China's Relationship to the World: First International Students

• Task For this final project, you will conduct research on a specific topic of your interest in China's relationship to the world. The project consists of two steps:

(1) Prospectus You will write a short outline of the project (2 double-spaced pages, ~500 words) that includes the research question, summary, sources, and tentative argument of the project. It constitutes 6% of the grade, and is due 11:59 PM Nov. 7 on UBLearns.

(2) Final paper You will write a paper of 6-8 double-spaced pages (1,500-2,000 words) for your project including an annotated bibliography. It constitutes 20% of the grade, and is due 5 PM Dec. 16 on UBLearns.

• Requirements Compared to the podcast assignment, this final paper is more extensive and open, involving your own original research on a topic of your interest.

- What is original research? This means that by examining both primary and secondary sources, you develop your own argument on an issue or a problem on China's relationship to the world.

- What is my topic? You can choose any topic of your interest as long as it is about China's relationship to the world. It could be a topic covered in the course or something beyond. In the latter case, please consult me in advance so I can make sure it is a suitable topic.

- What are my sources?

(a) You should utilize both primary and secondary sources in this project. The secondary sources provide basic background and existing scholarship in which you can situate your research. The primary sources offer evidence for you to develop your argument.

(b) Feel free to use sources of various types including texts, images, objects, and reliable online databases. Avoid using unreliable online sources such as those from Wikipedia or Google search (they could serve as the starting point for you to locate more reliable sources, but they should not be used as your ultimate sources.)

(c) An annotated bibliography is required for this assignment. This means that in the Bibliography section, you need to write a few sentences at the end of each source summarizing its content and argument.

- What is the structure of my paper?

Generally, an effective way to pursue a research project is to identify a question for the topic you investigate, and use it as a nucleus to organize your work. Think about ways to partition your paper into two or three subsections. It could be that you identify two or three angles to develop your argument, say, using two or three different types of primary sources to collectively support your claim. Or it could be that you use one subsection to summarize the secondary sources, and the other one or two subsections to explore primary sources and advance your argument. Also, it is necessary to write a proper introduction at the beginning to introduce your topic and a proper conclusion at the end to sum up your argument. HIS 391 (China and the World) Fall 2021 2

• Guidelines

- This is a research project. It is not a review. If you just provide a review of the secondary sources or/and a summary of the primary sources, it is not sufficient. You must develop your own argument by analyzing these sources.

- Make sure that you have a clear focus for your project. The question-driven approach is instrumental to sharpening your focus and offering analytical insight.

- When you analyze primary sources, pay attention to both the content and context of the sources, as you have learned from the podcast assignment.

- Please give a proper title to your project.

- Use academic, not colloquial language.

- Offer proper citations (plagiarism is strictly prohibited). Use either footnote or in-text citation to acknowledge the sources when you cite others’ works. The specific citation style is up to you (Chicago Style, MLA, etc.), but make sure you are consistent.

- Please separate primary and secondary sources in your Bibliography.

- Pay attention to the structure, coherence, style, and basics (grammar, spelling, etc.) of your paper. Make sure to proofread your paper at least once before submission.

- The format of your prospectus and your final paper should be WORD.