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.

You need to submit:

1) the name of the country and it's geographic location;

2) basic socio-demographic information, such as population, major ethnic groups, religions, age distribution, educational attainment, etc.;

3) economic information, such as most important goods and services produced, major categories of imports and exports, GDP, GDP per capita, the name of the national currency; and,

4) 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.

Much of this information will also be used in subsequent weeks as you build on what you learn each week.

Each week your post must be in a report format, not in a Q&A format. So remember to use paragraphs and a report structure to your post.

You can find that information at websites like Wikipedia, 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.

1) Your research paper this week should be between 250 and 350 words. Shorter submissions will be penalized. Longer posts are acceptable only if the extra words add substance to your report. At the bottom of your post, you should include a word count (how many words are in your post).

2) Structure your paper as a report. Do use multiple paragraphs. Do NOT attach your report, instead type it into the text box on the research assignment board.

3) 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 Powerpoints linked below.

4) 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.

5) Remember to include citations to your sources in the body of your post 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.

6) If you choose a country already selected by a classmate, it is perfectly fine, but you cannot plagiarize your classmate's work. That would get you an automatic zero in the assignment.

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.