Independent University, Bangladesh
Department of Social Sciences and Humanities
ANT 307: Ethnicity and Indigenous People in Bangladesh and South Asia
May 23, 2018
Instructions on Assignments (‘Research Papers’)
As indicated in the course outline, 20% of the marks in this course are allotted for a research paper that
each student will complete. Basically, you are to write a paper on a topic of your choice that should be in
line with the subject matter of this course. You may build on ideas, issues, or questions encountered in
class or assigned readings. Whatever topic you choose, it should be something that is of interest to YOU.
But try to go beyond simply reporting on what others have said or written about. Present your own
analysis, synthesis and views where relevant. The main steps to be followed in this regard are outlined
below:
1. Decide on a tentative topic, and submit it in writing to the course teacher by May 27, 2018
On a sheet of paper, provide the following information (handwritten submission is acceptable at this
stage):
a) The topic/tentative title of your paper. If you are not quite sure, feel free to say so, but do
indicate the kinds of issues/broad areas that you might like to research on/write about.
b) A brief description of the question(s) that you want your paper to address; the reason why you
have chosen your topic; what kind of materials/sources/data you plan to use (along with an
indication of articles or books, if any, that you have already consulted).
The topic that you choose should not be too broad (such as ‘Indigenous Peoples of South Asia’), but
relatively specific, something that goes with a short paper (e.g., ‘The relationship between the forest
department and indigenous peoples in the Chittagong Hill Tracts’, ‘Dynamics of interethnic conflict
and cooperation in Meghalaya, India’, ‘Gender and ethnicity among indigenous peoples of
Jharkhand’, ‘Why Nepal is the only country in Asia to have ratified ILO Convention 169 so far’).
2. Once your topic is finalized based on the teacher’s feedback, start working on it in full swing. It is
expected that you will conduct some research, i.e. search out and draw on some additional materials
on your own, beyond readings assigned by the course teacher. The additional materials may range
from books available in the library to relevant materials – text, videos etc. – available on the internet.
You may also draw on your own observations and experiences if relevant, or conduct some
interviews or fieldwork if feasible, but you should get any such plan cleared by the course teacher
first.
You can develop a stance of your own where it makes sense, and then elaborate your
argument/statement, with necessary information, analysis and evidence. In case you need tips on
writing a university-level paper, there are resources on the internet that you can access, e.g.
[Link] You need not spend hours going through
such sites, but browse through some if you are looking for tips.
3. Once you have enough information and notes to work with, complete you paper as follows:
Deadline: Your completed paper must be submitted by July 22, 2018 [hard copy in class + a soft
copy – in MS Word – to be emailed within the same day to [Link]@[Link]]; there may
be bonus marks (up to 10% of the marks allotted on the assignment) for earlier submissions that are
made by adhering to all the other instructions (starting with timely submission of topic).
Length: Your paper should be in the range of about 2,000-2,500 words (excluding references and
annexes, if any). However, don’t focus on counting words or number of pages per se. If you can
write concisely and precisely, a paper shorter than the specified lower limit should be fine.
Referencing: All information drawn from secondary sources should be referenced (PLEASE
AVOID PLAGIARISM by all means. Any instance of plagiarism, if detected, will be dealt with
strictly. In case you don’t know already, plagiarism refers to the presentation of another person’s
thoughts or words as though they were the student’s own!). In case of books and articles, use an
established referencing style that you are familiar with or can pick up easily. For example, if you are
referring to or quoting from a text, indicate the author’s name, year of publication and page number
(if applicable) in the main body, and give the details at the end of the paper (e.g. Anderson 1991:15,
Eriksen 2010). For materials from the internet, you may use the same style, but make sure to provide
the relevant links in the details of the reference (e.g. Tripura 2012).
References (Examples):
Anderson, Benedict (1991) Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of
Nationalism [Revised Edition, orig. 1983]. London: Verso
Eriksen, Thomas Hylland (2010) Ethnicity and Nationalism: Anthropological Perspectives [Third
Edition]. London: Pluto Press
Tripura, Prashanta (2012) Becoming Bangladeshi. In Himal Southasian,
[Link]