Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Jonathan Benney
Contact via jonathan.benney@mq.edu.au
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Credit points |
Credit points
3
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit is an introduction to contemporary China. The aim of this unit is to enable students to critically and independently analyse domestic and international current events and information about China in the present day, including politics, the economy, international relations, the environment, minorities, human rights, law and contemporary culture. This unit is a study of China in the present day, with enough background information to put current affairs in a wider context. Students develop an awareness of the variety of perspectives relating to contemporary China, and develop an ability to analyse the information in the context of Chinese history, politics and culture. This unit may be taken by all students with an interest in contemporary China. No background knowledge is required and all teaching and assessment is in English.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Name | Weighting | Due |
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Tutorial Participation | 10% | Cumulative |
Tutorial Paper & Presentation | 25% | Week 5 (paper); tutorials |
Research Proposal | 15% | Week 7 |
Research Paper | 50% | Week 13 |
Due: Cumulative
Weighting: 10%
Students are expected to actively participate in tutorial group discussions about Chinese current events. Students will bring to class news and media articles read during the week and raise items for discussion with the class and tutor. Students will also be expected to have read set readings from the text book or other assigned readings, as well as attended and reviewed lecture materials. There may also be set questions, which students are expected to have considered before attending class.
Some tutorial classes will include a discussion led by a panel of students based on their tutorial paper presentations. Students will be expected to participate in the panel according to the tutorial schedule, and will be expected to have read the tutorial paper of the week posted to iLearn.
The tutor will look for:
This grade is not a simple attendance mark. Tutorial attendance is mandatory and attendance will count toward the final grade. Students who miss more than 3 tutorials without evidence of an unforeseen and serious disruption (eg illness, supported by documentation) will be excluded from the unit. This means that students will receive a FAIL grade, regardless of written work completed.
Due: Week 5 (paper); tutorials
Weighting: 25%
This is a group work assignment. Students will form a group of three people in week 2, choose a topic (from the list in the unit schedule). This choice will be recorded on the tutorial schedule. The topic and presentation date should be chosen in week 2 tutorial. Topics will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Tutorial Paper
The tutorial paper will be a 1500 word paper on a topic of contemporary China defined by the chosen tutorial topic (see Unit Schedule). These topics are based on chapters from the textbook, Robert Gamer, Understanding Contemporary China 4th Ed. The tutorial papers will use Gamer as a base, but will be linked to current issues and research as much as possible.
This paper will require students to use relevant sources from the Gamer textbook, in addition to a minimum of 10 other self-located sources to support and justify their arguments. In addition to recent or current events articles and news, sources from academic books and academic journals are expected. The paper will be footnoted and referenced in the format described in Writing Essays and Referencing in this guide. The Group Work Tutorial Paper is due in Week 5.
The tutorial paper will be submitted on the due date. It must be submitted to:
Papers will not be graded unless all three copies are submitted.
Additionally, a Group Work Declaration sheet (attached in the unit guide and on iLearn as a Word document) must be completed and submitted. On this sheet, students will document the nature of their contribution to the group work. This will be signed by all group members and will be attached and submitted with the hard copy only. Any paper submitted without the Group Work Declaration sheet will not be graded. Examples of both of the above requirements can be found on ilearn.
It is expected that all students will read each week’s tutorial paper on ilearn, as well as the relevant readings from the textbook prior to attending the class.
Tutorial Presentation
The tutorial paper will be presented in tutorials on the date on the tutorial schedule. The presentation will be presented in front of the tutorial group for no more than 10 minutes, there will be a question and answer session afterwards. A Powerpoint presentation or equivalent is expected. Students will be expected to ask questions (this will affect the tutorial participation mark).
Students who fail to give the presentation will have all marks deducted. The presentations will begin in Week 7.
The tutorial paper and presentation constitute a significant portion of the content of tutorial discussion, students are expected to submit and present their paper on the scheduled date. Additionally, this group work task is a result of cumulative four or five weeks of work. Consequently no extensions will be given for any circumstances other than unavoidable and unforseen circumstances (illness or misadventure) that prevent you from submitting the paper and making the presentation on the due date. See Extensions and Penalties for policies in this regard. If students know of unavoidable absences in advance, you are requested to choose a topic that will allow you to submit and present the paper according to the tutorial schedule without disruption.
Due: Week 7
Weighting: 15%
This unit is designed to enable students to critically analyse current issues involving contemporary China. The major assessment for this unit is a research essay based on a China-related current affairs topic related to the course. Students will pick a topic from current issues/course themes that may be covered in the student's portfolio, and analyse the topic in the form of a research paper. You should start considering the issues at the beginning of the course, beginning with your daily news and current affairs readings, your reading with the set textbook, and moving on to the bibliographies and references in the textbook and to your own independent research.
To assist in the preparation of the research essay, students will complete a research proposal (1000 words) which will outline a proposed topic, review the available current information and literature (eg current news articles, current academic journals, books etc) on this topic, and the student's approach to the analysis. (See Guide to Writing a Research Proposal in this guide.). There should be a minimum of 7 self-located resources to support your proposed research topic. Use of the academic sources such as books and journal articles are expected and additional marks will be awarded if relevant books or academic journal articles are cited.
The proposal is to be written in and referenced in the required style for this unit (see Writing Essays and Referencing in this guide). The research proposal is due in Week 7. The research proposal should be used as a method for students to ‘flesh out’ their ideas and explore the available information on their chosen topic on contemporary China and receive teaching feedback. Students will not be obliged to be ‘locked’ into their topic, since this assessment task is meant to be a process of research development. Marking feedback and further reading should guide students in the development of this topic beyond the proposal an into the research paper. Topics deemed unsuitable (ie not on a contemporary China studies theme) will not be accepted and be graded accordingly.
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 50%
The major research paper will be based on articles and materials collated in the students' current affairs portfolio, from the web, or from newspapers or academic journals and books. The research paper should be based on a minimum of 10 references from the portfolio of current affairs and/or other sources such as journal articles and books. A ‘good’ research paper will utilise the full range of available resources, and link current affairs resources with more established information in journal articles and books. A ‘top’ research paper may utilise as many as 10 current affairs articles from the portfolio as well as an additional 10 resources such as books, journal articles and so on. The use of academic resources such as books and academic journals is expected and consideration will be made for papers that do cite academic sources appropriately.
The research essay should link the references together in a coherent fashion and form a critical analysis of the topic. The research essay will be about 2000 words and is due on Week 13. Your work will be judged on the appropriateness of the material presented, collected over the period of the course, and in particular on the quality of your interlinking commentary and analysis. As mentioned above, emphasis is on reasoned analysis, not plain assertion or logically flawed argument. Essays will be marked on the basis of originality, content, organisation and presentation, and particularly the logic with which you present your argument.
The research paper must be written as if it were a research paper submitted for publication to the journal The China Quarterly (Cambridge Journals), one of the leading journals in contemporary China studies. It is highly recommended that students access and read articles from The China Quarterly (and other academic journals) to get a feel for the style and nature of academic research and writing.
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=cqy
Students must write their research paper in the style of articles submitted to The China Quarterly. This is very important. The specified style will include systems of spelling, grammar, the use of numerals, voice and citation of sources. Information regarding the style and referencing system to be used can be found on the document ‘Instructions for Contributors’ on The China Quarterly Cambridge Journals website: http://assets.cambridge.org/CQY/CQY_ifc.pdf and on the ilearn site for CHN157. The relevant sections to the ‘Instructions for Contributors’ document is the section entitled ‘Style sheet’. Ability to write in the specified style will be graded.
As you have four months to think about, research and write this essay, no extensions will be given for any circumstances other than unavoidable and unforseen circumstances (illness or misadventure) that prevent you from submitting the essay on the due date.
Online units can be accessed at: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au
ilearn is an important part of this unit. There will be x1 lecture class which will have lecture slides and recored audio available for download on ilearn.
This unit will make use of ilearn for communications. ilearn also features a messaging system and discussion forum, which students are encouraged to use to circulate information and discussion.
All announcements made by the unit convenor will also be delivered via ilearn's integrated email system. Students should set the ilearn emails to be forwarded to their personal email account for convenience. It is the responsibility of students to be aware and up to date with unit news and announcements via ilearn.
This is MacquarieUniversity's subscription to the 'Turn It In' plagiarism detection system. All students will be required to submit all of their written work through this system. See Assessment Submission for details.
The library databases offer access to thousands of academic journal articles on all relevant subject areas.Make a point of searching these databases for scholarly articles for sources of information for assignments.The library enquiry desk is a good point of assistance in the use of these databases.You can also the ‘Ask a Librarian’ service by phone or live chat. http://www.mq.edu.au/on_campus/library/
Please direct any questions about passwords, access and ilearn to the IT helpdesk http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/
Assessment Marking Rubrics and Self Assessments are required for each assessment task (see Assessment Tasks in General). They can be downloaded from ilearn.
Week |
Lecture |
Tutorial Readings |
Assessment |
1 |
Introduction; Chinese Distinctiveness; Political Geography |
News media articles are expected to be read and brought to class each week for discussion. Academic journal articles are also encouraged. Readings from the textbook will also be discussed from week 2. Tutorial Papers posted on ilearn are expected to be read each week. |
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2 |
Traditional China and the Source of Traditions; Cultural Development; Foundations of Philosophical Traditions; Socio-political order. |
Ch.1 Introduction Ch.2 'China: a Geographic Preface' |
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3 |
China From The Inside. Part 1, Power and the People http://youtu.be/qSFcAK5s4nU |
Ch3. 'The Historical Context' |
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4 |
Imperial China and the Modern World; Decline of Traditional China. China in the 20th Century; Rise of Radicalism and Revolution; The Legitimacy of the Communist Party v1 |
Ch. 4 'Chinese Politics' pp71-83
Recommended Viewing: China: Triumph and Turmoil. Pt1 'Emperors' |
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5 |
Mao’s China: Command Economy, Totalitarian Society |
Ch. 4 'Chinese Politics' pp83-87 Ch.5 'China's Economy' pp133-137 |
Tutorial Paper Due |
6 |
Open Door and Reform; To Get Rich is Glorious; Legitimacy of the Communist Party v2.0 |
Ch. 4 'Chinese Politics' pp87-93 Ch.5 'China's Economy' pp137-140
Recommended Viewing: China: Triumph and Turmoil. Pt2: 'Maostalgia'
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7 |
Harmonious Society - Legitimacy of the Communist Party v3.0 The Party – State: Normalising the modern state. |
Ch. 4 'Chinese Politics' pp93-110 Ch.5 'China's Economy' pp140-158
Recommended Viewing: China: Triumph and Turmoil Pt3. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xs684o_china-triumph-and-turmoil-pt3_news |
Research Proposal Due Tutorial Presentations Begin 1) China's 19th and 20th Centuries - Legacies for the 21st Century 2) China's Economy |
Mid Semester Break |
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8 |
China From the Inside Part 4 'Freedom and Justice' http://youtu.be/9rj534NjQnM |
China's Political System http://www.china.org.cn/engl ish/Political/25060.htm |
1) The Legitimacy of Communist Party in the 21st Century 2) Politics and Governance |
9 |
Diversity and Identity |
Ch.6 'China Beyond the Heartland' Ch.8 Population Growth and Urbanisation |
1) Population, Migration and Urbanisation 2) Ethnic Minorities and Relations |
10 |
Religion and Faith |
Ch.12 'Religion' |
1) Religion in China 2) Continuous traditions in philosophy, society and politics in the 21st Century |
11 |
International Relations and Rising China |
Ch.7 'International Relations' |
1) International Relations 2) Is there a China Threat? |
12 |
China From the Inside Part 3 'Shifting Nature' http://youtu.be/3GNbBniBnqk |
Ch. 9 'China's Environmental Problems' |
China's Environment |
13 |
China From the Inside Part 2 'Women of the Country' http://youtu.be/1GKp8qNa75Q |
Ch.10 Family, Kinship, Marriage and Sexuality; Ch.11 Women and Development; |
China's Changing Society
Research Paper Due |
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html
Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html
Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.
This graduate capability is supported by:
Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.
This graduate capability is supported by:
As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.
This graduate capability is supported by:
We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.
This graduate capability is supported by:
This unit is an introduction to Contemporary China primarily for students enrolled in the Bachelor of International Studies degree, but may be taken by all students with an interest in modern China, especially those studying Chinese and Asian studies. It is a study of China in the tear 2014, with background information to put current affairs in a wider context.
Each week’s lectures will cover a particular theme of history, politics, society and culture. The tutorials will cover various aspects of current affairs involving China, as they develop each week. This unit is a research intensive unit, and aims to introduce students to research methods and techniques. Assessments will have an emphasis on students pursuing research in self selected areas of interests. Students will be expected to read the relevant chapters of the set textbook, Robert Gamer (ed), Understanding Contemporary China. (Lynne Rienner, 4th Edition). This textbook will serve as a source of reference material throughout the course, and will reflect the topics covered in lectures and tutorials.
For the tutorials on current affairs in 2014 as they happen, by definition there is no set textbook. China is rarely out of the news, and all students will be expected to read items on China in the newspapers and current affairs journals, and download material from the web. It is expected that students will search and read China related news on a daily basis, and not simply the day before the class, to stay up to date with current events.
Students are encouraged to use the full resources of the web in their research, in particular the Australian daily newspapers, and overseas newspapers and media services, for example The South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), BBC (UK) for accurate and detailed reports on China. Periodical news magazines such as Time, Newsweek, Asiaweek, The New Yorker and the Far Eastern Economic Review all have an online presence, including in some cases, news blogs. For the news from Beijing see also the China Daily, People’s Daily website and related links, such as domestic Chinese news sites. English language news from Taiwan such as China Post and Hong Kong such as The Standard are useful for alternative views of the Chinese news. Research institutes (‘think tanks’) and NGOs, such as the Lowy Institute for Public Policy and the World Bank etc also have an online presence and are a good indicator of current academic and public policy research interests.
Students are required to bring relevant and interesting material to the class and are expected to raise discussions on the news or readings of the week with the tutor and class. Questions about the material covered in the lecture may also be discussed. By collecting current affairs articles, students will create a portfolio of material on an aspect of China of interest to them, chosen from the themes of the course or current affairs. Such themes might be China's environment, minorities, religion, politics, defence, legal system, economic development or any other suitable theme. Students will also develop a ‘big picture’ understanding of the complexity of issues involving China throughout the semester.
There is no particular political ‘line' taken in this course. Emphasis is on fact and reasoned analysis, not emotional assertions or preconceptions of one type of another. Students will also need to be aware that there is a lot of rubbish on the web, about China and anything else, so you will need to be selective and use your judgement to be aware of biases and propaganda. The course aims to provide a framework for an objective understanding of modern China, outlining the important issues and the important questions, in the face of general assumptions, misconceptions and propaganda. Interpretations of those issues and answers to those questions are up to you, but you must be able to defend your interpretations and answers logically and on the basis of factual material. Ultimately this unit will aim to broaden student’s knowledge and awareness of issues affecting contemporary China and by extension, the rest of the world. This unit will help students on the way to becoming well informed ‘China watchers’ or Sinologists, capable of seeing both the objective and subjective view of issues affecting China.
All written assessment tasks will be required to be submitted in both printed hard copy and electronically via Turnitin.com, unless otherwise indicated.
Written assignments not received in BOTH hard copy and e-copy via Turnitin.com by the appropriate due date will NOT be marked.
Late submission of the essays will result in a penalty of 5% of the total value of the essay towards unit assessment each day (including weekends). The essay will not be marked after a period of five calendar days of non-submission.
Electronic Copy via Turnitin.com
This is Macquarie University's subscription to the 'Turn It In' plagiarism detection system. All students will be required to submit all of their written work through this system.
1. Follow the link on the ilearn CHN157 home page and submit your MS Word assignment and bibliography. Do not submit the assessment marking rubric or self assessment sheet with the Turnitin submission.
Hard Copy
Written assignments must include:
1. a fully completed Faculty of Arts cover sheet;
2. a title of the essay/paper; and
3. a bibliography.
4. the correct assessment marking rubric
5. a completed self assessment sheet
Bar-coded Arts Coversheet
Written work must be submitted through the Arts Student Centre (via the appropriate assignment box) on Level 1, W6A (for internal students) or via COE (for external students). Internal students must print and attach a completed coversheet to all submitted work. A personalised assignment coversheet is generated from the student section of the Faculty of Arts website at:
http://www.arts.mq.edu.au/current_students/undergraduate/admin_central/coversheet.
Please provide your student details and click the Get my assignment coversheet button to generate your personalised assignment cover sheet. No other coversheets will be provided by the Faculty.
Return of marked work
Marked work will be returned to students by the supervisor. Residuals will be available for collection from the Arts Student Centre (W6A Foyer).
1. All written assessments will be graded against Assessment marking rubrics, which are to be considered by students as marking criteria for the task. Each Assessment task has its own specific rubric and the correct one must be attached and submitted with the assessment. Any assessment submitted without the appropriate Assessment marking rubric attached will not be marked.
2. All written assessments will require students to complete and attach a Self Assessment sheet for that task. These will assist students with their assessment and skills development process. Marks will be deducted if these are not completed and attached.
3. Self assessment sheet and assessment marking rubrics in MS Word form are available for download from ilearn.
4. Miscellaneous: All written work must conform with the 'Chicago' style of writing set out in Writing and Referencing in this guide. All written work must be formtted to a minimum of 1.5 line space.
5. Scholarly sources (academic journal articles, scholarly books etc) are the expected sources of information. While useful for basic information and subject orientation, generic websites such as blogs, Wikipedia (and similar), culture-china.com and the like, are not an acceptable primary or secondary reference source in any assessment task. Information sourced from 'websites' must be used sparingly with scholarly judgement and caution with regard to context and appropriateness.
Requests for assignment extensions due to unavoidable and unforseen circumstances of less than three days duration (eg short term illness or misadventure) must be made to the supervisor before the due date if possible, or immediately after the disruption. Approvals of extensions must be noted on the assignment cover sheet. Note that other assessment commitments will not be considered grounds for an extension.
Assignments that are handed in later than the due date, where no extension has been granted, or are handed in later than the extension date without being granted further extension or special consideration will be penalised.
Late submission of the essays will result in a penalty of 5% of the total value of the essay towards unit assessment each day (including weekends). The essay will not be marked after a period of five calendar days of non-submission.
If your performance has been affected for a period of 3 days or more as a result of serious unavoidable disruption or illness, you are advised to inform the unit convenor and tutor of the problem at the earliest possible opportunity. You must supply documentary evidence of the extended disruption and submit an Application for Special Consideration. (see below).
No assessment work will be accepted for marking beyond 07 June 2013 unless you have submitted an Application for Special Considerationwith adequate and appropriate supporting evidence and have been granted special consideration. Please note that requests for special consideration for long term or serious reasons are not granted automatically, and are reserved for unforeseen and serious circumstances such as prolonged & chronic illness, hospitalisation or bereavement in your immediate family which have affected your performance over the course of the semester; or in cases of unavoidable disruption or misadventure during the formal examination period. If you believe that you qualify for special consideration, please contact the teaching staff as soon as is practically possible and lodge the application.
http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/special_consideration/policy.html
(After http://www.uts.edu.au/fac/edu/research/degrees/guide.html)
The process of developing the proposal can be a valuable exercise, one which can help you determine your focus, clarify what is involved in your research project and plan its development. A developed proposal is an important way in which you can demonstrate your understanding of research and communicate your ‘research thinking’ to others.
These guidelines are provided to help you draw out your ideas. They state the requirements of a sound proposal.
Topic and problematic
The research topic formulates a problem that is worthy of research. The topic should:
• be stated clearly and succinctly in one or two sentences.
• be determined after consultation with your tutor if required
The topic is usually framed as a ‘problem’ or question in need of an answer. The topic statement will invite your reader to ask why it is significant and ‘worth doing’. A good research proposal identifies in the research topic a ‘problematic’ to be investigated.
Framing the question is not always easy, and you need to ask yourself whether your proposed ‘problem’ or ‘research question’ is really the question to be asked and answered. The framing of the problematic is crucial in setting up the research, though it is a common for researchers to revise and reformulate this as the research progresses.
An important issue is how you theorise or conceptualise the topic—what needs to come through is your understanding of the problematic you are exploring.
Background and context
Your research topic needs to be located in its context and background. In sketching this background, you need to show how and why does the topic come to be important and why is it worth researching?
This means:
• contextualising the research problem—how does it arise?
• outlining its significance—what will be the outcomes, and for whom?
• referring to key issues that are associated with the topic
Background can be provided in several ways. Your theoretical interests or concerns may have generated the research, and its justification is to be found in a theoretical developments or related literature. Where professional practice is the focus, you may want to describe and analyse the context of policy or organisational changes.
In any case, you should summarise the influences which come into play to shape your research. The analysis should lead you to interrogate your own assumptions about why the problem is significant. You need to ask what interests are driving the research, from whose point of view the problem is ‘significant’?
Conceptual framework and related literature
A conceptual framework elaborates the research problematic in relation to relevant literature. It should deal with such matters as:
• existing research and its relevance for your topic
• relevant theoretical perspective or perspectives
• key ideas or constructs in your approach
• possible lines of inquiry you might pursue
Your proposal needs to show how the proposed research relates to a body of related studies, or literature. The orthodox way to do this is to write a brief version of the literature review on a traditional science model. This is not always possible, especially if there is little related past research. Another is to outline the kinds of theoretical sources that will inform your research—the available research perspectives.
Though not all proposals need to include an elaborated conceptual framework, a well-developed proposal will do so. This can take up so-called ‘conceptual issues’ which express your understanding of the topic and the problems in researching it.
Textbook Robert E. Gamer (ed), Understanding Contemporary China. 4th Ed. Lynne Rienner, Boulder 2012.
Current Affairs Collection Students will collate their own collection of current affairs articles on a weekly basis for their tutorial discussion group.
Library Databases The library databases offer access to thousands of academic journal articles on all relevant subject areas. Make a point of searching these databases for scholarly articles for sources of information for assignments.
Recommended Reading The textbook is Gamer, Understanding Contemporary China 4th ed, and most of the chapters in it are required reading for the lectures and tutorials, and it contains a lot of other interesting material. However, there is a huge amount of material available on contemporary China, some introductory, some specialised, which are also recommended. The atlases are far more than collections of maps: they contain a large amount of important and useful information on many aspects of contemporary China. If you are really ‘into China' you will want to know more about China in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in particular, and a general knowledge of Chinese history over the past two thousand years.
Contemporary China Colin MacKerras, The New Cambridge Handbook of Contemporary China . Cambridge , 2001. Statistical material and much else on politics, law, biographies of political figures, foreign relations, population and minorities.
John Bryan Starr, Understanding China . Second Edition, Profile Books, 2001.
Michael Dillon, Contemporary China – An Introduction, Routledge, 2009
Dorothy Perkins, Encyclopedia of China - The Essential Reference to China , Its History and Culture. Checkmark Books, 2000
John Gittings, The changing face of China : from Mao to market. Oxford University Press, 2006
Background Reading
Colin Mackerras, Pradeep Taneja, Graham Young. China since 1978. Longman, 1998. Detailed coverage of history, politics, agricultural reform, political reform etc during the period 1978-1998.
Colin Mackerras , China in Transformation 1900-1949 . Longman, 1998.
Linda Benson , China Since 1949 . Longman, 2002.
David Goodman and Gerald Segal (eds.) China in the Nineties: Crisis Management and Beyond. Oxford , 1991
Alan Lawrance. China Under Communism . Routledge, 1998
Atlases Stephanie Donald and Robert Benewick, The State of China Atlas : Mapping the World's Fastest Growing Economy. UNSW Press, 2005. Maps and charts on trade, investment, military, population, urbanisation, employment, agriculture, tourism, politics, education, environment and much else.
Nathan Sivin et al. The Contemporary Atlas of China . Covers history, society, population, religion, culture, traditional science and medicine, natural resources, industry, trade, modern science and technology.
Caroline Blunden and Mark Elvin. Cultural Atlas of China . Phaidon, 1983. Covers the ancient world, the imperial age and the modern age; language, writing, calligraphy, Confucianism, religion, medicine, geomancy, music, theatre and China and the West.
Australia-China Relations Gregory Clark, In Fear of China . Lansdowne Press, 1967.
E. M. Andrews, Australia and China - The Ambiguous Relationship. Melbourne University Press, 1985
Edmund Fung and Colin Mackerras, From Fear to Friendship: Australia 's Policies towards the People's Republic of China , 1966 - 1982 . University of Queensland Press, 1985
Colin Mackerras (ed), Australia and China - Partners in Asia . Griffith University Press, 1996
Lachlan Strahan, Australia 's China - Changing perceptions from the 1930s to the 1990s . Cambridge University Press, 1996
Paul Keating, Engagement: Australia faces the Asia-Pacific. Pan Macmillan Australia , 2000
Alison Broinowski, About Face: Asian Accounts of Australia . Scribe Publications, Melbourne , 2003
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. China Fact Sheet. Contains facts and figures on major Australia-China imports and exports, bilateral trade and investment etc. On the DFAT website: http://www.dfat.gov.au,
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. China Country Brief. Australian government policy and views on Chinese domestic politics and bilateral economic relations.
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade , China Embraces the Market. A study of China and the WTO. On DFAT website.
Pre-modern China Conrad Schirokauer. A Brief History of Chinese Civilization. Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich. New edition 2004.
Fairbank and Reischauer. China : Tradition and Transformation . Revised Edition 1989. A popular alternative to Schirokauer.
Jonathan Spence. The Search for Modern China . Second edition 1999. The set text for HIST250: Modern Chinese History.
Immanuel Hsü, The Rise of Modern China . Third Edition, 1983. Covers the period from the Qing dynasty and the Opium Wars to China After Mao. An alterative to Spence.
John Fairbank and Merle Goldman , China , A New History . Harvard, 1998 Maurice Meisner , Mao's China and After - A History of the Peoples Republic . Collier Macmillan, 1986
Students will be expected to:
Writing Essays and Referencing
Based on 'Writing Essays in History', prepared by Bridget Deane, Department of Modern History June 2007.
Writing an essay is not just about writing a narrative, biography or chronology of an event, person or period of time: It requires the construction of an argument in answer to the question posed or the problem being investigated. During research for your paper you will find that the evidence may suggest several answers to the question or problem. You will therefore form your own opinion through evaluation and analysis of sources and this will be the basis of the argument put forward in your answer.
It is because of the emphasis on evaluation and analysis in academic writing, that it is essential to acknowledge sources used in your work through the use of a referencing system. In this unit, footnotes are required, using the Chicago referencing style (see also http://www.lib.monash.edu.au/tutorials/citing/chicago.html for more information)
All students are expected to conform to this system in this unit guide, unless directed by the supervisor in accordance with the required style of an academic journal or publisher.
Why reference?
It shows the person marking your work the sources that you have been accessing. It establishes that your argument is one formed by knowledge of a range of authors' opinions - use of this knowledge will make your argument stronger. It allows the reader to quickly identify and verify the sources you have used. Most importantly, it is how you recognise your intellectual debt to others.
When to footnote
It is essential to footnote when you are making use of someone else's words, information or ideas as evidence for your argument. Failure to acknowledge this in your own work amounts to plagiarism, i.e., presenting another person's work as if it were your own. It is simply not acceptable to plagiarise, and any piece of work found to contain it will be failed automatically. For more information on MacquarieUniversity's policy on Academic Honesty Policy
Using sources in your essays
If you use another person's ideas or information in your essay then you need to acknowledge this use through referencing. Such material may be included in the following ways:
Direct Quotation Using the author's exact words. They must be placed in quotation marks, with a footnote number at the end of the quotation.
Paraphrase (indirect quotation) Rewriting someone else's ideas in your own words. The footnote number is placed at the end of the sentence.
Summary (indirect quotation) Reference to an author's ideas or argument. Again, the footnote number is placed at the end of the sentence.
Quotations of more than forty words should be indented using single spacing, without quotation marks:
Other sources that need to be referenced:
Images, figures, tables, graphs, maps and diagrams, frame enlargements from films. Information from lectures - the lecturer's words, notes taken during the lecture, information from slides and overheads.
What does not need to be referenced:
Common knowledge - information that is general and well known, that is, in the public domain. For example, the Second World War ended in 1945. Your own ideas, arguments and visual materials.
If in doubt about whether to reference or not, ask the unit convenor for advice.
Preparing footnotes
Footnotes appear at the bottom of each relevant page of your essay, whereas endnotes are located at the end of the document.
Sometimes because of lack of space at the bottom of a page, Word will move footnotes over to the next page. Do not worry if this happens.
Titles of books, journals, etc, must be written in italics.
Punctuation and the use of capitals are important in footnotes, so pay attention to this in the examples below.
How to create a footnote using Microsoft Word
Go to the Insert menu and select Footnote (or in the 2003 version click Reference). Choose footnote.. Make sure the numbering is continuous and applies to the whole document.
Additional material in footnotes
You are discouraged from the placing of additional material in footnotes, as this indicates lack of editing and an attempt to get round the word limit. An exception is the inclusion of a translation of material included in the main text.
Footnotes
Different sources require different formats when creating footnotes as the examples below will show, but generally you need to include the following information for an initial citation of a source:
Name of author
Title of the source
Name of the city and publisher of the source
Date of publication
Page number(s)
For an initial citation of:
Books
1 Simon Ryan, The Cartographic Eye: How Explorers saw Australia(Melbourne: Cambridge University Press, 1996), p.45.
Note that publication details are placed in brackets
Books with two authors
2 Christopher Bayly and Tim Harper, Forgotten Armies: The Fall of British Asia, 1941 – 1945 (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2005), pp.30-31
Note that multiple pages are indicated with pp.
Books with three or more authors
3 R. Frankham, J.D. Ballou and D.A. Briscoe, Introduction to Conservation Genetics, (Cambridge University Press 2002) p2.
Multivolume work
4 Winston Churchill, A History of the English Speaking Peoples, vol. 2, The New World (London: Cassell, 1956), p.124.
Translation
5 Christine de Pizan, The Book of the City of Ladies, trans. R. Brown Grant (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1999), p. 48.
Foreign Language Books
Standard conventions must be followed, although foreign language words must be italicised.
5 Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangshui, Chaoxian Zhan. Dui Quanqiuhua Shidai Zhanzheng Yu Zhanfa De Xiangding (Unrestricted Warfare. Thoughts on Warfare and Strategy in the Globalised Era). (Jiefangjun Wenyi Chubanshe (Liberation Army Arts Publishing House), Beijing , 1999). p.34
Note that the publisher's name in Chinese is italicised, but the English translation of it remains un-italicised. Both are correctly observing convention.
Chapter in an edited book
6 Gareth Wiliams, 'Popular Culture and the Historians' in Making History: An Introduction to the History and Practices of a Discipline, ed. Peter Lambert and Phillipp Schofield (Abingdon: Routledge, 2004), p.260.
7 M.N. Pearson, "Pilgrims, Travellers, Tourist: the Meanings of Journeys." Australian Cultural History 10 (1991): p.127.
Journal articles (online access of printed journals)
8 Georg Iggers, "Historiography from a Global Perspective," History and Theory 43, no. 1 (2004) p.149.
Note: you must cite the author, article title and journal title in full, and not just the URL from where you accessed the article.
Electronic Journal articles
Electronic journals and other material sourced from the Internet usually do not have page numbers. Include the appropriate section or paragraph instead. eg Introduction
9. Tom Wilson, "'In the Beginning Was the Word': Social and Economic Factors in Scholarly Electronic Communication", ELVIRA Conference Keynote Paper, 1009, 10 April 1995, http://www.shef.ac.uk/~is/wilson/publications/elvira.html (accessed May 23 1999), Introduction.
Book reviews
9 Colin Seymour-Ure, review of World War II in Cartoons, by Mark Bryant, History Today, 55,no. 9 (September 2005): p.55.
Citing a source read in another source
10 Paul Keating quoted in Richard Connaughton, Japan's War on Mainland Australia 1942-1944 (London: Brassey's, 1994), p.11.
Unpublished manuscript material
11 John David Booth, Papers, 1984-1990, MLMSS7332, State Library of NSW, Sydney
Information from a lecture
12 Jane Smith, "Women Politicians of the Twentieth Century" (Lecture given at MacquarieUniversity, NSW, March 7, 2005).
13 Jane Smith, "Women Politicians of the Twentieth Century" (Lecture slide, MacquarieUniversity, NSW, March 7, 2005).
Theses and dissertations
14 Elizabeth Eggleston, "Emma Peel - Feminist Icon or Swinging 60s Chick?" (BA (Hons) thesis, BournemouthUniversity, 2002), p.12.
Internet sources
References for internet sources must give the author and/or title of the material and the URL (website address) to enable the reader to find the source easily. Provide the date on which you accessed the source online.
15 "Australians at War: First World War 1914-1918," Australian War Memorial, available from
http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/ww1.htm (accessed 12/10/2009)
Audio-visual sources
16 Steven Spielberg, Schindler's List, (Universal Pictures, 1993)
If you are engaged in intensive film analysis it will be of great assistance to the reader of your work if you specify the chapter or minute mark.
Newspapers and magazines
17 M. Lake, "The Howard History of Australia," The Age, 20 August 2005, p.5.
18 Agence France-Presse, "China upholds jail term for top dissident: lawyer", Sydney Morning Herald, 11 February 2010.
Note If you access the newspaper or magazine online you must include the URL address.
For unsigned articles:
18 "History with a Raw Edge," Sydney Morning Herald, November 10, 2003, p.12.
Images, figures, maps, etc
Every image, figure or map used should be provided with a caption naming the source of the illustration and title:
From a book:
Map: The Religious Complexion of Europe in the Period c. 1555-8
Source: Euan Cameron, The European Reformation. New York: OxfordUniversity Press,1991.
For works of art include the name of the artist and title of the work and source:
Herbert Badham, The Swimming Enclosure, 1941. Source: State Library of NSW, Sydney
Note that these sources do not need to be included in your bibliography.
Second and later references
After the first, full reference of a source you can then use an abbreviated version in your footnotes or endnotes:
16 Simon Ryan, The Cartographic Eye; How Explorers saw Australia
(Melbourne: Cambridge University Press, 1996), p.45.
17 Ryan, p.45.
OR
When referring to a source more than once you may use ibid in your footnotes when the work is the same as the one immediately above it:
16 Simon Ryan, The Cartographic Eye; How Explorers saw Australia
(Melbourne: Cambridge University Press, 1996), p.45.
17 Ibid.
OR
When referring to a source already cited, you may use Op. Cit. in your footnotes.
16 Simon Ryan, The Cartographic Eye; How Explorers saw Australia
(Melbourne: Cambridge University Press, 1996), p.45.
17 Ibid.
18 Jones, p2
19 Ryan Op.Cit., p.45
If
There is more than one publication by the same author, use a year to indicate separate publications in second and later references:
16 Simon Ryan, The Cartographic Eye; How Explorers saw Australia
(Melbourne: Cambridge University Press, 1996), p.45.
17 Ibid.
18 Jones 1990, p2
19 Ryan Op.Cit., p.45
20 Jones 1991, pp41-42
Books with two authors
2 Bayly and Harper, p3
Books with three or more authors
3 Frankham et al, p3-4
Bibliography
At the end of your essay list all the books, articles and other sources in alphabetical order of author's family name. You can divide the bibliography into sections, i.e. primary and secondary sources.
Be aware of naming conventions for Chinese names. The family name is traditionally the first name written eg MAO Zedong, unless it has been reversed in the English language convention, particularly in Western academic publishing eg Zedong MAO.
Note that a bibliography is required in addition to footnotes. Formats used for bibliographical entries are different from those used for references.
Books
Ryan, Simon. The Cartographic Eye; How Explorers saw Australia. Melbourne: CambridgeUniversity Press, 1996.
Books with two authors
Bayly, Christopher and Harper, Tim. Forgotten Armies: The Fall of British Asia, 1941 - 1945. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Belknap Press of HarvardUniversity Press, 2005.
Three or more authors
Grimshaw, Patricia, MarilynLake, Ann McGrath, and Marian Quartly. Creating a Nation. Ringwood: Penguin Books Australia Ltd., 1996.
Multivolume work
Churchill, Winston. A History of the English Speaking Peoples. Vol. 2, The New World. London: Cassell, 1956.
Translation
de Pizan, Christine. The Book of the City of Ladies. Translated by R. Brown Grant. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1999.
Foreign Language Books
Qiao, Liang and Wang, Xiangshui. Chaoxian Zhan. Dui Quanqiuhua Shidai Zhanzheng Yu Zhanfa De Xiangding (Unrestricted Warfare. Thoughts on Warfare and Strategy in the Globalised Era). Jiefangjun Wenyi Chubanshe (Liberation Army Arts Publishing House), Beijing, 1999.
Note the Chinese family name convention.
Note that for the bibliographical entries for chapters, journal articles and electronic journal articles you need to include the full page range of the text. For footnotes just the page number is cited.
Chapter in an edited book
Williams, Gareth. "Popular Culture and the Historians" in Making History: An Introduction to the History and Practices of a Discipline, edited by Peter Lambert and Phillipp Schofield, Abingdon: Routledge, 2004, pp.257-268.
Journal articles
Pearson, M.N. "Pilgrims, Travellers, Tourist: the Meanings of Journeys." Australian Cultural History 10 (1991): pp.125-134.
Electronic journal articles
Iggers, Georg. "Historiography from a Global Perspective," History and Theory 43, no. 1 (2004)
http://www.blackwell.synergy.com/doi/abs: pp.146-154.
Note: you must cite the author, article title and journal title in full, and not just the URL.
Book reviews
Colin, Seymour-Ure. Review of World War II in Cartoons, by Mark Bryant, History Today, 55, no. 9 (September 2005): pp.55-56.
Source read in another source
Keating, Paul, quoted in Richard Connaughton, Japan's War on Mainland Australia 1942-1944. London: Brassey's, 1994.
Unpublished manuscript material
John David Booth, Papers, 1984-1990, MLMSS7332, State Library of NSW, Sydney
Information from a lecture
Smith, Jane. "Women Politicians of the Twentieth Century." Lecture given at MacquarieUniversity, NSW, March 7, 2005.
Thesis and dissertations
Eggleston, Elizabeth. "Emma Peel - Feminist Icon or Swinging 60s Chick?" BA (Hons) thesis, BournemouthUniversity, 2002.
Internet source
"Australians at War: First World War 1914-1918." Australian War Memorial.
http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/ww1.htm
Audio-visual sources
Spielberg, Steven. Schindler's List. Universal Pictures, 1993
Newspapers and magazines
Lake, Marilyn. "The Howard History of Australia." The Age, August 20, 2005.
Agence France-Presse, "China upholds jail term for top dissident: lawyer", Sydney Morning Herald, 11 February 2010.
For unsigned articles put the name of the newspaper first:
Sydney Morning Herald, "History with a Raw Edge," November 10, 2003.
Further information on referencing and compiling bibliographies
For further information on referencing and compiling bibliographies, including sources not mentioned here, the following books will be useful:
Jules R. Benjamin, A Student's Guide to History, 8th edition, (Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2001)
Style Manual for Authors, Editors and Printers (Canberra: AGPS,1994)
The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, (Chicago:University of Chicago Press, 2003) Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide available online at
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html
You can also access Citation and Style Guides through the Macquarie University Library Website at http://www.library.mq.edu.au/readyref/cites.html
An excellent guide from Purdue University
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/658/03/
There are many more guides available online.
Academic Study Skills Workshops
The university Study Skills Support Unit offers a range of workshops to help you develop your academic skills. These are strongly recommended to all new students. http://www.mq.edu.au/studyskillssupport/
Research Assistance
This unit is research intensive and will require you to make the full use of university research resources of the library. Sign up for a 'library tour' in the first few weeks of uni start and discover the multiple sources of print books and journals, newspapers and electronic journal databases available through the library.