Final Project Instructions—ASAM 308
The final project will be made up of 1) a research paper and 2) a PowerPoint The research paper (5-6 pages not including works cited page) will focus on an issue or topic pertaining to Asian American women of the student’s choice from the curriculum. The research paper should analyze in-depth some aspect of the selected issue or topic in terms of its social or historical context, themes, or problems. You may choose your own topic using the course material or a Discussion Forum topic as the basis for your research paper, or you may choose a topic that goes beyond the course content, as long as it is relevant to the course. Some examples of topics are the contributions of Asian American women artists, effects of internment on mother-daughter relationships, comparative study of economic discrimination among Asian American women, adjustment issues among women refugees, comparative study of stereotyping effects on Asian American women vs. Asian American men, etc.
You must use at least 5 sources for your final paper, and at least 3 must be NON-internet sources. A diversity of sources is required, so do not concentrate on just a few types of sources. All sources, including films, personal interviews, websites, etc., must be cited appropriately, using the MLA Handbook. See the External Links in the course site for documentation guide links. In other words, it is not appropriate to cite anything assigned in the syllabus as coming from the "syllabus" or from "e-reserve." You must cite the original source from which the article was taken. Generally, this citation information is on the last page of the e-reserve document. If not, you must conduct a library search to find the correct citation information. When you submit your research paper, be sure to submit it electronically through the course site. Please do not email me your paper. Submitting via the course site allows your paper to be uploaded to the Grade Book. Emailing it to me does not. See syllabus for policy on late submissions. If you must hand in hard copy, be sure to get it time-stamped by the program administrative assistant. See Final Project Grading Criteria handout for research paper grading critera.
In connection with your final research paper assignment, you will be expected to upload a very brief final PowerPoint (max. 4 slides ) that highlights the main points of your final research paper. This presentation is a great way for all the students to share what they have been working on for their final research papers. This presentation should be uploaded by the first day of the final week of instruction (week 15) as an attachment to your Discussion Forum post, and will count towards your online participation grade. See Final Project Grading Criteria handout for final presentation grading criteria.
Before you begin your research project, your topic must be instructor-approved. You must submit a typed, 1-page research paper proposal, briefly describing your topic, methodology (how you will carry out your research), and a preliminary thesis statement (what you intend to argue and why