The research assignment will be accumulated throughout the course. You will be required to choose a country, other than the United States or US territories or US commonwealth, etc. such as Puerto Rico, Guam or the US Virgin Islands. 

This week you will collect basic socio-economic data and other relevant description information on your country.

During week 1, you need to submit:

the name of the country and it’s geographic location;
basic socio-demographic information, including population, major ethnic groups, religions;
economic information, including GDP, GDP per capita, the most important goods and services produced, major categories of imports and exports,  the name of the national currency; and,
type of government, membership in major international organizations such as the UN, the IMF, the World Bank and major regional organizations such as the EU, the Euro Zone, ASEAN, NAFTA, etc. (Don’t list every organization that the country you select belongs to, just the most important ones).
Much of this information will also be used in subsequent weeks as you build on what you learn each week.

Your assignment should be submitted as a Word document, so remember to use paragraphs and a report structure to your report.

Expectations for the research assignments:

1) Respond to all of the week’s topics and sub-topics;

2) Cite (APA style) all the information presented, not just direct quotes; 

3) Reference (APA) style) the sources at the end;

4) Use proper paragraphing; and,

5) Present the information in a clear and professional fashion.

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You can find that information at websites like CIA Factbook, and The World Bank (links are below). You can also find useful information about your country at web sites in the country of your choice.

Do not use Britannica.com.
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Your research paper this week should be between 250 and 350 words. Shorter submissions will be penalized. Longer assignments are acceptable only if the extra words add substance to your report. At the bottom of your assignment, you should include a word count (how many words are in your post).
Structure your paper as a report. Do use multiple paragraphs. Do NOT attach your report, instead type it into the text box or upload it as a Word document as per the instructions after you  click on on Research Assignment above.
You must cite all the information used in your report and include the sources in your reference listing. Use APA format for citations and references – see the APA Powerpoint linked below.
Remember: you should not “copy and paste” information. Plagiarism is penalized with a zero in the assignment the first time, and a zero in the course the second time. Use your own words and quote only facts or numbers)

Remember to include citations to your sources in the body of your assignment and to provide the references at the end of your post. Where possible, please make the links to any web information clickable links. Remember the references and links must be to the article you used, not just to the web site. Be sure to include the full URL, otherwise your link will not be clickable.
In addition to the links below, do use the web for additional useful information. Remember that each country will have multiple web sites that provide country specific information.

Wikipedia
CIA World Factbook
World Bank
If you have any questions or concerns, email me.
Your submission this week must be at least 250 words long, in order to receive full credit.

The detailed instructions are posted above.  Remember you can not change countries once you have selected one.  Citations and references are required and they must be in APA style (Apa.pptx – Click for more options).

Please upload your work as a Word document attachment.