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45.214 Legal Process in Canada Fall 2017Sample Page
Instructions for the Annotated Bibliography, Outline,
and the Research Paper
I. ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY & OUTLINE
General
The annotated bibliography and outline for the research paper, which can be written
alone or with a partner, are due in class on October 16. An electronic copy should also
be submitted to BlackBoard Learn (https://blackboard.uwindsor.ca) as proof of
submission and to prevent plagiarism. Late assignments will be given a penalty of 5%
per day including weekends.
Topic
The annotated bibliography (and later the paper) will deal with an aspect of the legal
process in Canada. Though the choice of research topic is open, it is strongly suggested
for students to have their topics approved by the Professor.
Here are some topic suggestions:
• The role of the courts in a particular area of the law (e.g.: federalism, healthcare,
environment, women’s issues)
• Judicial reform (court structure, judicial selection)
• Access to justice
• Sentencing system
• Alternative dispute resolution mechanisms
• Testing the application of law theories in particular areas of the law or the judicial
process (Natural Law Theory, Legal Positivism, Legal Realism, Critical Legal
Studies).
• The relationship between courts and legislatures
Structure
Please ensure that the following elements are included in your assignment:
1. Title page: indicating the topic of your paper, your name and student number.
2. Bibliography:
• Students must provide a working bibliography of EIGHT ACADEMIC SOURCES (please see
the discussion below regarding acceptable and unacceptable sources for a university
research paper) that will be used in the research paper.
• The academic sources CANNOT include assigned course readings.
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• If you need help to find academic sources, please ask a librarian or consult this
webpage: http://leddy.uwindsor.ca/research-help. You can also consult the professor
during her office hours.
• Students must use proper bibliographical entries (please see the discussion below) for
the academic sources used in their research paper.
3. Annotations:
• Each bibliographical entry must be followed by an annotation (about 80-100 words per
entry).
• Each annotation will describe the content of the academic source and mention why the
source is useful.
4. Outline
• The outline should include these elements: The research question, the thesis statement,
the main arguments to be developed (at least 3, no more than 5), and the conclusion.
• The outline should be no more than half a page (single-spaced).
Acceptable Sources for a University Research Paper
The material in the bibliography must be from the following sources:
1. Peer-reviewed Journal Articles. Examples include, but not restricted to:
Canadian Journal of Political Science
Publius: The Journal of Federalism
Canadian Public Administration
International Political Science Review
University of Toronto Law Journal
Osgood Hall Law Journal
International Journal of Constitutional Law
2. Books Published by University Presses and Peer-reviewed Presses. Examples include, but not
restricted to:
UBC Press
McGill-Queen’s University Press
Cambridge University Press
Oxford University Press
University of Toronto Press
Broadview Press
Emond Montgomery
3.Chapters in Edited-Volumes published by peer-reviewed presses. Examples include, but not
restricted to:
UBC Press
McGill-Queen’s University Press
Cambridge University Press
Oxford University Press
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University of Toronto Press
Broadview Press
Emond Montgomery
Unacceptable Sources
1. Magazines: Macleans, Newsweek, The Economist, Western Report, etc.
2. Newspapers: Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Montreal Gazette, etc.
3. Course Lectures and Power Points: NEVER cite in a term paper.
4. Introductory Course Texts: typically texts used in first year classes. Example: Stephen Brooks,
Canadian Politics, 7th edition. Don Mills: Oxford University Press.
5. Wikipedia or similar Internet sites.
6. Internet Blogs
Bibliographical Entries
All sources in your bibliography must be listed in alphabetical order. Student may use the
citation style of their choice as long as the citations are consistent. For example, student may
use the citation style of the Canadian Journal of Political Science:
http://cpsa-acsp.ca/documents/pdfs/Editorial Style Guidelines 2008.pdf
Plagiarism
The University of Windsor’s plagiarism policy can be consulted here:
http://www1.uwindsor.ca/academicintegrityoffice/plagiarism-policies-and-definitions. After
submitting your assignment to BlackBoard, you will have access to a plagiarism report generated
by SafeAssign and you will be given the opportunity to revise and resubmit your assignment. If
your assignment is found to be plagiarised, you will have to revise it until it is considered to be
exempt from plagiarism. A late penalty of 5% per day (including weekends) will apply when an
assignment is being revised for plagiarism reasons.
II. RESEARCH PAPER
General
The research paper, which can be written either alone or with a partner, must be between 12
and 15 pages long (excluding the bibliography), typed using a 12-point font with standard
margins, and double-spaced. The research paper is due in class on November 29 and an
electronic copy must also be submitted to BlackBoard (https://blackboard.uwindsor.ca) as proof
of submission and to prevent plagiarism. Late papers will be assigned a penalty of 5% per day
including weekends.
Documentary sources needed
A good research paper will make a substantive use of at least eight different scholarly sources
that are not required readings for the course (many of the sources used will be those identified
in the annotated bibliography). Acceptable scholarly sources include peer-reviewed journal
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articles, books published by university presses or peer-reviewed presses, as well as chapters in
edited volumes. Newspaper and magazine articles, Internet sites, governmental publications
and other primary sources, as well as course lectures do not count as scholarly sources but may
be used to supplement the research paper’s argument. Students are also encouraged to draw
connections between their research topic and the material seen in class.
Citation Style
Students may use the citation style of their choice as long as the citations are consistent. A good
citation style guide to follow is the Canadian Journal of Political Science one:
http://cpsa-acsp.ca/documents/pdfs/Editorial%20Style%20Guidelines%202008.pdf
Grading Criteria
| AnalyticalRigour | •Clarityofargument •Considerationofcounterarguments •Perceptiveanalysis •Insightfulconnectionsbetweenideas |
| EssayMechanics | •Clearresearchquestionandthesisstatement •Structureofessayclearandlogical •Introductionandconclusion |
| SentenceMechanics | •Well-constructedsentences •Concise,flowingprose • Avoidsoverlylongsentencesorexcessiveverbosity •Wellproof-read |
| Scholarship | • Argumentsupportedbyappropriatesources •Effectiveuseofquotesandillustrativeexamples •Qualityofresearch |
| Miscellaneous | •Propercitationofsources •Meetspurposesofassignment |
Plagiarism
The University of Windsor’s plagiarism policy can be consulted here:
http://www1.uwindsor.ca/academicintegrityoffice/plagiarism-policies-and-definitions After
submitting your assignment to BlackBoard, you will have access to a plagiarism report generated
by SafeAssign and you will be given the opportunity to revise and resubmit your paper. If your
paper is found to be plagiarised, you will have to revise it until it is considered to be exempt
from plagiarism. A late penalty of 5% per day (including weekends) will apply when a paper is
being revised for plagiarism reasons.