The paper should be up to seven (7) double-space pages long, deal with an aspect relevant to
women and politics, and include a title page and a list of bibliographical references at the back.
(The title page and bibliography page are included in the ten pages.) Select a research question
that interests you and try to answer it convincingly, supporting your views with assigned readings
and other materials pertinent to the subject. Try to be analytical, rather than descriptive; think
of “why,” not only “what” and make an effort to back up your statements with some kind of
evidence more than offer your own opinions.
In sum, ask why things happen the way they happen, do not only describe various situations,
countries and cases. Do not list bits of information, but think critically about them and develop
an argument that is coherent and based on the information you amass from various sources. This
paper should be a piece of individual research whose argument is based on concrete evidence,
not an opinion piece that makes statements without backing. Whether you use the Chicago or
MLA style, your writing style and reference list must be consistent. In other words, do not use
both footnotes and endnotes. If, at any point during researching and writing your paper, you
have questions, do not hesitate to contact me by email or through Moodle.
Tip: Do not worry so much about the length of the paper; worry more about its content and the
strength of its argument. Do not just list references at the back of the paper – use them to
construct your argument, and include them in the body of your paper.
Checklist for research papers:
• Is your assignment double-spaced?
• Did you include the cover page (with title and your name)?
• Does your paper have a clear and distinct introduction, argument and conclusion? Does your introduction state the research question, define the most important
concepts/terms, and briefly mention the steps of the argument (sections of the paper)?
• Did you include both footnotes and endnotes? You should not. Use one or the other, but
not both
• Does your paper read like an opinion piece? It should not. Try to bring some kind of
evidence in support of your argument.
• Is your argument backed by research (other authors)? It should be.
• Did you incorporate your references into the paper or just listed them at the back? You
should.
• Did you include a bibliography at the back?
• Are the references in the bibliography arranged alphabetically by authors’ family names?
• Did you plagiarize or paraphrased anybody else’s work? You should not.
• Is your assignment not longer than ten (10) pages? Please note: Before handing in your assignments, check your grammar and spelling. Proofread
your work and make sure sentences are correct grammatically. A well written paper conveys your
thoughts better than a negligently written text. Plagiarism and paraphrasing are not acceptable,
and you should give credit to authors for their ideas and interpretations. The textbook we used for this class was Women, Politics, and Power by Pamela Paxton. Either the 3rd or 4th edition of the book will work. I need the base of the paper to be supported by the textbook, but any academic sources or news articles can also be used to support the paper. I planned to write the paper on the influence of education on women political participation, but if you would like to narrow it down and specifically talk about one or two countries ( perhaps a contrast one with goof education systems for women and one without) The paper is to be written in MLA formatting with references at the end for everything used please.
