Research Essay Questions and Instructions
Using one of these questions as your launching point, develop a specific research question to
create a clear, coherent, evidence-based argument.
1. Analyse an important gender ideology that shapes contemporary life in one specific
part of Asia or the Pacific. Develop an argument about why and how this ideology is
put together and/or what effects it has.
2. Engage with Foucault’s ideas about the relationship between power and knowledge
to develop an argument analysing one specific cultural phenomenon in Asia or the
Pacific.
3. Analyse one particular movement from Asia or the Pacific that might be considered in
some sense “feminist.” Develop an argument to analyse the kind of feminism it
represents or contests by evaluating its underlying philosophical assumptions,
political goals, or normative claims.
You will need to:
 Think about what excites you. In what area do you want to build your capacity?
 Identify your “who, what, where, and when.” Being specific allows your essay to
develop depth and nuance.
 Independently research what other scholars in gender and cultural studies (or related
humanities/social science fields) have said about your topic.
 Develop an “arguable” thesis statement that places you within that scholarly
conversation. Doing so means that someone else in this course should be able to
disagree with you. Of course you’ll work hard in the essay to persuade them over to
your point of view!
 Draw upon the concepts of this course, as appropriate, to help you develop your
argument.
 Offer specific pieces of evidence to back up your analysis.
 Present a logical and polished flow of ideas, supported by immaculate citation.
Learning Goals:
 By creating your own specific question out of a broad given topic, you develop your
critical voice and your ability to offer nuanced analysis.
 You advance your abilities to conduct and manage an independent research process.
 You refine your abilities to engage constructively with scholarship.
 You improve your abilities to develop a coherent, evidence-based argument.
Word Count: 2000 words (excluding bibliography)
Getting Started: Go to: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/academic-skills/writingassessment/essay-writing
Expected Research:
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A minimum of 8 scholarly peer-reviewed sources is expected for a passing mark. You
are welcome and expected to use more for a higher mark, but you should prioritise
deep engagement with scholarship over superficial citation counts.
Show your ability to work with English-language scholarship. If you are studying a
foreign language, you are welcome to conduct research in that language to extend
your skills. You will need to translate into English anything that you cite from another
language.
You are welcome and expected to cite assigned course readings (as appropriate to
your topic). You should also demonstrate your ability to find and cite readings that are
not on the syllabus.
Citation Style:
 Chicago Manual of Style (Author-Date system plus Bibliography).
https://www-chicagomanualofstyleorg.virtual.anu.edu.au/book/ed17/part3/ch15/psec005.html
 If you don’t already use bibliographic management software (like EndNote or Zotero),
I highly recommend doing so. It will save you a LOT of time.
Helpful Journals and Databases in Asian and Pacific Gender and Cultural Studies:
 Project Muse and JSTOR are two excellent databases in the humanities/social
sciences.
 For specific journals, try Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, positions: asia cultures critique,
Public Culture, Intersections: Gender and Sexuality in Asia and the Pacific, and Signs,
for a start. Check out course readings relevant to your topic to help you find
appropriate field-specific journals.
 Please ensure that you are citing research that is relevant to the disciplines of this
course: the humanities/social sciences.