Task
Students will prepare a research report covering Module 2 content about responses to a transnational / international crime problem, that highlights relevant global governance arrangements in charge of those responses. You are advised to focus on same topic that you selected for Assessment 1, within one of the four options below:
International Trafficking (focusing on drugs, goods, firearms, people, animals, cybercrime or commodity
The aim of the research report is to critically evaluate the current responses, and make recommendations for improved global governance responses to deal with the problem you have selected.
The research report should introduce the chosen topic, critically analyse information about the global problem, the responses to it and the agencies that are charged with or have dealt with the problem (including domestic police, interpol, domestic courts, the international criminal court, and other bi- or multi-lateral processes such as treaties). Students should make recommendations for improved governance and policing and/or justice responses to their identified problem drawing on evidence/research, not your own ideas.
Students will need to refer to relevant academic (books, journal articles, book chapters) and public policy sources (government reports, policy papers, parliamentary transcripts, UN documents). You need a minimum of 8 academic references, which does not include the 3 papers you used from AT1 (although you can refer to these papers in addition to the 8 or more additional references you use). Any articles from the set text will not count as one of these 8 references, even if you use several chapters.
Use the set text as a starting point to guide your independent research, but do not rely solely on it. It is important that you use your research and critical evaluation skills to evaluate the veracity of the sources you cite.
All sources must be properly cited in text and a correctly formatted reference list must be provided in Harvard style (word count is exclusive of the reference list).
Suggested layout/structure
The research report should follow an outline of an essay structure with an introduction, body and conclusion.
The introduction should briefly introduce the international problem (one of the possible set topics) being examined and outline the structure (main arguments) of the report (please do not copy and paste from AT1 in this section).
The body should follow a logical paragraph structure and should:
a) describe the major responses to the problem examined, which includes which agencies or global governance actors played a part in responding;
b) on the basis of these descriptions, present the benefits and problems of the response, including whether or not they appropriately address the problem and related impacts of criminalisation, and make recommendations for how these could be improved. These recommendations should be based on research evidence rather than your own ideas or thinking.
The conclusion should provide a summary of the main arguments explored, and outline how the recommendations or improvements would deal with the problem in a better way.
Students are encouraged to organise their research report using no more than five subheadings. The suggested word allocations for each section are an approximate guide only:
Introduction and outline of the problem (1-2 paragraphs 150-300 words). Please note your problem can be the same or different to the one you examined in AT1. You can summarise some core themes from AT1, just make sure you are not repeating what you covered (e.g. use it to signpost and flag some of the key harms that form the backdrop to the criminal justice responses you will cover in this assessment).
Examine the global responses to the problem, including the agencies and global governance arrangements that sought to deal with the problem. This can include cooperative transnational investigations, the use of treaties, domestic prosecutions, international prosecutions, or a failure to implement any of these initiatives. Your should provide a critical analysis and evaluation of the responses and governance arrangements you mention, and why they have operated in the way they have or have failed to generate a formal criminal justice response (1,000-1,200 words);
Recommendations to improve the responses and global governance arrangements you have mentioned for the problem you are covering, including a review of current strategies, the recommendations you have which should be supported by research evidence, and why they are considered necessary or an improvement to the current responses) (400-600 words)
Conclusion (150-200 words)
References (not included in the word count)
