research project

profilesuzies_119
Project_Guideline_340_spring2021.pdf

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GEOG 340 Asia

Research Project

Overview

This is an independent research project. You are supposed to select a region in Asia and an issue that

is of particular importance to that region (and of interest to you). You are required to research the

issue and write a research paper of approximately 7-15 pages that discusses the nature, origin, and

outlook for that issue. You may consult the instructor for possible research topics or/and talk to a

librarian for useful academic references.

Objectives

The objectives of this research project are threefold: 1) to encourage you to explore, in some depth,

geographic issues in a region of Asia; 2) to help you develop some basic research skills (e.g. data

acquisition, library searching, etc.); 3) to help you develop your written communication skills.

Project Schedule

Feb. 16: project guideline provided

May 7: research paper due. Please submit it on Canvas by 11:55 pm.

May 14: virtual research presentation. Please post your PowerPoint presentation on the “Virtual

Research Presentation Forum” by 11:55 pm.

Worth

The research paper is worth 12% of your course grade, and virtual presentation is worth 5% of your

grade.

What to include in your paper?

In your research paper you should firstly introduce the region of your study (e.g. where is it, what is it

like, who lives there, etc.) Then you need to analyze the nature of the issue, describe the research data

and methods (if any), characterize geographic patterns discovered, provide possible explanations for

the observed patterns, and discuss the future outlook or policy implication of the issue. In other

words, in addition to describing what the issue is, and what its impact is on the region, you need to

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think about and discuss when and why the issue arose in the first place, and what is likely to happen

in the future (i.e. worsen or improve?).

You can find a short list of possible topics on pages 2-3, which you are free to do, but there are

hundreds of other possible issues as well.

Reference

You are required to consult sources such as books or journal articles. You should make reference to

at least one academic source other than the textbook. You must clearly cite any sources you use.

The referencing system you use is up to you (e.g. APA citation style or MLA citation style), but it

must be consistent, and the reader must be able to determine exactly where you got the material from.

Students may ask a librarian for useful academic sources (a 24/7 online reference assistance service is

available at: http://library.fullerton.edu/services/ask.php).

Formatting Requirements

Your research paper should be of about 7-15 pages in length (including the title page and

bibliography but excluding tables, figures and maps). You may place all your tables and maps after

the text and bibliography. If you have multiple tables and/or maps, they should be clearly numbered

(e.g. Table 1, Table 2, etc.). Your paper should be typed and double-spaced in 12 point font with one

inch margins. You should include a title page which clearly indicates the course code (GEOG 340),

the title of your research project, as well as your name and student ID.

Virtual Research Presentation

Students are supposed to do a virtual presentation by posting a PowerPoint (5-8 slides in total) on

discussion board. In PowerPoint students may show their main research findings and share interesting

facts and pictures about the issues studied. The first slide of the PowerPoint should contain student

name and title of research, and the last slide should contain the major references used. Be creative in

making your virtual presentation!

Possible Topics

Please note that the topics below are only some suggestions to get you going. There are a lot of other

possibilities and you can choose anything that interests you. Make sure it relates to a specific region.

1) The socioeconomic consequences of population aging in Japan

2) China’s One-child Policy

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3) Developing sustainable tourism in Thailand

4) Population growth in Bangladesh

5) Ethnic conflicts in Sri Lanka

6) The rise of Pearl River Delta

7) Gender discrimination in South Asia

8) China and India – the population super giants

9) Major languages in Pakistan

10) Chinese Feng Shui and its manifestation in landscape

11) Special economic zones in Thailand

12) The impact of the Olympics on China

13) Religions in India

14) The development of Hsinchu - Taiwan's Silicon Valley

15) Tsunami impact on aquaculture in Indonesia

16) The White Revolution in India

17) Entertainer “immigrants” in Japan

18) Urban development in Manila

19) Environmental transformation in newly industrializing countries of East & Southeast Asia

20) Bollywood and its film industry

21) Deforestation in Malaysia

22) Ancient civilizations of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro

23) Sustainable agriculture in Monsoon Asia

Please feel free to share your research topics or research ideas on the Research Topic Sharing Forum.