Topic Choice #2: International Homeland Security Comparison
Compare the United Kingdom, Canada and Ireland and
write a comparative analysis about the similarities and differences reflected in their
homeland security strategies, national-level emergency response plans,
organizations and initiatives. Keep in mind that in some countries, a lot of
information you would need may not be available in English, so choose your
countries carefully. Specific questions to consider addressing in this paper include:
Are their strategies clear and comprehensive, and how do their organizational
structures compare? How do they prepare their citizens for responding effectively
following a crisis? Do any of them focus adequately on resilience? What kinds of
challenges are they addressing (and how) in core areas of border, aviation,
maritime, critical infrastructure, agriculture, cyber, public transportation and other
security areas we cover in this course? What deficiencies and significant challenges
do you see? Finally, based on your analysis, what lessons can be drawn for U.S.
homeland security professionals, and why?
Step 2. Gather and Analyze Quality Research on that Topic
Collect and read some good quality research (books, peer-reviewed journal articles,
government reports and websites, official statements, Congressional hearing testimony,
think tank and private sector reports, etc.) about the topic you have chosen. Whichever
type of paper topic you choose to address, you must include specific facts and data (for
example, the length of borders to secure; the number of maritime ports or airports;
population size; industrial locations with hazardous chemicals; estimated number of
specific critical infrastructure targets; number of laboratories and/or medical facilities
with potentially harmful biological pathogens; the average number of daily passengers
using public transportation; the number and size of nuclear power plants, and the
people who depend on them for their electricity; etc.). Having these kinds of facts helps
conduct a more thorough comparative analysis. Please note, there are a number of
quality resources available to you on the CRIM.5740 course website, but these should
just serve as a starting point. Also, do not cite course lecture notes, Wikipedia,
Encyclopedia.com, Dictionary.com, History.com or other basic low-level information
sources. You have nearly the entire semester (3 months) to find and read quality
reference sources on which to base your Research Paper.
Step 3. Format Instructions for the Research Paper
▪ Provide a cover page with a title, your name, the date, “CRIM.5740 Homeland
Security Research Paper” and a brief summary abstract of the paper.
▪ On the next page, begin with an introduction to the research paper that clearly
identifies the topic area you have chosen, and why.
▪ Be sure to use page numbers, and use either footnote references (bottom of the
page) or endnote references (end of the document) to support your discussion.
Graphs, data tables, or other visual enhancements are encouraged.
▪ At the end of your research paper, be sure to provide a conclusion summarizing
what you have learned in your research and analysis, a