Reference no: EM133164172

The Final Research Paper will give students the ability to demonstrate application of geographical tools and theories. Students will have an opportunity to think critically about course materials and their own research materials, and synthesize these materials in a way that allows them to see the world in a different way. The Final Research Paper will also give students the opportunity to produce a scholarly piece of writing based on a topic of their own choosing.

1. For the Final Research Paper, build on the first four parts of the Research Project assignment to produce a well-organized, scholarly research paper.
2. In addition to the sources used for the annotated bibliography, you should gather additional data from a variety of sources (e.g., newspaper articles, census data, business reports, government documents, etc.).
3. You may want to return to your field excursion site to make and record more observations. Dates and times of these observations should be recorded clearly.
4. The Final Research Paper should be formatted like a research article in an academic journal. You are encouraged to use journal articles as guides for formatting their essays, bearing in mind there are many different ways to format journal articles.
5. The Research Papers must not simply add on the sections from the first parts of the Research Project but rather incorporate these materials to produce a well-written essay. Although components of a paper can be arranged very differently, the following elements must be included in the final submission.
   • data: data must be presented in a format that is legible, meaningful, suitable for the data type, and consistent with the style of the paper;
   • analysis: it is not enough to simply state results. Results must be analyzed and discussed, making connections to the theoretical framework used;
   • visual representation: all papers should have at least one map of the study area as well as one or more photographs. Papers can also use tables, charts, graphs, sketches, and other forms of visual representation that contribute to data presentation and analysis.

The Final Research Paper should include the following sections clearly identified using headings. Please note that sections do not have to use these titles; they can be more imaginative and descriptive. Please also note that different sections might be combined depending on the style and flow of the report:

1. Introduction: describes the research topic; may include a map; should include a research question or problem statement, as well as an argument; should indicate briefly the theory being used; should set up the rest of the paper.
2. Methods: briefly describes the methods used to gather data; can include a map; can include references to methods literature if used, including the course textbook if used.
3. Theory: includes a discussion of the theoretical lens used and a review of the literature used for the study; links the theory to the research question.
4. Results: describes the observations made (tables, charts, and diagrams can be included as necessary).
5. Analysis and discussion: link results to the theory in a scholarly way that helps the reader to understand the phenomena being studied; may challenge existing literature and propose something new.
6. Conclusion: briefly restates what the essay did and points to what other interesting work could be done; may include limitations; elegantly concludes the paper.