Sample Assignment & Rubric

Assignment: Research Paper

Important Dates

• Midterm: Week 9

• Choose Paper Topic: Week 10

• Paper Outline: Week 11

• Rough Draft: Week 13

• In-Class Presentation: Week 14

• Final Paper: Last Day of Semester

Description:

Each student will complete one research paper on a topic related to subjects covered in the class, and each student will give one in-class presentation on that chosen topic. The Research paper will be broken down into small deliverables: an outline, rough draft, final draft, and a presentation of the research. The purpose of this assignment is master the skills necessary to compare arguments, conduct research, and thoroughly analyze a specific topic in the field of international development.

Deliverables:

Choose a Paper Topic: On Week 10, students will come to class with a topic in mind for their final paper. Each student will give a short description of their paper during the class.

Paper Outline: On week 11, students will turn in a detailed outline for their final paper, highlighting the different sections, subjects, and arguments that they hope to touch on in their paper.

Rough Draft: On week 13, students will turn in a rough draft of their paper. The professor will review all rough drafts and return them to students the following week to ensure that students are on the right track for their final paper.

Final Paper: Students will turn in their final paper on the last day of the semester at 11:59pm. The paper should be 15-20 pages and should include the following elements:

•         Introduction (contextual and background information)

•         Literature review

•         Research design & methods

•         Results

•         Discussion (possibilities for further research)

•         Conclusion (policy recommendations)

The Presentation: Each student will present on their paper topic on the last day of class. The presentation will be a synopsis of their final paper. Each student will have 15-20 minutes to complete their presentation.