ISSS (FIRP) Course Guide

There are different ways to organize your ideas for your ISSS paper.  You should examine your social issue in the way that best suits the problem you have chosen.

Click on the bolded terms below to see examples of how to organize your ideas.

You can examine the causes, consequences and solutions to your social issue.

You can examine the progress of your social issue chronologically (over time). 

You can examine the major themes associated with your social issue.

Each larger section (i.e.: Causes, Consequences, Solutions) is like a chapter.

Each smaller section (i.e.: Racism, Historic privilege, Workplace culture) is like a theme within your chapter.

Each sub-argument is a paragraph.

Each idea, fact and statistic that is neither your own, nor general knowledge, must be referenced. Your professor will choose the referencing style; they include Chicago, APA and MLA.

• Look at a book (or a few books!) on the topic you are researching.
• Compare the way they have organized their ideas to how you are organizing yours.
• Ask yourself, does the way I have organized my ideas make sense?

It is important to remember that while this page offers suggestions on how to organize your ideas, you are required to follow your professor’s instructions.