Students must write and submit an essay of 2000 words, using ONE of the topics below as their central research question and/or thesis statement. Students may also develop their own topic in consultation with the course instructor. The essay will be worth 25 percent of the course grade and is due at the beginning of class on November 18, 2021. Students are required to submit a hard copy to the instructor and an electronic copy to Turnitin.com through the course’s OWL site. Approved Topics (Choose ONE) What has the COVID-19 pandemic taught us about the capacity of governments to innovate? Should governments be model employers? Why is organizational change so difficult to achieve in the public sector? What are the characteristics of good administrative leaders in the public sector? Detailed Guidelines 1. Length: 2000 words. I will allow up to 200 words over but try not to go too far beyond this. Please number your pages and include a word count, excluding your reference list, at the bottom of the last page of your paper. Papers should be double-spaced and written in 12-point font. 2. Sources: As many as you need, depending on the kind of sources you use and the kind of information you require. However, 12 is a good ballpark – at least 5 or 6 of these should be academic sources (i.e., academic books or articles from academic journals). Journals in this field include Canadian Public Administration, The Canadian Journal of Political Science, Public Administration, Public Administration Review, American Review of Public Administration, International Review of Administrative Sciences, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, and Public Integrity, among others. 3. Referencing: Cite sources according to the ASA style guide. A PDF cheat sheet on citing the most common sources has been uploaded to OWL. The full ASA style guide is also available from the Library. Make sure you reference all data and arguments that aren’t your own, unless they involve obvious general knowledge (e.g., “Toronto is the largest city in Canada”). 4. Structure: Include an introduction and conclusion. Among other things, the introduction should clearly state the research question and/or thesis statement that you are addressing. The use of section headings throughout the paper is encouraged. Make sure you take the time to properly structure
