This Course Guide has been designed to assist you in doing library research for your semester-long seminar project, which will include many steps. With each step, outlined as a separate assignment (see your syllabus), you will be building upon your work from earlier in the semester. This will culminate in your completed manuscript, due at the end of the term. While you will eventually analyze data to answer your own original research question, your project must be in conversation with the pre-existing literature on your topic. As you search for appropriate secondary literature and data sources, when you hit a snag, or if you need someone to talk to about your research process, schedule a one-on-one appointment with your Political Science liaison, Josefine Smith. Prof Smith is available to help you hunt down that almost-impossible-to-find statistic or data set, discuss ways to structure your literature review, answer citation questions, and more. If you need help, please ask sooner rather than later so that you'll be successful in reaching your deadlines and completing all the moving parts of this project!
Senior Seminar is a culmination of your work as a political science undergraduate. The research paper you produce in this class should be professional quality, something you could submit as a writing sample to graduate schools or employers. If you require writing assistance, contact the Learning Center to make an appointment with a writing tutor: http://www.ship.edu/learning/
