To what extent is diplomacy in the digital era different from diplomacy in previous eras?
Quality of research: what is the quality of the sources you are drawing upon, and how extensive is your research? Think about balance here: there will be different components for each essay question and therefore different components of an argument. You need to be doing sufficient, high quality, research for each of these components. You need to be engaging with the best/most appropriate sources. If you’re looking to define key concepts, then you might draw on a textbook or appropriate reference work. If you are looking to substantiate arguments and bring in evidence (examples, case studies), then you’ll need to identify other scholarly sources. Start with your reading lists and broaden your search using appropriate search engines. Always prioritise peer-reviewed sources (academic articles, books, and book chapters). Are you using citations/references correctly? Did you include a bibliography/reference list? Remember you should only include in your reference list what you cite/reference in your essay.
Quality of analysis: this is connected to effective use of evidence, but is less about which sources you use and whether these are the appropriate sources, and speaks to the quality – depth and nuance – of your use of those sources/data/evidence. Have you thought about potential counter-arguments and addressed them? Is your analysis really supported by the evidence you use? Or are you stretching? Are you making a superficial argument – often an argument at an extreme end of a spectrum – or are you recognising the grey areas? Or is the body of your essay largely descriiptive as opposed to argumentative?
We want to see you starting to engage with research. While we consistently emphasise that quality of sources is more important than quantity, and so rightly resist giving a set number of sources, research and research synthesising skills are a key rationale behind using essays as a method of assessment. You cannot develop these skills if you engage in superficial research. Therefore, I’d encourage you to actively engage with around 8-15 high quality (i.e. peer reviewed) sources. A caveat: engaging with 15 is not a guarantee of a good grade; just as using only 8 won’t mean you automatically get a lesser grade. What matters is the quality of your sources and how you use and engage with them.
