International Political Economy Senior Thesis Seminar

IPE 401

McIntyre 309, Spring 2011

TTh9:30-10:50 am

Instructor: Nick Kontogeorgopoulos

Office: McIntyre 302

Telephone: 879-3342

Email address:

Course Description and Objectives

This course allows international political economy majors to undertake anin-depth examination of a specialized topic of interest in international political economy. Working both as a class and in small groups throughout the semester, students in this course will research, write, and present a senior thesis.

This course aims not only to help students build an adequate comprehension and appreciation of an issue or question pertinent to IPE, but also to demonstrate to students the complexity and ambiguity surrounding the theory and practice of international political economy. By the end of the course, students will have acquired the following skills:

The ability to assess the theoretical and ideological controversies surrounding a particular topic of relevance to international political economy.
The ability, through effective written and oral communication, to present material in a manner appropriate to the study of international political economy.
The ability to undertake sustained independent research on a specific topic with theoretical and practical importance to the field of international political economy.
The confidence –– through exposure to other students’ thesis ideas –– to discuss, and take a clear position on, a range of issues relevant to the study of international political economy.
The ability to see the connections between the economic, political, and social dimensions of a specific IPE issue or problem.

Course Structure

The course is divided into three sections. First, using the checklist of criteria that I will later use to assess your own theses, you will analyze and grade two recent IPE senior theses. By applying the components of this checklist to actual theses completed by IPE seniors, you can get a better idea of what is expected in your own thesis.

The second part of the course shifts attention away from seminar discussion and analysis towards individual and small group work on your specific senior thesis topic. By the second week of the course, I will put you into teams. The teams are meant to provide support and accountability to members: I will not assign any group grades, but I expect the groups to provide assistance to one another, and other members of your team will read drafts of your thesis in addition to serving as discussants for your oral thesis presentation. Between weeks 3 and 15, you will work on the successive stages of thesis preparation (outlined in detail below in the “course schedule” section), and will meet with me weekly in my office with the other members of your team.

The third and final section of the course will feature oral thesis presentations during class.

Course Requirements and Evaluation

Your grade in this course will be based on the following components:

Week 11 Written Thesis25%

Final Written Thesis45%

Oral Thesis Presentation10%

Class Participation20%

Total100%

Written Thesis:

Since this is the primary reason for this course, you are expected to devote a considerable amount of time researching, writing, and revising. You will submit a written thesis in Week 11, and then will then have 5 weeks to integrate suggestions for the final submission of your written thesis, which will be dueby 12 noon on Monday, May 9th. I will not accept theses submitted after this due date. A detailed list of guidelines and expectations for the written thesis is provided later in this syllabus.

Oral Thesis Presentation:

At the end of the semester, you will present your thesis in a 15 minute oral presentation. Presentations will take place during the IPE 401 seminar and will be open to “the public” (i.e., other students and faculty). A detailed list of guidelines and expectations for the oral thesis presentation is provided later in this syllabus.

Class Participation:

An important component of this course is participation, attendance, and preparation. Students are encouraged to engage in classroom discussions whenever possible since such discussion enriches the learning process and will play a critical role in this course. Your participation indicates that you are able and willing to share ideas. Perfect attendance (both for class and for scheduled meetings in my office with your team) is expected. Please note that inconsistent or poor attendance will result in a failing grade for the course. Your participation grade will also depend on the quality of your weekly work, and feedback to other members of your team regarding their written drafts and oral presentations.

University academic policy makes plagiarism a serious offence. Plagiarism of any kind, including resubmission of old papers, papers used in other current courses, or papers written by somebody else will result in the student failing the assignment, and possibly the entire course. If you are unsure about proper referencing, or what may or may not constitute plagiarism, please see me before you hand in any assignments. Any cheating on examinations or plagiarism in assignments will be reported to the Dean of Students. For further information, please refer to

Course Schedule

Week 1Introduction to the course.

Discussion of course objectives, format, and expectations.

Assignment of teams.

Discussion of thesis topics.

Classes on Tues1/18 and Thurs 1/20.

Thurs 1/20: Read Chapter 7 from Lipson, Charles. How to Write a BA Thesis: A Practical Guide from Your First Ideas to Your Finished Paper. University of Chicago Press, 1995. (All Lipson chapters are available on Moodle.)

Week 2Analysis of previous IPE theses.

Analysis and discussion of two previous IPE theses based on checklist criteria.

Classes on Tues 1/25 and Thurs 1/27.

Wks 3-6Research.

Collection of research materials.

Week 3: Classes on Tues 2/1 and Thurs 2/3.

Week 3 (Thurs 2/3): Read Chapter 3 from Lipson.

Weeks 4-6: No classes –– individual team consultations.

Week 7Research, outlining, and coding.

Completion of research.

Drafting of thesis outline.

Coding of research notes.

No classes: Individual team consultations.

Wks8-10Writing.

Preparation of written thesis.

Week 8: Class on Thurs 3/10. Read Chapters 9 and 10 from Lipson.

Week 9: No classes–– individual team consultations.

Week 10: No classes –– individual team consultations. Read Chapter 11 from Lipson.

Week 11Submissionand discussion of written theses.

Class on Thurs 4/7–– no individual team consultations this week.

Written thesis due: Thursday, April 7th (beginning of class) –– bring copies for all team members.

Wks 12-15Oral thesis presentations.

In-class oral presentations and discussion.

Continuation of thesis revisions discussions with teams.

Finalthesis due: Monday, May 9th at 12 noon.

General Guidelines and Expectations for Written Thesis and

Oral Thesis Presentation

Structure of Written Thesis

As mentioned earlier in the syllabus, the written thesis is meant to allow you to undertake anin-depth and rigorous examination of a specialized topic of interest in international political economy. You should consider the following points when putting together your written thesis:

The basic purpose of a thesis is to advance an original point of view by using evidence and reasoned arguments based on an understanding, and possibly reworking, of theoretical and empirical research already done on that particular topic. Theses are not meant to address a research question once and for all. Rather, a thesis often raises new questions as it attempts to provide a clear answer to the original thesis problem.

The thesis must take a clear and specific stand that is supported by argument and evidence. Good theses not only corroborate their point of view, but also address alternative viewpoints and potential criticisms. Further, IPE senior theses are meant to promote and support an argument using a specific example or case study. Whereas previous papers that you have written may have been about a topic, you are expected, in the IPE senior thesis, to provide a persuasive response to a specific question.

The thesis should include a discussion of previous research done on the particular thesis question. The central argument of the thesis should demonstrate a connection to previous research (i.e., where does it extend, contradict, confirm, or fill a gap in previous research?). Discussion of IPE theories (including theoretical work in economics, political science, and sociology) is crucial in this regard.

The introduction of the thesis should begin with a clear statement of the thesis problem and its significance, as well as a direct statement of your central argument. The thesis should end with a conclusion that reiterates the central argument, summarizes the evidence used to support that argument, discusses the implications of your argument, and ponders future research topics that could stem from your thesis.

The thesis should be organized in a clear and logical fashion. The logical use of sub-headings is required in order to convey a sense of flow to the reader.

Grammar, spelling, and punctuation are very important in allwritten work, and should thus be checked carefully. Sloppiness in these areas makes it difficult to read written work, and often also affects the clarity and meaning of what you write.

Format of Written Thesis

Your written thesis must be between 20 and 35double-spaced pages in length. Your title page, abstract page, pages with illustrations or graphics, and list of references do not count towards fulfilling the required length.

All theses must include a title page. The title page must adhere to the following format (do not put italics, underlines, bold font, or any other formatting other than what is shown below):

Thesis title.

[The title can be 14 point font if you wish, but the rest of the title page must be plain 12 point font]

Your name.

A Senior Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Bachelor of Arts in International Political Economy

University of Puget Sound

Month Day Year

The page immediately following the title page must be the abstract page. The abstract must be between 100 and200 words, and must state the research question, central thesis, and conclusions. The abstract page is not included in the page count, so do not number it. At the top of the page, “Abstract” should be centered and underlined. Underneath the “Abstract” title, the abstract text should be single-spaced and left-justified.

Number all pages, except the title page and abstract page, which are not numbered and do not get included in the page count. If you are unsure how to begin numbering a document on the second (or any subsequent) page, please refer to this site:

Written theses must use Times New Roman 12 point font, must be printed on one-side of the sheet (i.e., no double-sided pages) with a 1 inch margin all around, and must be double-spaced and left-justified.

At the end of the paper, beginning on a separate sheet which is numbered sequentially (i.e., do not leave the pages unnumbered or start numbering at page 1), list your references alphabetically by author’s last name (this section must be labeled Bibliography, Works Cited, or Sources). If a reference is cited in the text, it must be listed in the bibliography. If a reference is listed in the bibliography, it must appear somewhere in the text as a citation. References must be single spaced with one space between separate references. Use the “Chicago style” of referencing when quoting or citing a published work (see below for information on referencing and research).

In addition to submitting a written thesis with the aforementioned formatting requirements, you are required to submit a second copy that will be copied, bound, and placed in Collins Library with IPE theses from previous years. Please adhere to the following guidelines for the Collins Library copy of your thesis:

This copy must be single-spaced, double-sided, and left-justified (please note that this library copy is single-spaced and double-sided, while the final thesis that you submit to me for grading is double-spaced and single-sided).

There must be a blank space between paragraphs.

As with the thesis that you will submit to me for grading, the library copy of the thesis must have a title page, abstract, and references. The formatting of the title page, abstract, and references for this library copy of the thesis are exactly the same as the thesis submitted to me for grading.

Finally, as part of the requirements of your senior thesis seminar, you are required to submit an electronic copy of your thesis. The thesis that you submit electronically must be the copy of the thesis that you submit for Collins Library. Please adhere to the following guidelines for the electronic version of the thesis:

Save your digital thesis as one single document that includes all parts of the thesis, such as title page, abstract, text, and references.

The name of your thesis file should be your full name (i.e., JaneSmith.doc), and not MyThesis.doc, Smith.doc, or JohnSmithThesis.doc, etc.

The file must be saved in MS Word as either a .doc or .docx file.

Email your thesis as an attachment to by the thesis due date.

Research and referencing

Good written work requires good research. Research is perhaps the most important element of a good thesis, so begin immediately and do not underestimate the amount of energy and time that you will need to expend in order to collect a sufficient number of quality references. In general, you should look beyond references that simply match your research question. Looking for references in related fields often yields excellent research. Following up on the footnotes and references found in your own useful references is also a good strategy. There is no magic “required” number of references, but a reasonable number of refereed(i.e., peer-reviewed) references (see below for details on the difference between refereed and non-refereed sources) for a thesis of this length and importance is at least forty. Make sure to keep rigorous documentation of your references while you are reading and taking notes since trying to remember the origin of an idea or quotation weeks after reading your materials will make the writing stage a frustrating and stressful experience.

Of course, a good place to start when conducting research for a paper is the library (however obvious this may be, some students rarely utilize the library’s resources). A bad way to do research is by running searches on the Internet, since there is no way to ensure that information received via the Internet is valid, monitored, or rigorous. The Internet offers a wealth of information, but not all of it is equally accurate or reliable. Unfortunately, there is no easy checklist to consult to see if a website is credible. As with all information resources, the usefulness of the information may depend on what was needed in the first place. If you are using a Web-based source for an academic research paper, you’ll need to evaluate and cite the source carefully. Different criteria of evaluation are useful depending on the purpose of the website. For a list of criteria that are most appropriate for evaluating websites for use in academic assignments, please take a look at the following site: academics/academic-resources/collins-memorial-library/research-gateway/web-guides/evaluating-information-on-the-/. You should use websites very sparingly in your written work. If you access a journal or newspaper article through the Internet, that does not count as an Internet source since it is a proper academic source published online. When you use information from websites in an academic paper, it is important to remember to provide accurate and thorough citations for these sites.

Other than the Collins Library search engine ( a good source of research material is the list of databases available at the following Collins Library website: It is important that you start your research early in order to give yourself enough time to find (and in some cases order through Summit or interlibrary loan) good sources. When searching for research materials, it is crucial that you use a variety of keyword combinations and search all possible sources of information (for example, you should not limit yourself only to books in our library or only to a small number of databases).

The required documentation format used in this course is the “Chicago Style,” based on the 15th edition (2003) ofThe Chicago Manual of Style. The Chicago Manual of Style features two documentation styles: the “notes and bibliography” style and the “author-date”style. The “notes and bibliography” style presents bibliographic information in footnotes and a bibliography. In the “author-date”style, sources are cited in the text in parentheses, by author’s last name and date of publication. You are required to use the Chicago “notes and bibliography” style in all written work in this course.

Collins Library has The Chicago Manual of Style on reserve (call number: Z253 U69 2003). Chapter 16 and 17 of the 15th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style, which covers documentation, is posted on Moodle. Within this document, I have highlighted pertinent examples of both footnotes and bibliographical entries for various sources (including electronic sources such as websites): make sure to read especially pages 594-616 and 644-46. I encourage you to browse the entire document to familiarize yourself with the Chicago “notes and bibliography” style. The second item listed in Moodle is a brief Chicago Style guide, prepared by Puget Sound librarians. Lastly, I have posted on Moodle, as the third item listed under “Chicago Style Guides,” an example of notes and bibliography (taken from Wagner-Pacifici, Robin. The Art of Surrender: Decomposing Sovereignty at Conflict’s End. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2005).