Research paper

NOTE: read instruction carefully

 Research paper, typed, Times New Roman, 12-point font, 15-20 pages. . Topics are 
up to students to decide, but must relate broadly to the course topic of inner city politics. Research papers must use a minimum of five distinct academic sources, although more may berequired to do justice to a particular topic.

Choose one  inner city neighborhood (for example, Hochelaga, Parc Extension, Maisonneuve  in Montreal, Jane-Finch, Regent Park, St. JamesTown in Toronto; South or North Point Douglas, Spence, Portage-Ellice, Centennial in Winnipeg)   and write a paper about its development, decline and the attempts of revitalization/rehabilitation. 
There is a lack of integrated knowledge about particular inner city neighborhoods in Canadian metropolitan areas. Thus, this kind of research, actually combining social sciences perspectives and humanities (history) would be an asset. However, you are free to select any topic relevant to the course. 
 
If you decide to write a paper on a particular PROBLEM, like homelessness in the inner city neighborhoods, or complex urban poverty, etc., first focus on the questions, tensions and gaps in the discourse on this problem. You are not obliged to contribute new ideas, but identifying the TENSIONS and GAPS would be an obvious asset. It will be the problem you are working on during your research. 
 
 Introduction:
 Brief introduction to the topic.  
 Review of Literature 
 Concepts, terms and ideas. 
 
 Main Body. 
 Conclusion 
 References 
 Appendices (if needed)
 
 
Introduction (2-3 pages). 
 
Introduction is the most significant part of your paper.
 First, start with the short introduction to the topic/problem; set the context in terms of its relevance to the course. State the main claim of your paper (read below). 
This is the most important part of your paper. A claim is a statement supported by REASONS based on EVIDENCE. It acknowledges and responds to other (opposing) views. 
A main claim should be quite  specific, not general), relevant to the course materials/field of study,  and contestable (something a reader in your field could doubt). The more contestable your main claim is, the higher the stakes your argument will have. For example, Hochelaga is not a declining neighborhood; OR building Quebec Autoroute 40 economically strengthened Parc Extension, its industrial and human potentials.  It is usually better to make a smaller claim that you can support well than a grand claim that you cannot. The main claim should be stated explicitly in your paper. This usually happens at the end of the introduction section. Revise your claim at any point in the process.
 
Then you should make a literature review to set the background for your research paper. You should use reliable academic sources (peer-reviewed articles and monographs). Also, you can use statistical data and reports issued by reputable research centres. You can write a couple of lines of the author whose theoretical perspective you selected to build your paper on. 
 
 Present the ideas around the topic, briefly discuss their strengths and weaknesses, their explanatory powers and/or/if their ideological bias.  You do not need to be compliant with any particular perspective, like Marxist, for example. 
Also, it is recommended to give some guide to the overall structure of your paper. 
 
Body. 
Describe the history of the problem/neighborhood you are writing your paper on. 
Then go to present your arguments to support your main claim. 
Most body paragraphs make one clear point that supports the main claim, and then discuss the reasons and evidence for that point. The main variation is that some paragraphs might address counter-arguments. 
 
 
Conclusion
Broad out, or open your initial question.
the readers have read your analysis, what new questions might they pursue?  speculate about ideas that deserve further exploration.
 
Topics to choose? 
 
As I mentioned, I suggest you should choose a certain neighborhood, for example, Hochelaga, Parc Extension, Maisonneuve  in Montreal, Jane-Finch, Regent Park, St. JamesTown in Toronto; South or North Point Douglas, Spence, Portage-Ellice, Centennial in Winnipeg, development, decline and the attempts of revitalization/rehabilitation.
You can integrate a lot of theoretical discussion too, for instance, if you choose Centennial or Point Douglas, you can include discussions on such issues as complex urban poverty, indicator of relative deprivation. My point is that you can meet the length of the paper writing noton a broad topic. 
 
 
If you decide to write a paper on a particular PROBLEM, like homelessness in the inner city neighborhoods, or complex urban poverty, etc., first focus on the questions, tensions and gaps in the discourse on this problem. You are not obliged to contribute new ideas, but identifying the TENSIONS and GAPS would be an obvious asset.