International Law

Research Proposal Structure
1. Introduction:
Research Proposal
Max. 600 words, excluding references1
i. Research Question: develop a research question around a topic that is of interest to you (a topic or issue related to international law that you would like to explore in more detail). Inspiration could come from our readings or a news story (or both). Your research paper should have an argument; it should not be merely descriptive (e.g., are there contradictions or problems you would like to examine?).
ii. Significance of your research: put your research into context and explain why your topic is important. Why is your topic worth studying? Why should people care about your topic?
2. Literature Review: at the research proposal stage, you are expected to provide a brief summary and discussion of the main arguments/debates (e.g., agreement/disagreement among researchers) in the academic literature on your topic. Please do not go source by source but, instead, identify common themes in the literature. Literature review will also help you justify why your topic is important (→ ii. Significance of your research).
3. Conclusion: reiterate the main arguments and situate yourself in relation to these arguments.
4. References: you are welcome to use any style guide (APA, Chicago, etc.), but please remain consistent. (E.g.,
APA guide: https://www.tandf.co.uk//journals/authors/style/reference/tf_APA.pdf)