Your purpose must be clearly stated in the last sentence of the introductory paragraph. The paper should have the following components:

1. Introduction

The introduction should contain…

a) a background to the topic (providing a brief and focused discussion of the key events leading up to the conflict. This should lead to your statement of purpose (i.e., the main argument of the paper), which is to assess the “justness” of the conflict through the lens of just war theory. This statement is usually the last sentence of the introduction (e.g., “This paper argues/examines/seeks to demonstrate…, etc.)

2. Development

Before beginning the development, you should provide a brief transition paragraph that tells the reader how you intend to develop your ideas. This short paragraph should give a structure or outline of your supporting arguments.
This paragraph is followed by the development, which provides evidence (facts, quotes, supporting arguments) to support the thesis set out in your introduction. Your purpose in the development is to analyse, not merely describe or provide factual information. You should thus make an attempt to integrate concepts, theories or perspectives from the literature on just war theory. Pay particular attention to the organization, development and coherence of ideas. Be sure to link your sentences/paragraphs by using appropriate transitions. You must use in-text references to support your arguments and to demonstrate the extent of your research. For referencing format consult the library’s web page.

3. Conclusion

The conclusion synthesizes the main arguments of the paper. Refer to your purpose in the introduction and show how your research has supported it. Do not introduce new ideas in the conclusion.

4. References

The references are listed on a separate page (entitled “References”); it follows an appropriate referencing style and lists only sources that are cited in the paper.