Research paper Description: The purpose of this assignment is to provide you with the opportunity to complete a more comprehensive and deeper review of one topic from the course. You will be randomly

Research paper

Description:

The purpose of this assignment is to provide you with the opportunity to complete a more comprehensive and deeper review of one topic from the course.  You will be randomly assigned one topic which corresponds with one unit from the course.  In order to complete this assignment, you must complete a deeper review of one aspect of this unit with a combination of course-based content and outside research.  

This assignment will be graded based upon the usage of both course-based content and outside research, writing skills (including grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.), and content.  Additionally, as this assignment will be posted in the course discussion forum, it is important to consider how your paper can be useful to another student, and vice versa, in the comparative essay.

General Information:

In order to complete this assignment in a timely manner, it is important to start out by reading the unit(s) affiliated with your topic from the course materials.  From there, you should complete some outside research using acceptable primary or secondary sources.  Once some research has been completed, you should complete your research paper outline (Assignment #1) and from there you can continue the process of building your paper. 

A strong way to structure your paper for this course is to include an introduction that catches the reader’s attention, discusses what will be discussed in the paper, and includes the thesis statement.  Following this, the body paragraphs should follow an understandable structure that includes the research you completed and shows a strong understanding of the content.  Finally, the paper should end with a conclusion that summarizes the material that was discussed and ends with a strong concluding statement.  Some recommendation for how the paper should be completed are included below.

- Provide minimum 5 sources; 2 Peer Reviewed Journal Articles (online or physical copy), AND ANY 3 OF: 1 book reference other than your textbook (online or physical), 1 additional peer reviewed article, or 1 report from government or a private organization (electronic or physical copy). NO Wikipedia, Encyclopedias, or dictionary sources. News articles may only be supplementary material and do not count towards the 5 sources. Personal communications must be documented adequately. Personal research (e.g. interviews with individuals) requires clearance through Research Ethics Boards, as such it should not be used for course assignments and will not count towards source/research requirements.

- Essay must be double spaced in 12 point font, Times New Roman, and 1 inch margins. Length requirement does NOT include the title page or reference page(s). 

- Analyze the research they have gathered and the points discussed in sources. In order to support your arguments, you MUST use correct APA citations for both direct quotes and paraphrasing. 

- Pages will be numbered in the top right hand corner. 

- No abstract necessary. 

- Title page MUST have a Running head as well as: The title of your essay, your name, the class code (NATV 1220 and section), and the due date of the Assignment. 

- Avoid the use of contractions (EG: Don’t should be written out as do not) and avoid Colloquial language (IE: “This is a thing”, slang terms, phrases such as “Pass the Buck”, or idioms like “It’s raining cats and dogs”). 

- Be aware of your spelling and grammar.

A rubric has been provided that shows how the assignment will be graded and how many points each aspect of the paper are worth.  It is immensely important that you cite information that is not common knowledge.  Copying and pasting information from other sources is not an acceptable way of completing your paper.  When using the words of another person directly, including quotation marks as well as an in-text citation with page numbers, if applicable.  Paraphrasing another author’s information is acceptable, however it is suggested that paraphrased information use in-text citations and page numbers, however they are not always mandatory.

Research Topics:

The time frame for this project is Before 1900. Using references previously obtained via the Research Paper Outline, students will articulate how and why attention to a particular portion of research is important, how they can connect the research to what is being learned in class and critically engage with the material they discover. 

Governance                              Indigenous Knowledges                      Grassroots Initiatives 

Law                                          Health/ health initiatives                       Political Process 

Economic Development           Spirituality and Worldviews                  Treaty Negotiation 

Education                                 Literature                                             Representations

Métis Nationhood                     Food Security                                      Arctic Sovereignty 

The Fur Trade                          War Practices                                      Gender Roles

ASSIGNMENT SUMMARY

• 8-10 pages no less
  • penalties will be applied for incomplete papers <8 pages
  • use of mechanisms to hide actual paper length will be given additional penalties (e.g. altering margins, use of larger fonts, extra spaces between paragraphs, etc.)
  • page numbers should start on first page of text not cover pages (a reminder that a paper starting on page 2 and going to page 8, excluding references, is a 7 page paper, not 8)
• use 12pt/Times New Roman font
• follow APA format guide for margins, etc. & citation - no other style formats accepted
  • in text citation should be used
• 5 sources, 2 academic papers (peer reviewed journal) + 3 of: 1 book reference other than your textbook (online or physical), 1 Government document (electronic or physical copy), 1 report from a private organization (electronic or physical copy), and/or 1 additional academic peer reviewed paper.
• submitted in both .doc & .pdf formats only
  • only the final submission will be graded, do not email with criteria for which submission will be graded - make sure the one you want graded is the last you submit
• header w/ page numbers
• Focus on pre1900 period, limited contemporary discussion (when in doubt, 0 contemporary discussion)
• Centred on Indigenous Peoples of Canada and histories
• Academic/scholarly discussion