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POL 761X – Stapleton Spring Semester

Essay Guidelines February 2009

For 30% of your class grade, you will complete two essays, between 5-7 pages in length (not

including your bibliography). You will be responding to the two essay topics listed below.

Each essay is due at the beginning of class, on the due date listed. Late papers will be

penalized one letter grade for each day late. Essays will not be accepted any later than

three days after the due date. Emailed papers will not be accepted.

DUE DATES:First Essay Class 5: February 25

Outline the basic concepts of two IR theories (comparing 

and contrasting how the theories have different 

approaches).

Second Essay Class 8: March 18  Demonstrate how one IR theory can be applied to a specific

case.

The formal requirements are as follows:

Your paper should include the following:

A clear statement of the questions and ideas to be addressed.

A review of the relevant literature.

The analysis of the issue (make sure that you are addressing all parts of the topic!).

Conclusion(s).

Bibliography

You are not limited to using the readings on the syllabus for these essays. Refer to the BrooklynCollege Library website for information on how to search for journal articles for relevant

information. Please be aware of what is a credible, academic source. Wikipedia.org is not an

appropriate source! In addition, keep in mind that statements you make in the paper must besupported by examples. These are not opinion pieces.

Your sources should be will documents, using a recognized citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago,

etc). Make yourself familiar with the College’s policy on plagiarism; it is also posted on our 

website and summarized on our syllabus. Any plagiarized work will result in an F.

http://web.cuny.edu/academics/info-central/policies/academic-integrity.pdf 

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For any questions you may have on how to write a paper, please review the materials available

on the Brooklyn College Library website:

http://dewey.brooklyn.cuny.edu/resources/subject.jsp?sub_id=42

Additional, personal help is also available at the Brooklyn College Learning Center:

http://lc.brooklyn.cuny.edu/

You are welcome to see me in my office hours with concerns about the topics and issues you

should address in your paper. I will not, however, proofread rough drafts or help you with

writing style or citation questions. Part of this exercise is learning to use the resources availableto you as a graduate student and a political scientist .

Formatting Requirements

Your essay should have your name, my name, the course number, and the due date, single-spacedin the upper left corner of the first page. Each page should have a footer with your last name and

the page number (if you are unsure how to do this, search Word help for “footer”). Margins will

 be one inch only. The text of your paper should be double-spaced, in Times New Roman 12-pt

font.

Make sure that you give yourself enough time before the due date to allow for someone else to

 proofread your essay. Typos and misspellings are inexcusable at a graduate level of writing.

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