1.

Realism

2. Liberalism

3. Constructivism

I choose Realism.

Instructions

You will turn in a one-page single spaced paper proposal for your paper. 

In the research proposal, you must identify the information you will be presenting in your paper and provide suggestions for how you are going to support your claims. This is both to encourage you to be thinking about your paper early on in the semester and to give me an opportunity to provide you with feedback and resources that may help you along the way. 

You should also look at the paper assignment instructions and rubric for guidance on how to frame the project. 

While significant portions of your paper may change before the final copy if you decide that you need/want to change the entire topic of your paper I expect that you will meet with me before hand to explain why. 

Theory

What are the important aspects of the IR theory that you will be covering in your paper?  What are the things most crucial to the theory that you will have to address?

Event:

Which event are you going to cover?    Briefly outline what you think the important aspects of the

Sources:

You should include enough relevant literature (sources) to indicate that there is sufficient information available to indicate that you are familiar with the important aspects of the institution you have chosen.  These sources must be appropriate academic sources.  (See powerpoint from the lecture on the first week of class)

Application:

Your proposal should also indicate that you have thought about the direction of your paper and how you will apply the theory to the event.  What are the aspects of the event that clearly fit into the IR theory?  What does the theory not explain?    

Paper Proposal Rubric

10pts

8pts

6pts

4pts

Theory

Importance and function of theory is clear and concise demonstrating thoughtful application of course material
And is clearly demarcated

Importance and function of theory is clear and appropriately concise demonstrating application of course material
And is clearly demarcated

Importance and function of theory is somewhat vague and may not be concise and does not demonstrate application of course material

Importance and function of theory is unclear and does not clearly connect to course subject

Event

What details are going to be included in the explanation are clearly considered and thoughtfully indicated.
More than one strong example is included

Most details are included and some thought is indicated. More than one example is included but they are not as strong as they could be

There are some details considered but they are vague and not clearly thought out. One example is included and may be weaker than it should be.

Details are missing and not indicated. Examples are missing and/or mostly unclear.   

Sources

Student has enough sources to indicate that there is enough information to finish project and that thought has been put into how paper will proceed

Student indicates enough sources exist to make a successful argument about issue in question however, some information may be lacking

It is unclear that there is enough information about the topic for an argumentative paper to be successful

There are some sources mentioned however, they do not clearly relate to the research proposal or provide insight to the subject matter

Application

There is significant evidence that the student has a clear idea of what how the theory will be applied to the event  

There is some evidence that the student has an idea of what the paper is going to argue and some of the evidentiary support that will be required

There is little evidence that the student has an idea of what the paper is going to argue and is significantly lacking forethought about the evidentiary support that will be required

There is almost no evidence that the student has an idea of what the paper is going to argue and provides no insight to the evidentiary support that will be required