(Image by Tobias Brunner from Pixabay)
By the end of this class you will have...
Purpose: Students will research and write a paper comparing a specific policy issue in Canada or Calgary with how a similar policy is approached in another jurisdiction. The aim is to draw lessons that can be applied to the "home" jurisdiction, assessing the potential for adaptation or identifying unique challenges.
Proposal (5%): Due November 5. Students must select a policy field, choose a jurisdiction for comparison, and provide a preliminary list of three sources.
Final Paper (20%): Due December 5. The paper should be around 10 double-spaced pages (excluding references) and must include:
An overview of the policy issue in Canada or Calgary.
An analysis of how another jurisdiction handles a similar policy issue.
Comparisons that highlight lessons or differences relevant to the home jurisdiction.
Focus: Students should narrow their research to a specific aspect of the policy to allow for a focused comparison, developing a clear thesis statement.
Grading Criteria: Clarity, depth of analysis, spelling, grammar, and proper citation (Chicago or APA style).
Additional Guidance: Comparisons should generally be made between the same levels of jurisdiction (e.g., national to national or sub-national to sub-national). If comparing different levels, students should seek prior approval from the instructor.
(Image by 3D Animation Production Company from Pixabay)
Step 1: Choose a narrow sub-topic based on the suggested topics in the assignment description.
Step 2: Develop a thorough understanding of the sub-topic.
Step 3: Identify the key organizations responsible for your policy in Canada (at the Federal or municipal level).
Step 4: Determine the most relevant jurisdictions for comparison, and gather relevant policy documents (i.e. capture).
Step 5: Use the most relevant policy documents to compare policy approaches across jurisdictions.
What It Is: Ocean conservation and fish stock management are policies aimed at sustaining marine ecosystems by preventing overfishing, protecting biodiversity, and ensuring long-term fish stock health.
Why It’s Interesting:
Other tools for keep track of your research (examples)
LibrarySearch is MRU Library's one-stop search interface/catalogue that brings together resources across format, time, and subject.
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Policy Commons is a one-stop community platform for objective, fact-based research from the world’s leading policy experts, nonpartisan think tanks, IGOs and NGOs.
Statista is a database containing statistics on various topics across multidisciplinary categories. It includes dossiers, industry reports, studies & reports from third parties, forecasts featuring various industries and countries.
