HOME READING SYLLABUS LINKS TERM PAPER LECTURE NOTES 2011-12
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Syllabus
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The term paper accounts for a substantial portion of the mark in the course (25%). While the course lectures and readings provide a general overview of the Arctic region, mainly in Canada, you are to choose a topic for your paper that will allow you to examine much more detail than we can cover in the course material. Therefore, you should choose a subject that is focused, and will allow you to get into the subject at some depth. For example, you could write a paper dealing with one of the groups of humans that first inhabited the Arctic, and perhaps in a specific area, but to attempt a paper on "arctic pre-history" is far too general.

The paper is to be on an approved topic, and can be on some aspect(s) of the biophysical characteristics/problems in the Arctic, or on any of the wide range of topics dealing with humans in the Arctic (e.g. history of first peoples, political developments, social problems, economies, cultural change, etc.). As part of your course work, you will write a proposal for your paper, outlining the topic and the relevant literature. Please discuss your topic with me before beginning your research propposal. I will keep track of the various topics being covered in order to steer people away from topics that are already heavily subscribed, and to ensure the project is properly focused.

If you are having trouble deciding on a topic, here is a list of potential topics. However, you are encouraged think of one independently.

Late papers will be reduced by 10% per day and will receive 0% after 5 business days, except in cases of medical or family emergencies.

The term paper will be graded based on the following criteria:
  1. Structure - The paper should have a clear and logical sequence, and be divided into relevant sections and subsections.
  2. Writing - The writing should be clear and concise, with full regard to sentence structure, grammar and spelling.
  3. Content - The paper should stand as a major piece of work, given the proportion of the course mark allotted. There should be clear evidence of familiarity with the topic and the relevant literature.
  4. References - All published sources used should be acknowledged appropriately in the text, and listed in a Reference List at the end of the paper. Failure to acknowledge published sources amounts to plagiarism.


While the length of the paper depends on your subject, amount of reference material, writing style, etc., typical papers in the past have ranged from 10-20 pages, which includes diagrams, figures and tables. Naturally, quality is the criterion I am interested in, not quantity. Please also use 1.5 or double line spacing for the paper.

Papers are due by midnight (23:59) Friday December 2, 2011.

Please submit the paper electronically as a Microsoft Word compatible document to: greg.henry@geog.ubc.ca. Put Geog 497 at the beginning of the subject line.
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