Papers should be 5-7 pages long, not including a title page or bibliography. Papers should begin with 2-3 introductory paragraphs that contain a thesis. The thesis is the argument that your paper will make or the question that your paper will attempt to answer. Paper topics should be a contemporary issue or problem in international affairs. In addition to containing your thesis statement, the introduction should also inform the reader about what will follow in the remainder of the paper. Let the reader know what major points you will address in making your case. Think of the introduction as providing a road map for the reader. The reader should not be surprised at the destination where he or she winds up when the paper ends!
No matter what question or issue your paper addresses, it is crucial that you make an argument and defend it. In choosing a topic, please do not choose one of the topics that we have already read about in Snow unless you can bring a new angle to it. Before you begin your paper please let me know what topic you have selected. I may be able to offer you suggestions.
The rest of the paper should be devoted to providing support for your thesis statement. It may be helpful to organize the paper using substantive headings. The paper should end with a conclusion that restates your central thesis and reviews the evidence. Conclusions are also an opportunity for you to make predictions about the future developments concerning your topic.
The paper should have a bibliography containing at least six sources. Good sources for an international relations paper include the New York Times, the Economist magazine, as well as the journals Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, International Security, Current History, CQ Researcher and CQ Global Researcher. The International Crisis Group and Global Policy are also great resources. For examples of how to cite works for your bibliography check out the Center for Academic Excellence website. You must use MLA style. You may also use the sample entries at the bottom of this page as a guide. They are based on the style manual of the American Political Science Association.
Paper Format Guidelines
Papers must double-spaced and use Times New Roman 12 point font.
1. Margins should be one inch on each side of the paper.
2. Papers should end with a bibliography listing all the books and articles that you used to research the paper, whether you cited them or not. Please keep in mind the guidelines for number and type of sources.
3. You should provide a citation within the text of your paper each time you:
o use direct quotes,
o make indirect quotes — passages that rely on someone else’s wording, and
o refer to evidence or ideas found in a book or article. Citations should be given by putting the last name of the author, the year the article was published and the page number in parentheses at the end of the appropriate sentence: “Some experts predict that up to 40 percent of East Germans will be unable to find work (McKibbin, 1991, 42).” Not citing the words or ideas of someone else is an act of plagiarism.
4. Papers should be written with clear, lucid prose. Points will be deducted from papers that contain more than a few awkward sentences, misspellings and grammatical errors.
