The Research Paper is an important component of the Honours degree. It is also an introduction to research so that students who subsequently proceed to a Masters degree have had a dry run at the process. It thus provides an opportunity for you to do a small-scale project under the guidance of a staff member in order to explore an area that interests you; to consult what others have said about it; to practise the skills involved; and most importantly, to begin to develop your own voice as a scholar.
For this research you will consult relevant secondary sources, identified and selected in consultation your supervisor. The point of this literature review is to help you shape and formulate your own ideas – not just to simply reproduce what others have said and then move on to what you want to say. You need to be aware of existing scholarship, and to engage and grapple with it. In this way you will begin to develop your own scholarly voice.
It's important to note that this is year-long Paper; that it is a compulsory component of the Honours degree; and that it counts 30% of the final mark for the degree.