Ritsumeikan University Syllabus

Course Name	Year	Term	Period	Faculty / Graduate School	All Instructors	Credits
12722:[2025 Fall]IR18‐CB103 Academic Skills III (Advanced) (RC) § 12723:RUIR-1103 Academic Skills III (Advanced)(RC)	2025	Fall	Wed4,Fri2	College　Of　International　Relations	STEWART REX ARTHUR	4

Campus

KIC/KIC

Class Venue

KOSHINKAN　KS205/KOSHINKAN　KS205

Language

English

Course Outline and Method

【+R-Jugyo】
Information for “+R-Jugyo” will be posted on the “Course News” on manaba+R by September 20. Be sure to check the “Course News” on manaba+R.

The aim of Academic Skills III is to develop students' academic writing competence together with related skills, such as critical thinking, autonomous learning, research and referencing, and IT skills. Students will examine contentious issues in International Relations, identify key questions and construct well-supported, logically sequenced arguments to address these questions. They will familiarize themselves with the conventions of academic writing, expand their academic vocabulary, and increase their control over complex grammar. Class activities may include group discussions and oral presentations, sentence, paragraph, and essay-level writing, as well as academic skills training such as paraphrasing, citing, and referencing. The focus of this course is on developing students' research skills, power of argument and support, written expression, and awareness of writing conventions. Formative evaluation is performed through class participation, and assignments, as well as one or more essays, papers, and presentations, based on a rubric that targets each skill.

Student Attainment Objectives

1. Students will be able to analyze, compare and evaluate a range of current issues in law, politics, and economics with a view to their local, regional and global impact, and discuss different viewpoints from a variety of stakeholders in a well-informed, coherent manner.

2. Students will be able to plan, draft and revise a research essay or academic paper on a relevant topic following APA style conventions, share their findings in the form of an oral presentation, and provide, receive and integrate feedback from their peers.

3. Students will be able to comprehend and manipulate language at an advanced level of proficiency, demonstrate confidence in both independent learning and group work, and display an awareness of diversity and multicultural environments, developing skills transferable to future contexts in core programs, study abroad programs, and international job placements.

Recommended Preparatory Course

Course Schedule

Lecture/Instructor（When there are multiple instructors)	Theme
Lecture/Instructor（When there are multiple instructors)	Keyword, References and Supplementary Information
Week One	Course Orientation and International Relations Topics: Units 1, 2, 3
Week One	Lesson One • course orientation. • introduction of the textbook and assignments. Unit 1: What a Research Paper is • what an academic essay is. • explorations of topics related to international relations. Unit 2: Finding a Topic Lesson Two: Unit 3: Doing Research • introduction to sources of information and the APA system. • explanation of what an academic essay is. • examples of academic essays. • conferencing on topics Unit 13: Avoiding Plagiarism and Citing Sources • note cards • avoiding plagiarism: paraphrasing research questions--finding a niche
Week Two	Units 4. 5
Week Two	Lesson Three Unit 4: Thesis Statements • how to Conduct research • finding a topic: Brainstorming IR-related topics • how to research, take notes, and keep track of references. • writing a thesis • conferencing on topics • start research Lesson Four Unit 5: The Working Outline • writing a working outline • avoiding plagiarism/paraphrasing • discussion of topics • conferencing on outlines • conferencing on thesis
Week Three	Units 6 and 7
Week Three	Lesson Five • Unit 6: Revising the thesis statement and working outline • conducting research • conferencing on outlines • conferencing on thesis Lesson Six Unit 7: Writing the first draft • researching, taking notes, and keeping track of references
Week Four	Units 8, 9, 10, and 11
Week Four	Lesson Seven Unit 8: Writing the Title • writing the title: capitalization, punctuation Unit 9: Writing the Introduction • verb tenses Lesson Eight Unit 10: Support, Accuracy, and Logic • transitions • unclear references Unit 11: Writing the Body
week Five	Units 12 and 14 Units 17 and 18
week Five	Lesson Nine Unit 12: Writing the Conclusion • expand outline • Lesson Ten Unit 14 Writing the Reference List • editing exercise • essay formatting Units 17--18, creating survey
Week Six	Units 15 and 16
Week Six	Lesson Eleven Unit 15: Evaluating and Rewriting • reflect on feedback. • check APA formatting rules. Lesson Twelve • submit essay one (draft one) to the instructor peer review • Unit: 16: The Primary research paper • writing the primary research paper
Week Seven	Conducting primary research
Week Seven	Lesson Thirteen: research question finding a niche Lesson Fourteen creating a survey
Week Eight	Units 17 and 18
Week Eight	Lesson Fifteen Unit 17: Setting up the Experiment observation. • writing a survey • hypothesis • conducting an interview. • conferences Lesson Sixteen Unit 18: Writing the experiment report • research question • literature review • essay one (draft two) returned • conferences • in-class writing • conferences • Essay one (final draft) is due
Week Nine	parallel construction/use of semicolons, colons, and commas
Week Nine	Lesson Seventeen • parallel construction • finding sources • in-class writing • conferences Lesson Eighteen • punctuation: use of semicolons, colons, and commas • in-class writing • Editing exercise • in-class writing • conferences
Week Ten	Research and Outline
Week Ten	Lesson Nineteen • compiling research data. • writing an essay outline. • submit thesis statement and outline for evaluation • in-class writing • conferences Lesson Twenty • editing exercise • in-class writing • conferences
Week Eleven	Title and Introduction, conclusion and references
Week Eleven	Lesson Twenty-one • Title and introduction • Writing the essay title. • conclusion and references • writing the essay conclusion. • writing the reference section • editing exercise • in-class writing • conferences Lesson Twenty-two essay two (draft one) due • peer editing• editing exercise • writing the introduction • in-class writing • conferencesLesson Twenty-three • writing the main body of the essay. • Including research citations. • editing exercise • in-class writing • conferences
Week Twelve	Body
Week Twelve	designing a PowerPoint presentation giving a good presentation in-class writing
Week Thirteen	presentations
Week Thirteen	Lesson Twenty-five presentation practice. Lesson Twenty-six • submit essay two (draft two) to the instructor • presentations
Week Fourteen	presentations
Week Fourteen	Lesson Twenty-seven • presentations Lesson Twenty-eight • presentations

Class Format

All classes are to be conducted face to face; however, in the case of an emergency, the instructor may elect to provide online (live-streamed) classes. Please note that the maximum number of online classes must be less than 1/2 of the total number of classes for the specified course. If an instructor does conduct a live-streamed class, then the link will be posted on Manaba+R.

Recommendations for Private Study

Fully complete homework assignments out of class to maximize instructor and peer feedback. Focus on details of instructors explanations, peers work, and your own current draft. Be active and ask questions to the instructor.

Grade Evaluation Method

Kind	Percentage	Grading Criteria etc.
Final Examination (Written)	0
Report Examination (A report to be submitted by the unified deadline)	0
Exams and/or Reports other than those stated above, and Continuous Assessment　 (Evaluation of Everyday Performance in Class)	100	Secondary Research Paper (30%) Primary Research Paper (40%) Presentation (20%) Class participation, textbook homework, and peer reviews: (10%) (See note below for breakdown)

Grade Evaluation Method （Note）

Secondary Research Paper (30%)
--outline 5%
--first draft: 10% (completion based)
--Final Draft: 15% (graded on clarity, argumentation, formatting, and source integration)

Primary Research Paper (40%)
--research proposal: 5%
--data collection and summary 10%
--first draft: 10% (completion based)
--final draft: 15% (graded on clarity, research method, analysis, formatting, and discussion)

Presentation (20%)
--Slides: 10% (visual quality, clarity, alignment with findings)
--Delivery: 10% (speaking skills, timing, content, and engagement)

Class participation, textbook homework, and peer reviews: (10%)
--active involvement in reviews, feedback sessions, discussions, and completion of textbook homework

Advice to Students on Study and Research Methods

Textbooks

Title	Author	Publisher	ISBN Code	Comment
Basic Steps to Writing Research Papers, Second Edition	Kluge, Taylor	Cengage	978-4-86312-308-3	(Second edition)

Textbooks （Frequency of Use, Note）

Reference Books

Reference Books （Frequency of Use, Note）

Web Pages for Reference

How to Communicate with the Instructor In and Out of Class(Including Instructor Contact Information)

Learning Management System （manaba+R）,Talk with Students,Other (Separate instructions will be provided)

Other Comments

This course syllabus is subject to change depending on student needs.

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