Research paper Outline
Due: May 2, 2002
The research paper is due on May 2. Late work will be penalized a full grade. I expect your paper to be 8 to 12 double-spaced typed pages plus references. See the guidelines for references below. You may earn some extra credit by presenting your paper (or aspects of it) to the class (Please see me if you would like to do this).
The five assignments are intended to build your understanding and focus your attention on some key aspects of the movement you are studying. I hope and expect that you will not only be able to use pieces from the assignments as elements in your research paper, but also that the assignments will help you formulate a thesis. Your paper should do more than just relate an historical description of events that took place; it should develop an argument and demonstrate a particular claim (a thesis). Ideally, a thesis should be interesting (or just not trivial) and debatable (that is, it should suggest a point of view that might challenge some other interpretation). The thesis should be near the beginning of your paper, be easily identifiable by a reader, and serve as the focal point for the accompanying evidence and arguments. You might wish to apply one or more theories, such as classical theory, resource mobilization or political-process theory, to your movement.
Consider the articles in Waves of Protest as possible models for organizing your paper.
Many of the articles are organized as follows:
I. Intro. Brief introduction to the topic
II. Thesis development. Review of theory and previous research on social
movements that address the topic
III. Background. Brief historical description of the movement that identifies a key
question
IV. The presentation of evidence. Description of specific features in the
movement that address features or aspects of the central question.
V. Conclusion
The evidence used to support your thesis should come from your research on the movement. This may include materials you have collected from the Internet as well as from any relevant books, journals, or other materials. Please present your references as described in a previous handout. It does, of course, take time, energy, and commitment to collect these materials. Don't wait until May 1st.