Term Project

Assignment Guidelines
GEOG 100 / Spring 2024

Photo by Kadyn Pierce on Unsplash 2002

Overview of Project
The purpose of this project is for each of you to become familiar with commonly used demographic
measurements employed in the study of population, or demography. For this project, you will be
specifically focusing on fertility, and why populations in different countries will have higher or lower
rates of fertility at a given point in time.

Total Fertility Rate, or TFR, is one of the most helpful measures used by geographers to understand both
population and economic change. On its own, TFR can highlight differences in family size and point to
(but not definitively explain) gender expectations in different locations. To further understand what might
be happening in a population, however, geographers will also need to employ other types of demographic
data to build a fuller understanding of population dynamics.

In your assignment, you will be working with several measurements, or data sets, related to population.
Those are outlined in the next section. You will be collecting this data for three different countries, one of
which is Canada.

You will then utilize the selected data to generate possible explanations for why different countries have
similar or different rates of fertility. The goal is not to prove why one or more countries will have higher
or lower fertility. To do so would require more exhaustive study. Instead, we would like to see you
demonstrate critical thinking about what information the data does—and does not—provide.

Components of Project
Your finished project will include the following components:
1) Data for seven unique demographic characteristics for…
2) Each of three countries, selected from the lists below, which will be…
3) Compiled visually in tables and/or graphs along with a map or series of maps that locate the three
countries in the world.

You will use this data, and draw on class and project readings (see project folder on class eLearn site) to
generate:
4) An introduction and brief discussion of the significance of each of the types of data used, as well
as why you selected the countries and types of data that you are using for this study, followed
by…

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 5) A critical discussion of how the chosen data may (or may not) explain differences in fertility
between countries, as well as…
6) A discussion of what you do not know but would need to do further research on in order to help
answer why fertility rates differ from country to country.
7) Finally, you will include two additional elements: a glossary of demographic terms (i.e.,
“urbanization rate”, “population growth rate”, etc.) with brief (1-2 lines) definitions for each, and
a bibliography.

Your final project will be presented as a report. You may choose to use a template from MS Word or
Pages (Apple), or create your own. Subheadings are encouraged. Citation of resources used in this report
is required (see project folder on class eLearn site)

Choosing Your Countries

This project requires that you compare Total Fertility Rates, or TFR, in three very different geographic
contexts. Your three countries must include:

1) Canada
2) One of the following countries in East/ Southeast Asia: the Philippines, Vietnam, South Korea, or
Japan
3) One of the following countries in Central Asia or South America: Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan,
Mongolia, Tajikistan, Peru, Paraguay, Chile, or Guyana

You may know very little about each of the countries you select from the lists in #2 and #3 above. That is
perfectly okay! This will mean that you should rely more on the data that you collect rather than ideas you
may have formed about the place and its population already. However, it is also okay to choose places
with which you are familiar already, but if you do so, be sure to rely on the data to help support your
ideas.

TFR and Additional Data

Each of you will be collecting data for seven (7) unique demographic factors for each of your three
countries.

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Data can be collected from a number of reliable resources, but the most consistent and easiest to use is the
CIA World Factbook. You can find this here:
https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/references/guide-to-country-comparisons/

Additional sources of information, both for data and for explanation of the demographic measures,
include:

 World Population Review: https://worldpopulationreview.com/

 Our World in Data: https://ourworldindata.org/
 World Bank’s Open Data site: https://data.worldbank.org/ (note: this is a more difficult site to
use, but can provide a more detailed level of detail if you wish to dive deeper into a topic)
 Statista: https://www.statista.com/

Each of you are required to collect the following:

1) Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
2) Urbanization level / rate (expressed as a percentage of the population that lives in urban areas)
3) Real GDP per capita.
4) Net migration

In addition, for numbers 5-7, you are required to collect data on three of the following:
 Median Age (through CIA World Factbook)
 Infant Mortality Rate (through CIA World Factbook)
 Sex Ratio at Birth (https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/sex-ratio/)
 Population change rate or Population growth rate (through CIA World Factbook)
 Literacy rate, adult (15 years or older)—either for total population or female literacy rate only if
available for countries being compared (https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/literacy/)
 Population density (https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/countries-by-density)
 Population size/ total population (through CIA World Factbook)
 Mother’s mean age for first birth (https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/mothers-mean-
age-at-first-birth/)
 (Crude) Birth Rate (through CIA World Factbook)

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  Fragile State Index (https://fragilestatesindex.org/2023/06/14/fragile-states-index-2023-annual-
report/)

Which three you choose from the above list is entirely up to you. However, not all of these are equally as
useful in helping to explain fertility differences. Be sure to provide a rationale for why you choose the
data that you did. And if you find that some of the data you collected is less influential, that is convey in
your report as well.

Preparing Your Analysis and Your Report

Your final presentation will be organized into a report, with subheadings and visuals included. It should
look something like this document, but you are free to adopt different styles so long as the final
appearance is professional. (No crazy or unreadable fonts!)
The following is a suggested order for your report. You can individualize the individual subheadings, or
change the order somewhat, as you see fit.
Title Page:
Include a descriptive title (NOT: “term project”!) for this. A more descriptive title could be: Baby Booms
or Busts? Comparing Fertility in Three Countries or Examining Fertility and Demographic Change. It
does not have to be super fancy, but the title should convey what your report is about. PLEASE ALSO
INCLUDE: Your name; Student ID number; Class (GEOG 100: Human Geography); and Date.

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 Figure 1: Location of Armenia, indicated by the red circle, the first of three countries included in this report.
Armenia is a landlocked country located between the Black and Caspian Seas. Image source: Google Maps
2024.

Introduction (300-400 words). Your introduction should provide:

 The purpose of the report (e.g. I intend to show x, y, z…), and how you intend to show it.
 What is the TFR? Why is it important? How might it possibly reflect economic development or
social change?
Geography. (150-300 words) This section should provide:
 The countries that you chose to examine for your project. Why did you choose them? How
familiar are you with the countries that you chose?
 Include a map of the world and indication the location of your countries on that map. You may
need to use more than one map. Remember to include both a caption and the source for your map.
Data. This section should:
 Identify the data measures (e.g., you included. For those that you selected from the long list of
options on page 5, why did you choose these categories?
 How is each demographic measure defined? What is the significance of each? In other words,
why is (for instance) urbanization rate important?
 Present your data in a visual format that is clear and easy to use.

Presenting Your Data

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You will need to organize and present your data using tables and/or graphs. Your tables and graphs must
be labeled, and include references. You will need to prepare at least three tables or graphs, and no more
than seven.

You have flexibility in choosing which data to include in each table. We recommend that you organize
data in a way that supports your discussion later. For instance, Table 1 includes data for TFR,
Urbanization, and Female Literacy. This may mean that the author is planning on discussing the
relationship between these later on in the report.

You may choose to include TFR in all of your tables, if you find that helpful.

Table 1: TFR, Urbanization, and Literacy Rates for the Case Study Countries
Urbanization Rate (in
Total Fertility Rate Literacy Rate, Female
%)

Country A 2.12 74 98

Country B 1.30 82 100

Country C 2.76 54 94

Data Source: CIA World Factbook, 2022.

If you have not created a table before, do not worry. It’s pretty simple! If you are using MS Word, take
the following steps:

a. Click on the "Insert" tab in the Word ribbon.

b. Select "Table" and ‘stretch’ the icon out to select the number of columns and rows that you
would like. For instance, if you choose a 3x4 table, this would be three columns and four rows.
c. You can use bolding or shading in the header row (top row) and left-hand column, as you see
above in Table 1, to differentiate your headings from your data.

How to prepare effective tables or graphs:

 Your tables/ graphs will need to show data in a comparative way. You can select a few types of data
to include in a table, and then list data for each of the countries.
 You will need a minimum of three tables and/or graphs, in any combination. You do not need to
include graphs if you are not comfortable doing so.
 You can include up to seven tables/and or graphs

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How NOT to prepare your tables or graphs:
 Do NOT put all data for all three countries in a single table! This is too big and unwieldy, and will
be hard to read and use.
Critical Discussion (750-1000 words)
Use the overall data to discuss the trends within the population of the countries. Could you find patterns
when you compared the data points? What are the overall trends or tendencies – are there surprising
differences or similarities? How might you explain these? Refer to each table in your discussion. Make
sure it is clear what table you are referring to.

Conclusion (150-200 words)

In this discussion, consider what you don’t know and what data you need to find our more. Where are the
gaps in data? What else do you need to know to make a more comprehensive explanation? What
additional types of data would you need to collect? What still needs to be learned?

Glossary The glossary is where you list and then define what each data point means. One or two
sentences for each data point is sufficient.

Reference page you must use APA format. Check resources on eLearn site for help with this.

Questions and Evaluation

Q: What if I want to do a country not on one of the lists?
We may be willing to do a substitution for one of the countries, e.g., the US instead of Canada. However,
we will not allow India or China. These countries’ populations are too big and internally diverse and have
complex histories of population and fertility interventions that require more explanation than can be
explored here.

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Q: What if I want to include a demographic measurement not on one of the lists?
Again, we may be willing to approve something not on the list of options. You will still need to do TFR,
Urbanization, Real GDP per capita, and Net Migration. If you have one not on the optional list that you
would like to include, just ask!

Q: Do I have to include graphs? Or can I just include tables?

No graphs are required. It is an option for those of you would would like to present some of your data
using them.

Q: How long do you want this report to be?

The lengthy will vary based on how you organize and present your data. We have provided target word
counts for each section. In total, your report (with tables, glossary, and references page) will likely end up
between 10-12 pages.

Q: What about font size, spacing, etc.

Please stick to the commonly used, easy-to-read fonts (Calibri, Arial, Century Gothic, Garamond, Times
New Roman, etc.). The font size for your main headings should not exceed 14pt. Your subheadings
should be 12pt. The majority of your paper will be 10 or 11pt. Please use either 1.15 or 1.5 spacing.
Q: I don’t know how to cite this information. Can you help?
In this class, we use APA citation. Capilano has a guide to help you use this citation style:
https://libguides.capilanou.ca/apa

Q: How will I be graded for this report?

The report evaluation will include
- Did you make effective choices of your variable data points.
- Did you provide an explanation and apply those to your overall discussion.
- Did you acknowledge and build on significance of data points.
- Was format easy to follow/read.
- Did your tables combine information that made comparison easy to understand,
- Was writing concise, free of grammar, sentence structure and spelling errors.
- Does the conclusion indicate gaps in the research.
- Is the material referenced and cited properly – according to APA guidelines.