[skip to content]

Department of Politics and International Studies

Undergraduate Politics Handbook 2012-13

1. STUDYING ASIAN AND AFRICAN POLITICS AT SOAS

Aristotle described Politics as the 'master science'. By this, he meant that it brings together the findings of all the other branches of knowledge and applies them in the common pursuit of the good life. The discipline of Politics has a long tradition going back to the debates among Ancient Greek philosophers about the forms of government (i.e. the manner in which power should be organized and exercised) most appropriate to this goal. The study of Politics, now as it was then, is built upon this fundamental question.

As with Politics degrees elsewhere, the Politics degree at SOAS is structured around four core sub-disciplines, namely comparative political sociology, comparative political economy, political theory, and international relations (although these sub-disciplines are sometimes known by other names). Students receive a thorough training in the concepts and methods of these sub-disciplines, which are then applied to the analysis of real life political situations.

Where we differ from other Politics degrees is that our students have the opportunity to examine the concepts and methods of the sub-disciplines against the historical and contemporary conditions of Asia (including the Middle East) and Africa. By contrast, for most Politics degrees, the empirical focus tends to be directed towards Europe and the US, meaning that the non-western world does not receive sufficient attention.

Asia and Africa contain the majority of the world’s population as well as the dynamic economies of the Asia-Pacific Region (China, Japan, Korea, Association of South East Asian Nations) and India and some of the principal hot spots of international tension in the world today (such as the Middle East). By studying Asia and Africa at SOAS, students will gain good knowledge and understanding of some of the most important power shifts and conflicts of ideas taking place in the world today. They will also come to appreciate the limitations (and relevance) of social science concepts generated from western contexts.

Acquisition of Skills

Through the study of Politics, students are expected to acquire both discipline-related and transferable skills. The training provided by the degree seeks to:

  • foster the academic study of Politics, with particular reference to Asia and Africa, as an appropriate introduction to critical thought about the purposes and scope of human activity more generally;
  • define the study of Politics in terms which go beyond a narrowly Western focus and which insist on the integration of theoretical and empirical study;
  • give students the opportunity to refine and develop a broad range of transferable skills with a particular emphasis on the presentation of written argument;
  • prepare the culturally diverse student body for a variety of careers or further study in a learning environment which allows them to take some responsibility for their intellectual development;
  • stimulate student performance through committed teaching informed by research of a high standard.


Students completing any of the undergraduate programmes in Politics will have:

  • acquired an introduction to basic concepts in the study of politics and an introduction, with case-studies, to political systems in Asia and Africa.
  • developed their understanding and their ability to write cogently on the topics studied through feedback on and clear assessment of the work submitted.
  • acquired a set of transferable skills, in the analysis of concepts and empirical material, in the written communication of ideas and argument, and in the use of Library and Information and Communications Technology (ICT), which will equip them for postgraduate study in Politics, further professional or vocational training, or a variety of professional occupations;
  • if they do an Independent Study Project or two Extended Essays in their final year, acquired enhanced skills of independent research, the framing of theoretical enquiry, analysis of information and written presentation.
Careers after studying Politics at SOAS

First degree students, as well as recipients of the MSc, have entered a wide variety of professions after leaving the Department.  Some have been able to pursue careers directly related to Asia and Africa, including government departments (of both the UK and other countries), and in firms requiring particular skills and knowledge related to trading, investment and promotional interests outside Europe.  Others have gone to work for various charitable and human rights/development agencies such as OXFAM, Amnesty International and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.  The general intellectual training provided by a degree in politics is useful for analysing and solving many of the problems contemporary societies now face. Recipients of PhDs have often taken positions in leading academic institutions worldwide as well as in government and non-governmental agencies and organisations concerned with world affairs at all levels.

Preliminary Readings

This list is for new undergraduate students who may want to do some preliminary reading before term begins.

Rod Hague and Martin Harrop, Comparative Government and Politics: an Introduction (6th edn.) Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004

Andrew Heywood, Politics (2nd edn.) Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2002

Andrew Levine, Engaging Political Philosophy: From Hobbes to Rawls, Oxford: Oxford Blackwell Publishers, 2002.

Richard W. Mansbach and Edward Rhodes (eds), Global Politics in a Changing World: A Reader, Wadsworth, 2005.

Adam Swift, Political Philosophy: A Beginner's Guide for Students and Politicians, Cambridge: Polity Press, 2001.

Jonathan Wolff, An Introduction to Political Philosophy, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.

Peter Burnell and Vicky Randall (eds), Politics in the Developing World, London: Routledge, 2007.

Danilo Zolo, Invoking Humanity: War, Law, and Global Order, London: Continuum, 2002.

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMMES OFFERED IN THE DEPARTMENT

The BA Politics and BA Politics and… joint degree at SOAS are structured around the four core subdisciplines (political theory, political sociology, political economy, and international relations). Students receive a thorough training in the theories and methods of these sub-disciplines, which are then applied to the analysis of real world political situations.

By studying Politics at SOAS, students will gain detailed knowledge and a thorough understanding of some of the most important power shifts and conflicts of ideas unfolding in the world today. They will also learn to critically engage with and explore the relevance of social science concepts for understanding contemporary geopolitics, regional politics of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, as well as the ability to undertake analyses and comparisons of political developments in specific countries.

Teaching in the Department of Politics and International Studies combines an introduction to the discipline of politics as a comparative exercise together with awareness that comparisons must always respect the individuality of each country and population. This awareness is complemented by the work carried out in other departments of SOAS. A Politics degree at SOAS therefore gives our students a better opportunity than most to understand global politics since our courses cover the politics of three quarters of the globe. A sampling of the courses we offer include Government and Politics of Asia, of China, of the Middle East, and of Africa; International Politics; Islam and Democracy; Politics of Development; Globalization and Global Governance; and Politics of Culture.

The Certificate in Politics and International Studies is a one-year course that is offered by the Department to those who are keen to study politics at Masters level, but do not have a first degree in the subject. It is also useful for those who do not wish to commit 3 or 4 years to an undergraduate degree but are interested in studying some introductory courses. It is particularly useful for students who have a first degree in an Africa- or Asia-related subject or language, and wish to apply that skill to the study of a particular country or region.

Students have to take four undergraduate units from those that are available to full-time undergraduate students, with whom they also attend lectures and tutorials. Course expectations are the same as for full time students (attendance, coursework, essays, annual examinations, etc). Passing the certificate at an upper second class standard is normally deemed to make a student eligible for the taught Master's degrees offered by the Department of Politics and International Studies at SOAS.

BLE (Moodle)

BLE is run on Moodle, a virtual learning environment which is used to make reading lists and other course information available online.  Log-on to http://ble.soas.ac.uk.  For further information about BLE, contact ble@soas.ac.uk. During the busy registration period, all students will have access to all courses within their registered departments.  From the second week of term, students will only have access to courses they are registered for.  If you don’t have access to any of your courses on BLE, there is likely to be a problem with your registration. In this case, please contact the faculty office as soon as possible.

Assessment Criteria

Marking criteria are available by following this link to the Faculty website.  Please note that coursework cannot be reassessed and appeals against the academic judgment of markers will not be accepted, nor will requests that work should be re-marked.

Coursework

Please see section 18 of the SOAS Undergraduate regulations for the current year (part 2 of the Undergraduate Handbook), available at http://www.soas.ac.uk/registry/degreeregulations/, for information about the regulations relating to coursework (submission, late submission, resubmission, plagiarism and word count).  Please note that you must undertake all elements of assessment and examination prescribed for each course you are taking and must submit sufficient work for each assessment to enable it to be assessed or examined.

If you are unable to meet a course deadline and wish to request that the Examination Sub-Board waive or reduce the penalty for late submission, the procedure is as follows:

  • Go to the Faculty Office (room 201) as soon as you think you might have a problem meeting the deadline.
  • Collect and complete a Late Submission Request form.  
  • You may contact relevant members of staff to support your claim - e.g., a student counsellor or tutor.
  • Attach any supporting evidence (e.g. medical notes or letters from a tutor) to the form. All information provided will be handled sensitively and confidentially.
  • Submit the form (with supporting documentation) to the Faculty Office as soon as possible and no later than the School deadline.

All applications will be considered by the July meeting of the Examinations Board to determine appropriate deductions. The Board will determine what is acceptable evidence and ‘good cause’ in consultation with Registry and the Associate Dean where necessary.
Please note that ONLY the Sub-Board of Examiners have the authority to remit the penalty for late submission.  Individual members of staff or tutors have no powers to grant extensions or to waive the penalty.  All requests should be made through the procedure described above.
If you have any questions about these procedures, please ask at the Faculty Office.

Submission of Coursework

Coursework will be submitted online only via Turnitin. Hard copies will not be accepted.

All students are required to submit coursework online via the Turnitin BLE platform.  Please follow this link for instructions on how to submit your course work on-line.

Attendance

Students are required to attend all the elements of each course including lectures, tutorials, seminars and presentations etc. Course convenors and/or tutors will report non-attendance to the Faculty Office who will issue a formal warning letter. After two such letters, students are liable to be excluded from the relevant exam(s) without further warning.

In practice, students are required to attend at least 50% of each element of the course. If a student does not meet this requirement, the student may have his or her registration terminated. For more detailed information, please refer to the SOAS Undergraduate regulations for the current year (part 2 of the Undergraduate Handbook), available at http://www.soas.ac.uk/registry/degreeregulations/

If you are having difficulties maintaining the required level of attendance, preparation or participation, please make an appointment to see your personal advisor to discuss the issue. We understand the pressures that many students face during their degree but we cannot assist you until you have explained the nature of the difficulties you are encountering and explored what solutions might exist.

Concessions: For absences from class of up to one week, 'good cause' will be accepted without documentation at the discretion of the course convenor and/or tutor. For class presentations, delays of up to one week will be accepted similarly by the teacher. Documentation must be provided to show 'good cause' for absences or delays over one week. These papers must be submitted through the Faculty Office and will be kept on file.

Students who fail to meet the attendance and coursework requirements

For BA students admitted to the School before September 2010: To be eligible to enter for an examination, candidates must have satisfied the attendance and coursework requirements for the course to be examined as stipulated in the regulation in the School‟s Undergraduate Handbook. Students who fail to meet the requirements may have their permission to enter for the examination withdrawn.

For BA students admitted to the School in and after September 2010: To be eligible to enter for and take an unseen written examination for a course, students must have satisfied the attendance requirement. Students who fail to meet the attendance requirements may have their permission to enter for the examination withdrawn. To be eligible to enter for and take an unseen written examination for a course, students must also have undertaken each element of assessment and submitted all coursework prescribed for the course, and must have submitted sufficient work to enable them to be assessed. Students who have failed to comply with the requirement may have their permission to enter for the examination withdrawn.

Important: If you feel that, for any reason, you might not be able to fulfil the requirements of any course, please consult the relevant course convenor/s and your personal advisor at the earliest opportunity. Do seek help in good time if the work presents difficulties. Do plan to complete all assessed written work with time to spare.

Please see the SOAS Undergraduate regulations for the current year (part 2 of the Undergraduate Handbook), available at http://www.soas.ac.uk/registry/degreeregulations/, for more information.

2. GUIDANCE FOR STUDENTS

Advice on Researching and Writing Essays
1. Why Write Essays?
  • Essay writing is a way of mastering a body of facts or ideas.  You accumulate knowledge on a particular topic by reading the relevant literature, and then present what you have found in your own terms and in your own way.  You thereby retain the material more effectively than merely reading.
  • Essay writing develops skills of selection, analysis and condensation.  Out of the mass of information available, you have to decide what to include and what to leave out, you have to be alert to contradictory arguments and points of view presented by different authors, and you have to present your answers in a succinct form without over-simplifying.
  • Essay writing helps you develop your powers of expression and communication.  You have to express yourself clearly, develop a coherent argument throughout the essay, and as far as possible write in a fluent and attractive manner. This teaches you a vital transferable skill: many jobs will require you to write written reports and assessments, to demonstrate that you understood what you have read, and to demonstrate that you can present a written argument.

It is these aspects which determine whether an essay is good or bad.  These points are also relevant to any extended essays or independent study projects which you might write.

2. Essay Marking

An essay mark takes account of both content and structure.  When marking an essay the reader will be looking for the following things:The ability to pursue and develop a consistent argument;

  • The ability to use evidence, sometimes from a wide range of sources;
  • Logical control and organisation of your material;
  • The ability to discriminate between the significant and the trivial;
  • A clear structure to the essay;
  • The ability to write clearly, fluently and concisely;
  • Evidence of independent thought;
  • The ability to engage with relevant theoretical debates;
  • The ability to discuss, consider and assess the scholarly literature on the topic.
  • The ability to assess the assumptions and claims that underlie the existing literature.
3. Thinking

Give yourself plenty of time to think about the essay.  Plan ahead to give yourself time to read, to plan and to develop an answer.  Managing time is a crucial element in essay writing - hurried and under-researched essays are a waste of everyone’s time.
Thinking should allow you to develop a coherent response to the question, and also to consider the existing literature on the topic and how to address or engage this literature.

4. Understanding the Question

Essay writing is best thought of as a problem-solving activity, and it is vital that in your essay you answer the question.  Read the question/title carefully - the words are there for a purpose.  Words such as describe, discuss, explain, compare, contrast and assess are there to help you to focus and guide your attention.  Also pay attention to any special restrictions such as dates, type of literature or specific cases.

DO NOT simply repeat everything you know about a certain subject.  Answer the specific question, and never descend to the level of a general commentary. Furthermore, NEVER change the wording of a question without discussing it with the course convenor beforehand.
Finally, if you are not sure what a question means, ASK.

5. Preparation
  • Familiarise yourself fully with the library - not just the books, but also the periodicals and the electronic resources.
  • Read purposefully and selectively, concentrating on relevant material - use the index and contents pages of books.  Your reading lists are a guide only, they are never fully comprehensive.
  • Take notes carefully, keeping full records of author, title, page numbers etc.
  • Plan the essay - the plan is a map showing the route of your argument.
  • Structure your essay - the structure is the skeleton which give the essay shape.
6. The Essay

Decide on your strategy - are you going to give a balanced summary of the various opinions on the question, or are you going to show why you believe one opinion is better than another?  Have opinions but try to avoid polemics.
You should assume that the reader of your essay is intelligent but uninformed.  Remember that essays are not written for the benefit of the marker but should inform you about the subject.
Style is important.  You are NOT marked on the standard or quality of your English, but the more clearly you can express your ideas the easier it will be for the marker to realise your brilliance.  There are numerous writing guides available, the most helpful of which is Strunk and White, The Elements of Style (Macmillan).

Introduction
Take great care with this.  Show as briefly as possible that you have understood the question.  You may wish to outline your answer and how you intend to develop this answer in the introduction. This is very much a matter of personal style some people prefer a direct answer at the start, others prefer the argument to emerge in the essay and the intro to be a summary of the topic.  Both methods are equally valid.

Main Body
Much will depend on the subject matter, but you should order your points so that there is reasoned argument and a smooth sequence.  Link your paragraphs together with topic sentences.  Show why the information you are giving is relevant, and ask yourself continually if the information you are providing is relevant, to ensure you exclude what is irrelevant.

Conclusion
Your concluding paragraph should sum up the discussion and set out the main results.  Remember to check that it agrees with your introduction.  Also remember that an essay is not a cliff-hanger mystery or a whodunit - don't leave your answer to the question to the last line, make sure you have developed it throughout the essay.  Never introduce a new idea or argument in your conclusion.

7. Referencing

Showing the source of your ideas and arguments is vital.  Use the MLA footnote/endnote OR the Harvard system to indicate clearly where your ideas have come from.  Good referencing not only helps you avoid plagiarism it also demonstrates that you know the literature and the arguments on the topic.
Footnotes should never contain substantive pieces of argument or information: if something is important it belongs in the text.  If it is not important, it does not belong in the essay.
See below for advice on referencing and on how to write a bibliography.
Always include a full bibliography.

8. Plagiarism

See page -plagiarism statement below

9. Word Limit

Word count is defined as the number of words contained in the submitted work including quotations, footnotes, titles, summaries and tables of contents. Appendices and bibliographies are not included in the word count. Appendices will not normally be marked and they must not include material essential to the argument developed in the main body of the work.

Keep to the word limits - Marks will be deducted for work that exceeds the prescribed word limit on a sliding scale:

Excess LengthMark Deduction (Percentage points)
Up to and including10%5 percentage points
More than 10% up to and including 20%10 percentage points
More than 20% up to and including 30%15 percentage points
More than 30%The work may be submitted and will be
accepted. It will not be marked but will
be assigned a grade of 0.

 

10. Finally
  • Remember that computers break down - always keep copies and back-up your work regularly (you can email it to yourself or save it on a memory stick).
  • Use a word-processor, and print out your essay with a good sized font and sensible spacing.
  • Re-read your essay carefully in hard-copy before submitting.
  • Discuss your essay with friends.
  • Submit your essay on time: you will be deducted marks if you fail to do so without good cause.

 

Advice on Writing and Giving Presentations for Seminars/Discussions

Seminars, tutorials and discussion groups are central to the teaching of politics at SOAS.  They typically involve a small group of students and a seminar leader and are based around either a lecture topic, a specific issue, or a set of readings.  Seminars provide you with an opportunity to interact with the teaching staff and your fellow students in a semi-structured way.  You are expected to attend all seminars unless you are prevented from doing so due to illness or other good cause.  In such cases please inform your course convenor(s) and your postgraduate convenor as soon as possible.  PLEASE NOTE: staff in the Politics Department will often use the terms 'seminar', 'tutorial' and 'discussion group' inter-changeably.

1. What is the Purpose of a Seminar/Discussion Group?

The most important function of the seminar is to provide a forum for you to discuss the course with your teachers and fellow students.  You can use the opportunity to:

  • ask questions about the lectures
  • ask questions about essay preparation
  • ask questions about how your essay has been graded
  • ask questions about the organisation of the course
  • ask questions about the examination
  • meet fellow students and discuss issues related to the course with them
  • raise any problems you may have
  • deliver a presentation on a specific topic
2. Why Attend Seminars/Give Presentations?
  • Giving a presentation is a way of developing powers of expression and communication. You have to express yourself clearly, develop a coherent argument and demonstrate that you understand the issue(s).
  • As with writing an essay, preparing presentations develops skills of selection, analysis and condensation.  You need to express ideas and arguments in a succinct form that is easily understood by others.
  • Giving a presentation should enable you to present and defend your ideas in front of others.  It helps to develop your verbal reasoning skills and teaches you how to respond to different opinions and arguments.
  • Participating in seminars enables you to develop a range of transferable skills related to oral presentation and discussion.  Most jobs (and all interviews) will require to talk in front of groups of people and to present ideas and information.
3. What Should I do When Not Presenting a Paper?

If you are not presenting a paper in a seminar or discussion you are still required to work and to participate.  It is essential that you read any required reading before the seminar begins and that you are prepared to both answer and ask questions about the reading.  Always ask as many questions as you can, even if you think they are naive.  

4. Preparing Presentation

There are two main types of presentation: those for which you have a set question (the seminar), and those based on your own interpretation of a reading or set of readings (the discussion group).  Give yourself plenty of time to think about the presentation.  Plan ahead to give yourself time to read, to plan and to develop an answer.  Managing time is a crucial element in preparing presentations - hurried and under-researched papers are a waste of everyone's time.

A. Address the question
Where a question has been set, address it directly.  As in essay writing you can regard presentation of this sort as a problem-solving activity, and it is vital that in your presentation you address the question.  Read the question/title carefully - the words are there for a purpose.  Words such as describe, discuss, explain, compare, contrast and assess are there to help you to focus and guide your attention.  Also pay attention to any special restrictions such as dates, type of literature or specific cases.
DO NOT simply repeat everything you know about a certain subject.  Answer the specific question, and never descend to the level of a general commentary.  Furthermore, NEVER change the wording of a question without discussing it with the tutor beforehand.
Finally, if you are not sure what a question means, ASK.

B. Address the Literature
Where a specific question has not been set it is important that you engage with the literature in you presentation.  This is more than simply summarising what you have read: you should discuss the strengths and weaknesses or the author’s argument; consider the assumptions upon which the reading is based.

5. The Paper

Decide on your approach - are you going to give a balanced summary of the various opinions on the question, or are you going to show why you believe one opinion is better than another?  
You should assume that the people in your seminar are intelligent but uninformed.  Remember that presentations are not written for the benefit of the teacher, but should inform you and your classmates about the subject.
Style is important.  You are NOT marked on the standard or quality of your English, but the more clearly you can express your ideas the easier it is for those in your discussion group.  As in an essay your presentation requires:

  • Introduction
  • Main Body
  • Conclusion


You may wish to distribute handouts with your presentation to enable other to follow your argument more closely: where presentation are assessed this is required.  The staff member in charge of the tutorial can help you with photocopying.

6. Nerves

Many people feel nervous when speaking in front of others.  Seminars offer a friendly and supportive forum within which to develop the confidence needed to speak in public.  Help yourself to relax by breathing slowly, and staying focussed on your presentation.  Remember that your fellow students will be sympathetic to you as they will also have to make presentations.  You can receive further advice from the teaching staff and from the student counsellors on how to deal with nerves.

Advice on Preparing for and Writing Examinations

Most courses in the Department of Politics and International Studies are examined by a combination of coursework (typically essays) and a formal written examination.  The main exception is the ISP.  The exam component of your final mark for each course can be up to 80%: please check your course outline or discuss with an appropriate member of staff to find the exact proportion of coursework/exam to final mark.  These guidelines are designed to provide you with basic information on how to prepare for and take written exams.  They should be read in conjunction with the other guidelines in the Handbook, especially those that refer to essay writing.

1. Why Take Examinations?

Examinations are a way of assessing your understanding of a course you have taken during a single academic year.  They require you write a number of essays (usually three) in a set time period (usually three hours).  Examinations provide a fair assessment of your ability to assimilate and retain knowledge and to develop that knowledge in answer to a range of questions.  Written exams therefore test your knowledge of a specific subject, your ability to reason and to argue on paper, and your skills of expression and communication.  

2. How Should I Revise/Prepare for the Exam?
  • The best way to prepare for the examination is to work consistently throughout the year.  If you have worked hard, kept up with all the required reading, attended your lectures and seminars, and read as much recommended reading as possible, preparing for the exams is straightforward
  • Revision should consist of reminding yourself of material with which you are already familiar - it should not involve acquainting yourself with material for the first time.  Where available, re-read required readings.
  • Read through your essays. Remember that re-reading a poor essay can teach you as much (with regard to technique and style, as well as where you went wrong) as a good essay.  Read through notes you have taken in lectures or seminars and the notes you have taken on books and articles you have read.
  • You should familiarise yourself with key events and issues, and also with the various interpretations or explanations of these events and issues.
  • Read through previous examination papers - this will help to familiarise you with the format of the exam.  However, always check that the exam format has not changed.  Also, never prepare for a previous exam paper or try to guess/predict questions: the questions vary, often considerably, from year to year.  However they will always reflect what has been taught on your course.
  • Write practice essays: writing an exam is physically and mentally demanding.  An excellent way to prepare for this is by writing essays for one hour or two hours under exam conditions, either at home or in the library.  This will improve your technique, enable you to manage time better, and help you to develop writing muscles that computer use has atrophied.
  • The benefits of placing books/revision notes under your pillow the night before the exam are as yet unproven.
3. How is the Exam Organised/What is on the Exam/ What should I write?
  • The typical Politics exam is three hours long, and usually consists of a list of 12 questions.  You will normally be asked to answer three questions.
  • Note however that some papers will have greater or fewer than 12 questions, and some exams are of less than three hours: check your course outline, previous exam papers, and discuss the format with an appropriate member of staff.
  • Some papers are divided into sections. Always read the rubric very carefully and ensure that you answer the correct number of questions from the correct sections.
  • More specific details of each examination will be provided in a revision lecture/seminar, usually given a few weeks before the examination in Term 3.
  • The same advice for writing coursework essays applies to writing exam essays: please check the appropriate pages in the Handbook.
  • Knowledge from one course can often inform your understanding of another course: please use information from different parts of your degree to inform and cross-fertilise your answers.  Try not to think in narrow, discrete units.
  • You should not repeat significant pieces of information in separate answers, or cross-references between your essays.
  • A very common question is: how long should my essay be?  Assuming that you have to answer three questions in three hours, your essay should be 1 hour long.  For four questions in three hours, your answer should be 45 minutes long.  However remember to leave yourself time to think about and plan your answer and to read through your answer afterwards.  For a one hour answer allow yourself at least 5 minutes to think about plan your answer, and not more than five minutes afterwards to read through what you have written and to check for errors/ambiguities.
  • Poor handwriting.  Clarity of expression is very important in the exam, and if the markers cannot read your writing it will be difficult for them to assess your answer.  If your handwriting is hard to read a simple way to improve its legibility is to write on every other line.
4. How are Exams marked?


All exams in Politics are anonymously double marked.  This means that your script is anonymous (it does not have your name on it) and it is marked by two members of staff independently of one another.  Assessment is also moderated by the External Examiner.

Three Pieces of Vital Information
The three most important pieces of information for any examination are the DATE, TIME and PLACE of the exam.  This information is usually made available provisionally at the end of the second term, and is confirmed at the start of the third term.  If you have any doubts please confirm with the Registry (Examinations Section) and/or the Faculty Office.  It is vital that you have this information correct and it is your responsibility to attend the correct venue at the correct time.

Concessions (Dyslexia, Illness etc)
If there is any medical or personal reason that may have an influence on your exam performance, please alert the UG convenor or the course convenor, and notify the Registry (Examinations Section) as early as possible. You will usually be required to provide evidence to substantiate any request for a concession

Advice on Researching and Writing an Independent Study Project

The Independent Study Project (ISP) is a one course unit value course examined by the submission of one essay of 10,000 words (including footnotes, but excluding captions, bibliography and appendices of original source materials not written by the candidate).  The deadline for the submission of the ISP is no later than 4pm on the last day of Week 1 of Term 3, 19 April 2013. You must obtain a receipt from the office.  When you submit your assignment you must fill in and attach the following signed declaration to each copy (available from the faculty office R201):
    
      ‘I have read and understood the School regulation concerning plagiarism and I undertake that all material presented for examination is my own work and has not been written for me, in whole or in part, by any other person(s). That any quotation or paraphrasing from the published or unpublished work of another person has been duly acknowledged in this ISP. That I have not incorporated in this ISP without acknowledgement any work previously submitted by me for any other course forming part of my degree’.

The word count shown on the title page should include all the text, including preface, introduction and footnotes, but excluding the bibliography. The word limit is 10,000 and should not be exceeded; please see the Undergraduate Handbook for further information on this.

  • Students who do not submit their long essay within the prescribed period will be deemed to have failed the unit.
  • Essays must be typed.  Two copies should be submitted both of which will be retained by the School.  If you wish to keep a copy of your long essay, remember to make a copy before handing it in.
  • Students must attend three seminars designed to assist with formulating and developing the topic. (you will be given the dates and times of these at the start of the year).

I. Advice to students
  • The precise scope and title of the long essay should be agreed with the member of the teaching staff in whose field the project lies.  It is wise, therefore, to choose a subject which falls into one of the fields of study undertaken for your degree course.
  • The long essay counts as one course unit.  While, as in other examinations, it must be the unaided work of the candidate, supervisors will be ready to advise on treatment, layout, suitable reading and possible sources of information.  A supervisor will not, however, read and comment on a complete first draft of an extended essay.
  • It is important to choose a subject which can be adequately treated within 10,000 words.
    Those interested in empirical studies may wish to undertake a small research project, whereas those who wish to reflect on ideas may prefer to plan a critical and analytical essay.  Either venture can easily get out of hand within the length and time available.

II. Layout and presentation

The long essay is read by the external examiner as well as being marked in the Department, so care should be taken to achieve a high standard of presentation and scholarly accuracy.  The following advice may be helpful in general.  Supervisors will be willing to give further advice on particular questions.

  • Essays should be suitably bound.  It is unwise to use a spring-back folder, which runs the risk of pages being lost and getting out of order.
  • Pages should be numbered serially and typed in double spacing with a 4 cm margin on the left hand side.
  • If an opaque binder is used, the name, degree course of the candidate and the short title of the essay should be printed or pasted on the outside of the folder as well as on the title page within.
  • It is helpful to add a contents list showing the sections or divisions with the relevant page numbers.
  • A bibliography listing all the printed material consulted should be added at the end, even when some specific references are also made in the footnotes in the text.  The bibliography should follow the outline below.
III. The role of the supervisor

The main responsibilities of the supervisor are to:

  • meet with the student  four times during the academic year;
  • discuss and approve the choice of topic and ISP plan;
  • provide guidance on the preparation of the ISP (sources to be used, method of analysis)
  • read and comment on the ISP plan and at least one chapter of the ISP draft;
  • act as the first marker following the submission deadline. (All ISPs will be assessed by two internal examiners as well as an external examiner.)

The supervisor does not, however, have any responsibility for the preparation of the ISP itself, for the ideas and material that it contains, or for the standard that it attains. The ISP must be entirely the student's own work, and the help given by the supervisor must necessarily be limited.

IV. Bibliography and references

Preparation of the Bibliography is an important part of the ISP; it should be presented in the following form:

  • Documentary sources: official documents and reports, by origin in alphabetical order;
  • Books and Articles: these should be listed by author in alphabetical order, in the form given below;
  • Newspapers and Periodicals: these should be listed in alphabetical order, with their place of publication;
  • Interviews: people interviewed, where appropriate, should be listed in alphabetical order, with a brief description of their standing.
  • References in the footnotes and bibliography should be presented in the following form:

Books: author, title of book, (place and date of publication); e.g.:  R.H. Jackson, Quasi-states: sovereignty, international relations and the Third World (Cambridge, 1990).  If you prefer you can use underline instead of italics.

Articles in journals: author, 'title of article', title of journal, volume and number, year, pages; e.g. R.W. Cox, 'Multilateralism and world order', Review of International Studies, Vol. 18, No. 2, 1992, pp. 55-72.

Chapters in edited books: author, 'title of chapter', in editor, title of book, (place and year of publication); e.g. J. Herbst, 'The United States and Africa: Issues for the Future', in J.W. Harbeson and D. Rothchild, eds., Africa in World Politics (Boulder, 1991).

Documents: conform to the same pattern as far as possible (with appropriate variations); e.g. Correspondence respecting the Earl of Elgin's special missions to China and Japan, 1857 to 1859, Parliamentary Papers 1859, vol. xxxiii.
Where quoting documents directly, give a description of document as well as identifying source; e.g. Clarendon to Elgin, 20 April 1857, Parliamentary. Papers 1859, vol. xxxiii.
Where quoting documents at second hand, make this clear; e.g. Miller, quoted in Jackson, Quasi-states, p. 170.

These conventions may be adapted for other forms of publication; the essential requirement is that the principal title (title of book or periodical) should be underlined or italicised while subtitles should be in inverted commas; dates and places of publication should be included.   

Abbreviations are a convenience to the writer, which should not inconvenience the reader (by being made cryptic or unintelligible):

  • Where you devise your own, make them self-evident (i.e. not requiring a separate key or explanation); however some journals have standard abbreviations; e.g. B.S.O.A.S.
  • ibid.  This refers only to the immediately preceding note; it cites the same work (hence cannot be used if the previous note cited several); but you can vary the volume/page reference, e.g. ibid., p. 241 (where a different page was cited previously).
  • op.cit. This refers to a previously cited work by the same author and cannot be used where more than one work by that author has already been cited.


Some writers, especially in social sciences such as anthropology and economics but increasingly in other areas, use the author-date system, sometimes called the Harvard system.  Here, references to secondary sources are made by author, date, and page number if necessary, and are placed in brackets in the main body of the text.  The full reference can then easily be found in the bibliography at the back.  For example The political causes of economic stagnation are more controversial (Joshi and Little, 1987, pp. 371-8).  An alternative way of setting out the reference is (Joshi and Little 1987: 371-8).  If you use this system, then the bibliography must obviously be laid out in a way that makes it easy to identify each entry:

Joshi, Vijay and Little, I.M.D. 1987. 'Indian Macroeconomics Policies'. Economic and Political Weekly, 15, pp. 313-6

Where an author has published more than one item in a year, then it is usual to distinguish by lower case letters, 1987a, 1987b, etc.

3. HELP AND ADVICE

There are many different sources of help and advice available to students: it is very important that you make use of the support systems if you need to do so.  Small, easily solved problems may grow rapidly into big, difficult ones if nothing is done about them.  Such difficulties are particularly common in the first year.

Email
Students should check their SOAS email account regularly as important information about your degree and/or courses will be sent from tutors and the faculty office.  Details of how to forward messages automatically to another email account (eg hotmail) are given in the Faculty Handbook and the Students Union handbook.

Timetable
Students should check the up-to-date timetable by referring to www.soas.ac.uk/timetable. If you find that your core courses clash you should complete the on-line form at www.soas.ac.uk/timetable or consult the Faculty Office for advice.

Student Representatives, Departmental Meeting and the Staff –Student Forum
Each year student representatives are elected for the BA, MSc and PhD programmes. Representatives are invited to attend departmental meetings of the academic staff and to raise matters of concern. The forum is the means by which students representatives and staff can issues relating to specific courses and teaches, whereas the department meeting deals with more general issues. There are separate staff-student forums for BA, MSc and PhD representatives.  They meet at least once a term. The BA staff-student forum is made up of student representatives, Undergraduate Tutor and the Head of Department. You will be given more information on the election of student representatives at the beginning of the first term.

KEY CONTACTS

For faculty contacts see http://www.soas.ac.uk/lawsocialsciences/keystaff/

For department contacts see http://www.soas.ac.uk/politics/staff/

For Registry contacts see http://www.soas.ac.uk/registry/

For Student Services contacts (Welfare, Counselling, Disabilities, and Mental Health and Wellbeing) see http://www.soas.ac.uk/studentservices/contact/.
N.B. For information on making appointments and drop-in times, see http://www.soas.ac.uk/studentservices/appointment/.  

For Library contacts and information see http://www.soas.ac.uk/library/subjects/devstudies/

For Careers contacts and information see http://www.soas.ac.uk/careers/about/

KEY DATES

For terms and other key dates see http://www.soas.ac.uk/about/keydates/.

For events at SOAS see http://www.soas.ac.uk/about/events/ and http://www.soas.ac.uk/careers/events/  

KEY LOCATIONS

For a map of the SOAS’ campus, please see http://www.soas.ac.uk/visitors/location/maps/.

Teaching at SOAS takes place on different sites.  For more information on how to find rooms, see http://www.soas.ac.uk/timetable/teaching-and-meeting-rooms/finding/.