ABOR1000 Aboriginal People Assessment Two – Research Essay

Purpose

Writing a research essay is an essential skill for university students. It will enable you to critically evaluate, analyse and make informed judgments about a specific topic. This research essay in particular will build your understanding of the ongoing struggle for civil and political rights for Indigenous people in Australia, while fostering independent learning, research skills, and cultural competency by requiring that Indigenous voices and perspectives be prioritised in matters concerning Indigenous peoples.

Essay Question

Identify the specific demands or objectives of key First Nations activists or organisations involved in your chosen event or campaign (see list of topics below) and explain:

• why these demands or objectives emerged in their particular historical context;

• how activists and organisations sought to pursue them in practice;

• what, if any, political, legal, social or symbolic changes can be traced to the event or activism over time and how significant those changes were.

Your Essay Response Must:

• Include at least one primary source produced by a specific activist or organisation (e.g. speeches, petitions, letters, newspaper coverage, or organisational records) related to your event or campaign. (Trove https://trove.nla.gov.au/ is an excellent place to search for primary sources).

• Include at least two quotations from First Nations people within your essay (these may be from contemporary sources or from later reflections or scholarship) in bold font in your essay.

• Include at least two sources created or authored by First Nations people (list these sources in bold font in your bibliography/references).

• Draw on at least four scholarly sources (academic books, journal articles or chapters in edited collections. See the source list on Cadmus under 'Resources' for suggestions).

• All references must be provided as footnotes, including page numbers for published sources or paragraph numbers for web-based material. See 'Resources' on Cadmus for examples. Responses that do not provide full references will not be marked and must be resubmitted with a late penalty.

The use of any form of generative AI is not permitted. Please note that Creative Spirits cannot be used as it is unreliable. Research requirements are outlined in the marking rubric.

Possible Topics

Choose ONE of the following topics for your essay:

1. Australian Aborigines Progressive Association (NSW)

2. Day of Mourning (NSW)

3. Pilbara Aboriginal Strike (WA)

4. Yirrkala Bark Petitions (NT)

5. Redfern community activism in the 1970s (NSW)

Assessment Structure

This essay has three parts with a combined total of 2000 words (+/- 10%).

Part 1: Research Essay – Response (1600 words)

Provide a coherent argument responding to all parts of the set question, supported by evidence.

Part 2: Research Essay – Reflective Statement (200 words)

Briefly reflect on:

• What you found most challenging in analysing the event

• How working with your historical source/s and drawing from First Nations sources shaped your understanding of First Nations activism

Part 3: Research Essay – Annotated Bibliography (2 entries, 200 words total)

Your bibliography must include annotations under two of your sources.

Each annotation should be approximately 100 words (not including the source itself) and should state:

• The main argument or perspective of the selected source

• How it helped you answer the essay question.

See 'Annotated Bibliography Example' on Cadmus for example.

Submission

Submit your assignment as a single document through Cadmus. Include the Coversheet, which you can find under the Cadmus 'Resources' section by copy and pasting it at the start of your essay.

If you prepare any of your work outside Cadmus (e.g. in Google Docs or Word), you must be able to provide evidence of your full drafting process such as version history or tracked changes.

Additional Information

To help you complete this task successfully, the following resources are provided:

• Checklist: Research Essay – follow the checklist carefully to guide you through the report writing process.

• Marking Rubric — refer to this to understand how you will be assessed.

• Cadmus Manual — refer to this for information about academic skills (click the book icon in the bottom right to access the manual).

Checklist: Research Essay ✅

Copy + paste this checklist into the Notes section in Cadmus and tick off items as you complete them.

Step 1: Task Understanding

• Read the Instructions and Task Details carefully.

• Review the Checklist: Research Essay to familiarise yourself with the key principles of writing a Research Essay.

• Read the Guide: Rubrics in Cadmus Manual and then your Marking Rubric.

Step 2: Topic Selection

Select a research topic that aligns with the assignment or research project.

Step 3: Research

Read the Library Search Tips guide in Cadmus Manual.

Gather relevant sources and materials to support your Research Essay, including academic journals, books, and credible websites. You are welcome to use the sources provided under "Instructions" on Cadmus.

Remember as part of your research to find:

• At least one primary source produced by a specific activist or organisation (e.g. speeches, petitions, letters, newspaper coverage, or organisational records) related to your event or campaign. (https://trove.nla.gov.au/ is an excellent place to search for primary sources).

• At least two quotations from First Nations people within your essay (these may be from contemporary sources e.g. you might find some of these from your primary source material or other material written by First Nations activists at the time of the campaign or later or you can find some modern-day quotations from news media through Google or from YouTube). Put these quotes in bold font in your essay.

• At least two sources created or authored by First Nations people (list these sources in bold font in your bibliography/references). Remember the "List of Sources" provided under 'Resources' contains some of these sources (listed in bold font).

• Draw on at least four scholarly sources (academic books, journal articles or chapters in edited collections. See the "List of Sources" under 'Resources' for suggestions).

• Take detailed notes on key points and arguments made by the authors of the sources you gather, including main arguments, key concepts, and evidence presented. Keep notes on where you found all your information (including page numbers for published sources and paragraph numbers for web sources). Material that is submitted without this information will not be marked and will require resubmission with a late penalty applied.

Step 4: Develop Focus

After your research:

• Evaluate the credibility and reliability of the sources you gather, considering the author's expertise, the publication, and the publication date.

• Analyse the sources you have gathered, looking for patterns, themes and perspectives that will help you to develop your own argument.

• Use the information and insights you have gathered to develop a clear and well-supported thesis statement to guide your Research Essay.

Consider:

• How do you intend to answer the essay question?

• What is the main point of your argument?

• What reasons do you have to support your argument?

• What peer-reviewed research have you found to support/contradict your reasons?

• What gaps are there in your research?

Step 5: Plan Research Essay

Create an outline to organize your thoughts and ensure that your essay covers all relevant points.

Use the following structure to organise your ideas:

Introduction

Provide background information on the research topic, including its purpose and significance in its field.

Outline your thesis statement.

Preview the main points you will address and how they relate to the overall research question or thesis statement.

Body: Add a paragraph for each argument, including:

Topic sentence stating the main idea of the paragraph.

Address the main arguments or claims made by other researchers in the field, and provide evidence from your own research to support your thesis or research question.

Back up any claims you make with evidence from your research.

Use footnotes to indicate where specific information or ideas came from.

Concluding sentence summarising the points, linking to next paragraph/argument.

Conclusion:

Summarise your argument, including the points you have made throughout your paper to make this argument.

Bibliography:

Include a list of all references that you cited in your essay. You should not cite material that is not included within your essay. Sources created by First Nations people should be listed in bold font in your bibliography.

Remember that two of these sources will need to include Annotations when you submit your Essay.

Step 6: Write Part 1: Research Essay Response

Building on your draft, write your Research Essay Response. Things to remember:

• Clear writing: use short simple sentences and familiar terms.

• Accurate writing: present accurate and complete information.

• Critical writing: demonstrate analysis rather than description and evaluate the research you are presenting.

TIP: to avoid plagiarism, you must give credit if you use the work of others and you must not use Chat GPT or similar generative AI (see Referencing section in Cadmus Manual for reference advice)

Step 7: Write Part 2: Reflective Statement

Following preparation of your Research Essay Response, make you sure you have:

Included what you found most challenging about analysing the event

Reflected on how working with historical source/s and drawing from First Nations sources shaped your understanding of First Nations activism

Step 8: Write Part 3: Annotated Bibliography

Check that you have included bibliographic annotations for two sources using the example as a guide

Step 9: Review

Read the Marking Rubric again to check that you have met the criteria. Have you provided a response to all three parts of the Research Essay?

Check that your Indigenous terminology is correct.

Make sure that you have provided full references for all information that is not your own critical analysis, including page numbers for published sources, paragraph numbers for websites and time stamps for audiovisual materials.

Check that all citations and references match and that there are no paraphrasing errors.

Check that your Indigenous sources are listed in bold in your referencing and in your bibliography.

Make sure that you have included the required number of First Nations sources, First Nations quotes and scholarly sources.

Make sure that two of your bibliographic entries are annotated.

Review your Research Essay for any errors in grammar, spelling or punctuation.

Make sure that your essay structure and argument is clearly defined by well marked-out paragraphs.

Ensure that the scholarly research you have conducted meets the standards set for this essay.

Make any necessary revisions to improve the clarity and coherence of your Research Essay.

Step 10: Submit

Make sure you have included the coversheet.

If you submit on the day, even if it is before the cut-off time, you will be unable to resubmit.

Check your email for a submission confirmation email.

Step 11: Reflect

Once graded, review feedback in Cadmus.

Reflect on your research and writing process, and identify areas for improvement.

Continuously evaluate and adapt your Research Essay strategies to align with your learning style and goals.