This list is by no means comprehensive
but is meant to give you some ideas to chew on. You may use a topic from the list or come up
with one on your own, with my approval. I want to you to submit a proposal at least a
paragraph long about your chosen topic by the deadline in the syllabus so that I can make sure
your topic is not too broad or too narrow. Tell me your topic, your research question, and why
this topic interests you. The paper is to be a minimum of 5 full-text pages. Note: Partial pages
or pages with photos or diagrams do not count as full pages towards page-length requirement;
this includes first pages with more than a line or two of title. No separate title page or abstract
needed.
Guidelines for Independent Research
1. Write a double-spaced paper on a topic of your choice pertaining to biological
anthropology. It helps if you have research questions in mind . . . are you trying to
answer some questions or are you seeking to explain some aspect of biological
anthropology? This will help you sort out what information you need to find.
2. Your topic will explicitly demonstrate the following objectives: How is your topic
anthropological? What is the purpose (how or why did you choose this topic)? Define
the topic clearly – what is the topic about? What are the objectives/problems being
solved? What kind(s) of data is needed to meet the objectives?
3. Method: use a combination of the following methods for collecting your data: Research
(library!!, TV programs such as PBS, Nature, NOVA, History, Discovery Channel, etc.), the
Internet, magazines, newspapers, interviewing individuals who are familiar with the
topic of your choice, photography, video camera, field notes, other? Note, if you use
websites, .gov, .org, and .edu are the better choices. Note, we have an awesome library
filled with awesome staff that can be a huge help, make full use of them!
4. Analysis: Accurate description and critical analysis of the data – hypothesis and theory-
building. Demonstrate critical thinking.
5. Results and conclusions: Critical thinking and cross-cultural understanding / problem-
solving – did you solve the problem and does it integrate with the course objectives? Did
your experience generate more questions? (Usually, you’re on the right track if you
generate more questions after you’re done with your paper!)
6. References and bibliography: You are to use the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) in-text
author-date format (Smith, 2002) references with a bibliography (not end-notes), for
further information see https://libguides.geneseo.edu/citation/anthropology-
archaeology#:~:text=The%20American%20Anthropological%20Association%20uses,diffe
rent%20than%20CMS%20Footnotes%2FEndnotes. Also include the complete URL for
any websites you use and your download date. Use of complete citation of all
references and sources is required in the text of your paper. This includes all persons,
printed materials, websites, electronic, photographic, and digital materials, and any
other sources of information that are contained in your research paper. Your
bibliography should be scholarly. – Minimum of five reference sources is required.
Wikipedia is NOT allowed as a source. If you cite Wikipedia you will fail the
assignment.
