Teachers paper details:
students will research and write a detailed Background Research Paper intended to bring forward the latest findings from expert sources and to lay out a clear argument in favour of policy action.
In preparing these assignments, you are mimicking what policy analysts do. You should therefore think in terms of the relevant government department(s), the appropriate level of government (federal, provincial, territorial, first nation, local), and the party in power. This is, of course, an imaginary exercise. When considering the appropriate political party, I encourage you to consult the recent major party platforms posted on D2L for guidance.
For this assignment, you will prepare a detailed background research paper on the topic you have chosen. The BRP must feature a bibliography of no fewer than 12 scholarly or otherwise reputable sources, such as government documents, statistical analyses, etc.
Suggested format:
The format sketched below may be altered to suit your specific needs, given your topic and approach. For example, if you plan to include a statistical or other primary source analysis, a section (following the literature review) discussing your methodology would be warranted.
• Introduction
o Topic and thematic summary
o Summary of central thesis
• Literature Review
o A summary of the major themes drawn from your review of the relevant
literature
o Consideration, where relevant, of differing schools of thought
• Findings
o Presentation of major conclusions
• Discussion
o Discussion of major findings as they pertain to the policy issue
o A detailed overview of your major policy recommendations in light of your
findings
• Conclusion
o Summary of your main argument
• Works Cited
o An alphabetized list of the works you’ve consulted and cited* All sources must be scholarly and preferably Canadian
