Honors Thesis Colloquium 2009-10

Nor,

Your initial position paper is already making your case—but it is too soon to do that at this stage of a research project.  You may certainly have a working hypothesis, but until you have studied a range of arguments on your topic, it is premature to be arguing it.  In other words, this assignment calls for you to discuss what position your sources take (which you have done) rather than how they fit into the position you are taking.

For your annotated bibliography, be sure to lay out carefully what your sources claim and how they support their claim—or fail to support it.  Then evaluate the source in terms of credibility and adequate evidence.  Compare and contrast your soures—do they agree, disagree, learn from each other, etc.  Then you can say how it will help direct your further in your research.

For your proposal, again, it is not yet a matter of making your case for your thesis.  You are to propose your topic and indicate the methods of research that will allow you to substantiate your understanding of this situation.  In this case, be sure to indicate that you will look at opposing arguments about Pakistan’s policies.  Only then will you as a researcher come across as reliable, having looked a number of arguments that may disagree with your initial hypothesis.

If you have not yet read the recent article by George Packer about Richard Holbrooke in the September 28, 2009 New Yorker, you will find it of use in regard to both Pakistan and Afghanistan and US policies.