POLSC 101: Term Paper Guideline
Here is a guideline for your term papers. We will also go over this guideline in class.
1) The term papers should be between 6-7 pages, or 1500-2000 words.
2) The term papers should include at least two sources. One source must the course textbook and the other a peer reviewed academic source. You can have more than two sources if you want, but more than two are not required.
3) Please cite all of your sources correctly.
4) You must write on one of the suggested topics, and if you wish to write on something else you must clear it with me first.
5) Write as though your reader is unfamiliar with your topic. Hence, explain anything that is technical, and offer careful expositions of author's arguments.

Below you will find a brief summary of how I want you to structure your term papers, as outlined in class, as well as the mark break down for each section. Please keep in mind that you do not have to structure you paper exactly as bellow, for you may want to include criticisms alongside your exposition of the author's positions, but nonetheless your paper should include these four parts.

The general standards you will be assessed on include:
1) Clarity of presentation.

 2) Accuracy of exposition.

 3) Relevance of material included.

4) Proper citation and grammar.

 5) Quality of external source.

1. Introduction
This section refers solely to your introductory paragraph. With this section you want to simply introduce your reader to the topic and tell the reader what authors you will consult and your thesis. This should only take one short paragraph and please do not include any substantial exposition in the section.
This section is worth 5% of the total mark,
2. Summary/Exposition
In this section you will summarize the relevant material from the readings. One of the main goals of this assignment is to test your understanding of the material, so be careful in your exposition of the author's positions. Be sure to include only relevant information and explain technical terms/concepts, positions and arguments in sufficient detail.
This section is worth 70% of your total mark and should make up the bulk of the paper.
3. Critical Reflection
In this section you will argue for your own thesis. This thesis should be formed as a reaction to the author's positions summarized in the third section. Be sure to not offer too many claims in this section. Too often students will assert too many claims and not back any of them up with arguments. Try only to make assertions you can offer some argument for, and be careful to form your arguments as responses to the arguments offered in the previous section.
This section is worth 20% of the total mark.
4. Conclusion
This section should basically mirror the introduction. Here you will remind the reader what the paper was about, your thesis and the steps to achieving this thesis.
It should also only be a single paragraph and it is worth 5% of your total mark.

My Topic is:

There is debate over whether Canada is a single-nation state, a bi-national state, or a multi-national state. Explain the arguments for each of these and then argue for the position you agree with.

Hope you find all the attachments from the course text book. Two peer reviews are required for external sources. This text is the primary source. Thanks.

attachments from the course text book