Course Project Guidelines:
Exploring Population Geography Themes and Sub-Regions
Introduction:
Population geography is a dynamic field that examines the distribution, composition, migration, and growth of human populations across different regions of the world. Understanding the complexities of population dynamics is crucial for addressing various social, economic, and environmental challenges. This course project aims to deepen your knowledge of population geography by allowing you to delve into specific themes or sub-regions through either a formal research paper or the development of an educational blog.
Project Objectives:
● To explore and analyze a specific theme or sub-region within the realm of population geography.
● To conduct thorough research and gather relevant data to support your analysis.
● To develop critical thinking and analytical skills through the examination of population
dynamics.
● To communicate your findings effectively through either a formal research paper or an
educational blog.
● To foster creativity and innovation in addressing population geography issues.
Project Options:
Option I Formal Research Paper:
● Choose a specific theme or sub-region within population geography (e.g., urbanization trends in Southeast Asia, fertility rates in Sub-Saharan Africa, migration patterns in Europe).
● Conduct in-depth research using academic journals, books, statistical databases, and other credible sources.
● Analyze the historical context, current trends, and future projections related to your chosen theme or sub-region.
● Provide critical insights and interpretations based on your research findings.
● Follow academic writing standards, including proper citations and formatting. Paper Standards:
● The final paper will be a research paper dealing with an area of interest related to the population geography theme we are covering this semester, for example refugee and/or IDP populations.
● The paper must be referenced appropriately (using footnotes, endnotes, bibliography, etc.) that adhere to a consistent style (e.g., MLA or Chicago). It also needs a bibliography.
● The paper should be a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods and analysis.
● Papers should be 8-10 pages double-spaced, 12-point font if using Times Roman or a similar serif font, or 10-point font if using Arial or a similar sans-serif font. Number the pages.
● Include an original and interesting title that helps the reader understand where you will be heading. The title page and references do not count toward the length of the paper.
● The paper should contain at least three graphics, including maps, charts, graphs, etc. They are included in the page count.
Topic/Thesis Statement:
You must have an argument (thesis statement) around which to structure your paper. Make sure to specify what your topic is and why it’s important: Observation, Hypothesis, Significance. Make it something you are interested in, as well as something you can sustain over a period of time without repetition. Your thesis must be an arguable statement. As a general guideline, if you are going to argue for something, someone should be able to argue against it.
Evidence:
It is okay to frame questions without evidence or state possibilities but don’t make definitive statements for which you do not provide evidence. As you are trying to prove a point in your paper, you need to rely on evidence. This evidence could be in the form of academic sources or legitimate media sources. You may use quotations, but keep quotes limited, don’t overdo it. Evidence should also come from spatial data in the online sources we used in the class or similar ones.
Main Structure:
The introduction should be based on your thesis statement. The body of the paper is your evidence paragraphs and they should identify themselves with a topic sentence, and remind the reader why this stop is made and its relation to
the eventual destination. By the conclusion your argument should be well supported and established. Here you can remind the reader why the argument is important or make suggestions for possible complications or new questions.
