To help you stay on track with your Research Project, you will participate in the 12 Steps online forum between Weeks 1-12. A different part of the research process will be introduced each week and a related task described. You are asked to post your response to these simple tasks each week. Posts made in Weeks 2-11 (inclusive) will be assessed at 0.5% each (for a total of 5% for the 10 weeks). Posts made in Week 1 and Week 12 are not assessed. Failure to submit a post by the end of a given week (midnight Friday) will receive a mark of 0 (zero).

The 12 Steps Research Process consists of the following:

• Step 1: The 12 Steps: Welcome! (not assessed)
• Step 2: Background information (.05%)
• Step 3: Reading and note-taking (.05%)
• Step 4: Research topic (.05%)
• Step 5: Research question (.05%)
• Step 6: Primary evidence search (.05%)
• Step 7: Data organisation (.05%)
• Step 8: Project outline (rough draft) (.05%)
• Step 9: Procrastination (.05%)
• Step 10: Opening paragraph (.05%)
• Step 11: Concluding paragraph(s) (.05%)
• Step 12: Editing and polishing (not assessed)

You love Ancient History, but how is it relevant in the modern world? What do you say when someone asks you what use is a degree or a Major in Ancient History? This assignment will give you a chance to prepare a response for future employers. It consists of two parts, one in which you will reflect on the skills you have acquired as an Ancient History student and how these might be applied in the future, and a second part in which you will show how the past can shed light on modern problems.

Part 1: Ancient History skills (500 words)

Outline three skills that you have acquired or developed during your study of Ancient History. These can be quite specific (e.g., 3D scanning; artefact analysis; an ancient language, etc) or generic (presentation skills; time management, etc). In each case, describe the skill and how you acquired or developed it during your studies, and then reflect on how you might use this skill in your future employment (for what types of jobs might this skill be an advantage and why?).

Part 2: Ancient History relevance (500 words)

The list below includes some of the most pressing problems facing the world today. Based on your studies in the past three years and/or your reading for your Capstone Research Project, choose 1 issue from the list and describe how ancient evidence (art, artefacts, and/or texts, etc) gives us insights into or a different perspective on a modern problem:

• Climate change / Destruction of nature
• Technological change
• Warfare
• Natural disasters
• Gender inequality
• Cultural conflict
• Theft of cultural property
• Cultural identity
• Individual identity
• Human rights
• Disease / Health
• Ageing
• Poverty
• Hunger / Famine
• Power /Oppression
• Animal welfare
• Religious conflict
• Refugees
• Terrorism
• Lack of education
• Safety / Wellbeing

You can be as creative as you wish with Part 2 – try to think outside the box! Perhaps the ancient evidence shows that nothing has changed? Or that the people of the past tackled a particular problem more effectively than us? Or maybe a similar problem existed but simply wasn’t viewed as an issue?

Begin by describing your chosen problem briefly (what is it? why is it a problem?), before presenting your argument for how Ancient History (or specifically Egyptian, Ancient Near Eastern or other ancient evidence) makes a contribution to our understanding of this aspect of modern life.

Total length (Part 1 + Part 2): 1000 words (excluding footnotes and Bibliography)

Your Ancient History Matters report must be submitted via Turnitin at the end of Week 4.

Your Work-in-Progress (WIP) assessment will consist of two parts: an interview and a written report:

Part 1: Work-in-Progress interview: Week 7 (10%)

In Week 7, you will attend an interview (c. 20 mins) during which you will describe and discuss your Research Project plan with a member of staff (details of the schedule will be provided on iLearn). Please bring draft notes for your WIP report (see below) so that these can be discussed during your interview.

Your interview is a compulsory part of the Work-in-Progress assessment. Non-completion of this component will result in a Fail for the assessment.

Part 2: Work-in-Progress written report (15%)

Your WIP written report (c. 1500 words) will consist of:

• a 150-word abstract summarising your Research Project question(s) and aims;
• a 1,000-word literature review evaluating the primary sources and/or theoretical issues upon which your Research Project rests;
• a 250-word outline of the methodology you are applying in your Research Project – how are you accessing and evaluating your primary evidence;
• a draft outline for the structure of your paper.

Please lay out your WIP report with the following labelled sections

• Abstract
• Literature review
• Methodology
• Outline

Use insights gained through your WIP interview to finalise your WIP report. Your WIP report must be submitted via Turnitin at the end of Week 8.

Following Tania Currie’s workshop in Week 1, you are asked to prepare a CV according to the guidelines that she will provide. Take the time to compile, edit, and polish your CV over the course of the session. Please submit a copy of your CV at the end of Week 11. There is no word limit for this assessment.

Your Research Project is defined by the Department of Ancient History as "the history, art and archaeology of ancient Europe and the Mediterranean world, including Egypt and the Ancient Near East, from prehistoric to late antique times". You are welcome to submit a paper on any subject within that definition.

The topic and content of your paper must conform in all respects to the abstract submitted as part of your Work-in-Progress Report.

Your manuscript will be a minimum of 3,000 words and a maximum of 5,000 words in length (excluding footnotes and Bibliography).

Your Research Project must be submitted via Turnitin at the end of Week 13.

Important: If your chosen topic lends itself to the consideration of a broad range of evidence, the length of your paper must reflect this. In other words, shorter papers that fail to consider relevant information will be penalised for lack of depth.