Assignment 3: Major essay 20/09/2018 5:23 pm
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Teaching period 2, 2018
POL20010: Interna!onal Rela!ons and Security Studies
Assignment 3: Major essay
Word limit: 3000 (+/- 10%)
Weighting: 60%
Due date: 5pm AEDT Monday 8 October 2018 (Exam Week)
After you have read this information, head over to the Assignment 3 Q&A discussion board to ask any
questions and see what your peers are saying about this assignment.
Assignment overview
The purpose of this assignment is for you to demonstrate your knowledge of both methodological
approaches to security studies and current security problems.
Related learning outcomes
This assignment assesses the following unit learning outcomes:
1. Comprehend and classify the various conceptual and theoretical perspectives in international
relations and security studies.
2. Contrast traditional concepts of security with non-traditional security problems.
3. Assess and critically apply those concepts and theories to case studies.
4. Evaluate the implications of considering global security problems from a range of differing
perspectives.
Assignment details
Choose a post-positivist approach (covered in Weeks 2–6) to analyse a security problem (covered
in Weeks 7–11). Your essay needs to:
Outline the theory or approach, identifying key assumptions and relevant literature.
Provide a clear explanation of your chosen security issue, including background context.
Analyse the security issue through the approach, including appropriate supporting evidence.
Suppor!ng resources
Assignment 3: Major essay 20/09/2018 5:23 pm

Submission details overview
This assignment will be submitted via Turnitin. You will find the relevant submission point below.
Please allow a 24-hour turnaround for an originality report to be generated. See the Turnitin
originality report (https://portal.swinburneonline.edu.au/study-resources/turnitin-originality-report0)
area of Study Resources for several guides to assist with the submission process.
Assignment support
Don’t forget that in addition to your eLAs who provide discipline-specific content advice, you can
access the 24/7 draft writing service from Studiosity.
If you need assistance with academic feedback on a draft of your assignment task see
Assignment support: Studiosity.
Assignment criteria
1. Analysis of security problem.
2. Demonstration of methodological approach.
3. Supporting evidence.
4. Referencing.
5. Clarity of expression (including accuracy, spelling, grammar, punctuation).
Your work will be assessed using the following marking guide:
Criteria No Pass Pass
50-59%
Credit
60-69%
Distinction
70-79%
High
Distinction
80-100%
Outline of
the theory or
approach,
Did not meet
criterion.
Evidence of
limited
knowledge of
theory and
Evidence of
good
knowledge
of theory
Evidence of
very good
knowledge
of theory
Comprehensive
/ detailed
knowledge of
theory and
Assignment 3: Major essay 20/09/2018 5:23 pm
Page 3 of 5
ability to
identify key
assumptions
and relevant
literature
(25%)
some use of
appropriate
terminology.
and good
use of
appropriate
terminology.
and very
good use of
appropriate
terminology.
excellent use of
appropriate
terminology.
Clear
explanation
of chosen
security
issue,
including
background
context
(25%)
Did not meet
criterion.
Limited
explanation,
with some
background
context.
Good
explanation,
with good
background
context.
Very good
explanation,
with very
good
background
context.
Excellent
explanation,
with excellent
background
context.
Analysis of
security
issue
through
approach,
including
supporting
evidence
(30%)
Did not meet
criterion.
Some
analysis and
evaluation
attempted
with limited
analysis.
Literature is
presented
uncritically, in
a purely
descriptive
way and
indicates
limitations of
understanding
Good
evaluation,
and
analysis.
Clear
evidence
and
application
of readings
relevant to
the subject;
uses
indicative
texts
identified.
Very good
evaluation,
and
analysis,
and some
good
insights
present,
Able to
critically
appraise
the
literature
and theory
gained from
a variety of
sources,
developing
own ideas
in the
process.
Excellent
evaluation, and
analysis, with
very good
insights
present. Has
developed and
justified using
own ideas
based on a
wide range of
sources which
have been
thoroughly
analysed,
applied and
discussed.
Referencing
(10%)
Did not meet
criterion.
A satisfactory
attempt at
referencing.
Referencing
is mostly
accurate,
with some
errors.
Referencing
is
consistently
accurate
with limited
errors.
Referencing is
highly accurate,
with almost no
errors.

Assessment declara!on
All students must agree to the following declaration when submitting assignment items.
Declaration and Statement of Authorship
1. I have not impersonated, or allowed myself to be impersonated by any person for the purposes of
this assignment.
2. This assignment is my/our original work and no part of it has been copied from any other source
except where due acknowledgement is made.
3. No part of this assignment has been written for me by any other person except where such
collaboration has been authorised by the lecturer/teacher concerned.
4. I have not previously submitted this work for this or any other course/unit.
5. I give permission for my assignment response to be reproduced, communicated, compared and
archived for plagiarism detection, benchmarking or educational purposes.
I understand that:
Plagiarism is the presentation of another person’s work as though it is your own. It is a form of
cheating and is a very serious academic offence that may lead to exclusion from the university.
Plagiarised material may be drawn from published and unpublished written documents,
interpretations, computer software, designs, music, sounds, images, photographs, and ideas or
ideological frameworks gained through working with another person or in a group.
Plagiarised material can be drawn from, and presented in, written, graphic and visual form,
including electronic data and oral presentations. Plagiarism occurs when the origin of the material
used is not appropriately cited.
I agree and acknowledge that:
Clarity of
expression
(including
accuracy,
spelling,
grammar,
punctuation)
(10%)
Did not
meet criterion.
Meaning
apparent but
language not
always fluent.
Grammar and
spelling
mostly
accurate.
Language
mainly
fluent.
Grammar
and spelling
mostly
accurate.
Language
very fluent.
Grammar
and spelling
accurate.
Fluent writing
style
appropriate to
document.
Grammar and
spelling highly
accurate.
Assignment 3: Major essay 20/09/2018 5:23 pm
Page 5 of 5
1. I have read and understood the Declaration and Statement of Authorship above.
2. I accept that use of my Swinburne account to electronically submit this assignment constitutes my
agreement to the Declaration and Statement of Authorship.
3. If I do not agree to the Declaration and Statement of Authorship in this context, the assessment
outcome may not be valid for assessment purposes and may not be included in my aggregate
score for this unit.
4. I am aware that it is not acceptable to resubmit the same piece of work (in part or as whole) for
multiple assignments without permission from the Unit Coordinator.
Penalties for plagiarism

range from a formal caution to
expulsion from the university, and are detailed in the Student Academic Misconduct Regulations
2012. (