International Affairs/Relations

What is ‘normative theory’ and how does it relate to ideas about the role of culture in international politics?

Students are expected to present a very clear and concise answer to the question. All ‘waffle’ and ‘padding’ should be eliminated. You are advised to get straight to the point and ensure that every sentence you write relates directly to the question and contributes to your argument. Your style in the essays is also important. Students sometimes use many more words than they need to in a sentence, thinking that such wordy sentences produce a more sophisticated ‘academic’ tone to the essay. Nothing could be more mistaken.

You will be marked according to a number of criteria. These include:

• Quality of analysis is the most important substantive element of a good essay. This includes the extent to which you are able to develop an independent line of argument and to assess competing arguments critically. The ability to understand the subject matter, identify key points, and address the question are also obvious factors in producing a good essay.

• The way in which you structure the discussion is also very important. Ensure that your points of discussion and argument flow clearly and logically. Also ensure that you have a good succinct introduction that gives the reader an outline of what is to follow in the essay. Here you should also indicate your main line of argument. The conclusion is just as important. You should summarize the main findings and draw together the key points of your argument.

• Quality and depth of background research (that is, the range of sources used including books and journal articles and other sources such as the internet, where appropriate) will be reflected in the quality of analysis. Note that some sources, such as Wikipedia or opinion internet blogs, are not considered suitable as academic sources. It is also important to show that you have gone beyond the reading lists and found sources on your own initiative.

• Use of clear, correct English. A low standard of written English, including poor style, syntax, choice of vocabulary, spelling and grammatical mistakes, will inevitably mean lower marks. Really poor English will normally result in a fail grade. While it is especially important for students whose second language is English to pay attention to the way in which they write and to carefully proof-read their work before submitting it, it is no less important for English-speaking students whose basic style often leaves a lot to be desired. Assistance is available for MIR students through the Centre for Macquarie English (CME).

• Correct and complete footnoting and referencing. This is absolutely essential and incorrect or insufficient acknowledgement of sources will once again mean lower marks or possibly failure. You should use either the Harvard in-text system or the footnoted ‘short-title’ system (note that this eliminates the use of op. cit.). If you use the latter system, do not put all your footnotes at the end as end-notes, but make sure that they appear at the bottom of the page. With either method, ensure that you give the precise page numbers with your reference. For example, (Smith, 2008) … is usually not enough. It should be (Smith, 2008, p. 9) …. With both systems, you must ensure that you have a full bibliography or list of references at the end, although please note that the setting out of the bibliography for each system is slightly different. You will be able to find various guides on the internet which explain each system and how to use it. A detailed guide to the Harvard system may be found at:
http://www.accg.mq.edu.au/Accg_docs/pdf/postgraduate_coursework/Harvard_Referencing_System.pdf
The Chicago Manual of Style is available at:
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html
This provides guidance for both the in-text (Harvard) method and the footnoting method, although the way these are set out is not very clear. A clearer guide for using the short-title system (which is more commonly used in the humanities) may be found at Cambridge University Press’s guide for authors:
https://authornet.cambridge.org/information/productionguide/hss/text.asp#text_notes