The topic of the essay should focus on one or several of the questions addressed in the Milindapañha. Please get in touch with the course instructor, if you have any doubts about how to choose your research
essay topic. The course instructor will be glad to offer assistance in deciding on the relevant topic, material or method and discuss your thoughts and writing. You may, but are not required to, hand in an essay proposal for the instructor to review and give you written feedback on. Should you decide to hand in such a proposal, it will have to be handed in by March 18th the latest. Advice and feedback from the instructor for specific issues concerting the essay can, of course, be asked for any time over the course of the term. Guidelines for the writing of the essay will be posted on Blackboard. As a more comprehensive guide for essay writing you are encouraged, but not required, to purchase: Scott G. Brown. A guide to writing academic essays in Religious Studies. London & New York: Continuum, 2008. The research essay must comprise 12-20 pages, excluding cover and contents pages and bibliography with the lines being 1.5-spaced. The deadline for the research essay is April 1, 2015. It has to be handed in: (1) electronically by sending it to the instructor at christoph.emmrich@utoronto by including the word “Milinda” in the subject line (do not use Turnitin.com or the electronic dropbox on Blackboard) AND (2) as hardcopy to the instructor in class on the last day of class, at the last class meeting. The essay will be graded and students will receive written feedback, if requested.