Introduction to African Studies

Critical reflection guidelines

This assignment requires you to write a critical reflection piece on a specific issue pertaining to
political development / changes in Africa that is of concern or interest to you. The paper must
clearly state: a) the nature of the issue; b) why the issue is of concern or interest to you; c) steps
being taken to address the issue and; d) what you think must be done about the issue.
Students with no issues in mind are encouraged to select a topic from the lectures, tutorials, and
weekly readings (e.g., economic policy, informal economy, natural resources, gender equality).
A good research paper must aim at exploring why or how aspects of the selected topic. Also, the
paper should be coherent, bringing together strong evidence to consistently substantiate your
arguments as well as convincingly addressing reasonable objections to them. This means you must
clarify what you are (and not) arguing for in the paper.
Situate your argument in the scholarly literature, particularly (but not limited to) the materials we
have covered in this course. You do not need a thorough literature review but think of an ongoing
intellectual conversation to which you want to contribute some insight. This requires some perusal
of the existing literature on the topic to make reference to key authors and/or debates that your
argument may relate to (a minimum of four different authors).
All papers should begin with an introduction that clearly outlines the main issue/question and
argument of the paper, and the structure of the analysis to come. Think carefully about the structure
to ensure that each part contributes in a logical way to your argument.
The main body of the paper should clearly illustrate the logical sequence and connections
between the various sections that drive your argument. In short, be clear about the transition
between sections. For example, “I have established the common challenges facing democratic
transition…I will now explore the plausible ways of dealing with these issues, focusing on…”
The conclusion should briefly reiterate the major arguments, particularly those intended to
persuade the reader.
Sources: Your primary source must be academic books and journal articles that are related to the
issue from theoretical, conceptual, historical, and empirical perspectives. Non-scholarly internet
sources and research reports may be helpful insofar as you do not depend on them alone and you
assess their credibility and reliability.
Format: You may structure your paper by using the headings and subheadings you prefer but be
sure the sections and paragraphs flow logically. It is appropriate to use graphs, maps, and tables as
long as they support your argument and are integrated into your analysis.