getting into JSTOR III
Navigating JSTOR
Requirements
Font – only 12pt font; only Times New Roman, Arial and Cambria are acceptable. No colored fonts.
Margins – All must be one inch
Spacing – Must be double-spaced; Header with class information & name may be single-spaced.
Cover page – DO NOT INCLUDE A COVER PAGE
Page numbers – Page numbers are required and must be placed in the bottom right corner.
Length
ABSOLUTELY NO MORE THAN 15 PAGES
You may write less. There is no required length.
Cover pages WILL count toward the page limit.
Bibliographies (AKA reference pages) DO NOT count toward the page limit.
Style & Sources
Any formal style is acceptable, but the professor prefers APSA.
https://connect.apsanet.org/stylemanual/
Students are warned against using styles with footnotes given the page limit.
Direct Quotes – make sure you are citing them appropriately and understand that students MAY NOT USE MORE THAN THREE DIRECT QUOTES IN THEIR PAPERS. THESE QUOTES MAY BE NO MORE THAN THE EQUIVALENT OF THE 2.5 LINES OF TYPED TEXT. THE PROFESSOR WANTS TO SEE YOU PUT IDEAS INTO YOUR OWN WORDS. There will be a 10-point deduction for each direct quote over 2.5 lines of typed text and a 10-point deduction for each direct quote after the third.
Plagiarism
Don’t do it. It’s tacky.
You will fail the course.
It is in your best interest not to read other students’ papers in the event that you might internalize what they have written.
The professor keeps papers written for all of her courses (the advantage of submitting online).
Penalties
Read over the paper assignment guide carefully regarding penalties. Penalties may be assessed for the following (and additional reasons):
Late
Spelling and/or grammatical errors
Formatting errors
Improper citations
>15 pages
Due Date, Submission & Assistance
Refer to your syllabus. Papers must be submitted via blazeview email attachment in word or pdf format.
Ask the professor for help. She is available and wants to help.
Major Paper Guide
This lecture is not a substitute for the major paper guide. Read it carefully.
Summary Points
What is your research question?
Why did you find this topic interesting?
What did the literature tell you/how did it answer your research question? (You can use bullet points here if you like.)
How can you related your paper to class material?
What can you ultimately conclude?
Presentation
You can use your summary points as a starting point.
You have your choice of presentation format (e.g. YouTube, PowerPoint), but you have to make sure that it is accessible to the class.
I will look over your slides if you choose to use PowerPoint presentation.
Participation
Commenting on others’ presentations is your last opportunity to score participation points.
I will create a folder in the content manager with student presentations.
I will create a “Papers” forum. The topics will group students and there will be an individual thread with each student’s name. You’ll reply there.
