Policy on Generative AI
What you may and may not do with ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, and similar tools in my courses; how to disclose and cite AI use; and what happens when the policy is broken.
Course policy
Student Resources
These pages collect the guidance I give students most often — in office hours, in email, and in the margins of papers. They apply across my courses at Champlain College Saint-Lambert and Concordia University, at both the CEGEP and university levels.
Two things to keep in mind. First, your course outline always wins. If a syllabus says something different from what you read here, follow the syllabus and ask me if you are unsure. Second, these guides are meant to be practical rather than exhaustive: they tell you what to do and why, not everything that could be said about the topic.
Requesting a Reference Letter
Who I can write for, how much notice I need, what to send me, and how to make it easy for me to write you a strong letter rather than a generic one.
Procedure
Writing Political Science Papers
From research question to final draft: what makes an argument, how to structure a paper, how to use evidence, and the mistakes that cost the most marks.
Guide
Reading and Evaluating Sources
How to read an academic article in three passes, how to find scholarly sources, and how to judge journalism, think tank reports, polls, and statistics.
Guide
Citation and Referencing
When to cite, how to paraphrase without plagiarising, and worked examples for the sources political science students get wrong most often — government documents, treaties, datasets, and polls.
Guide
Where else to get help
These guides are not a substitute for the support services at your institution, which are free and staffed by people whose entire job is to help you.
- Champlain College Saint-Lambert: the George W. Wallace Library for research help and subject guides, the Writing Centre for help with drafting and revision, and the Learning Centre for study support.
- Concordia University: the Student Success Centre for writing assistance and learning support, and the Concordia Library for research help and subject librarians.
- Me: office hours, or the contact form. If you are stuck on a paper, coming to see me with a rough outline is far more productive than coming with nothing or coming with a finished draft the night before it is due.