Research Overview

All of MUN begins with research. In this sense, research might at first seem a vast and overwhelming enterprise, but it is in no way out of reach. By giving yourself enough time and the proper resources, you will be able to formulate a solid understanding of your country, the United Nations, and the issues in question. With this many aspects involved, however, it is best to focus upon one at a time. After a bit of research, you will begin to see how each area relates to others as a coherent whole.

The Topic Synopsis

The most obvious part of research is often overlooked: reading the topic synopsis! Reading the topic synopsis will give you a push in the right direction for the rest of your work. In particular the questions at the end of the topic synopsis will summarize what you ought to be researching in a clear and succinct manner. Keep in mind that the Chair has written it as a statement, in general, of what he or she expects debate to focus upon.

Your Committee

Especially if you are just beginning as a delegate, it is essential to understand the very foundation of Model United Nations – the United Nations organ itself. Before you can truly take part in MUN, you must have a firm grasp of the body you will be working within. Get to know the UN’s structure, its major goals, members, areas of involvement, etc. Once you’ve begun to examine the UN as a whole, you can narrow in on your specific committee. It is important that you understand how your committee fits into the UN organ. You should be aware of realistic and unrealistic actions that your specific committee can propose. You should know the extent of your country’s power, including what you can and cannot recommend or reasonably demand. In an attempt to model the real UN, you should also act plausibly, knowing what is and is not in reach of your committee.

Your Country

Once you’ve read the topic synopsis proceed by researching your country’s history, policies, and statistics. Basic facts such as population, resources, the capital, leader, Gross National Product (GNP), trade data (imports and exports), minorities, religion and type of government should all be included in your research. Although past history may seem ancient and unnecessary in resolving today and tomorrow’s problems, a country’s background and birth is very relevant. Be sure to research how exactly your country achieved sovereignty, whether it be peaceful or violent.
Next, you should find speeches by your country’s representative. The text of a speech by your country’s representative at a plenary session or committee meeting can be invaluable for defining a country position. It will also be helpful to take a look at statements on your country’s foreign policy. You can locate statements of your country’s foreign policy perspective in official sources such as press releases from foreign embassies, information centers, and ministries of foreign affairs. In addition, examining UN resolutions related to your issues and the voting record of your country may give you further insight about the issues at hand.

But, what if you have trouble finding research on your country? Indeed, sometimes you may be assigned a country, which isn’t politically or economically visible on an international scale. If this describes your assigned country your best option is to research other countries with similar policies and worldviews—that is, other countries in the same regional bloc. To do this, make use of the classroom globe and find which countries surround your country. Next find out which of these neighboring countries share cultural or political perspectives. Even though this information isn’t directly about your country’s policy it will probably be very similar to it. So, if something of significance happens to another member of your bloc, you can use it as relevant information to include in your speeches or position paper. Such knowledge will also come in handy when resolution signing and voting comes into play.

Your Topic

Once a foundation of both your country’s and the United Nation’s background is established, the next logical step is to examine the topics on the committee agenda. While you may want to jump right into UN documents or newspaper articles, the best place to go is back to the topic synopsis. Again, the topic synopsis will provide you with perhaps your most valuable tools. Not only will it condense and explain the issue, but it will also furnish you with key references. The sources listed in the bibliography of the topic synopsis should become the cornerstone of your research. In a sense, your Chair has already begun your research for you.
Have no fear – you will get to do some researching of your own.

The Chair’s resources are only the beginning. The next step is to begin checking into recent articles about your topic. Magazines, newspapers, or UN publications will be helpful in providing different perspectives on the issues.

It’s a good idea to keep a 3×5 index card for each source. It’s also helpful to keep a list of important treaties, key events, civil wars, etc. surrounding your topic. In addition to reading up on the current events taking place involving your topic and country, be sure to follow up on past UN resolutions that have been passed dealing with your topic. Resolutions are wonderful quick references to see what has already been accomplished. Chairs like to see original ideas, not ideas copied off of a resolution, therefore it is helpful to find out what has already been put into action and what still needs to be done.

Policy

Now that you’re becoming more familiar with the topics and your country, it’s time to start formulating your country’s policy. This is where all of your collected information will start to come together into one whole. Start by narrowing your search of articles to those involving only your country’s or its bloc’s area of interest. Try to find connections with the way your country dealt with past events. Articles by this point may be becoming repetitive, a good sign of thorough research. As you are now a well-trained delegate in the area in question, you should be able to begin brainstorming different solutions your country would propose. Here are some questions that will help guide you to a better understanding of your country’s policy:

  • What past actions has your country taken concerning the issue at hand?
  • If your country is actively involved, are there any improvements to future actions that your country can implement?
  • If your country is not heavily involved what solutions or ideas does your country have to deal with the issue?
  • What goals or initiatives does your country want the committee to work towards?
  • To what extent do your country’s goals conflict with the sovereignty and policy of other nation-states?
  • How might these differences be reconciled?
  • What compromises can be offered to get others to support your position?
  • To what extent are your country’s goals realistic—that is, economically or politically feasible? (If it seems that you might have a difficult time establishing the feasibility of your goals, explain in more detail the steps that can be taken to reach the objective.)
  • What role does your country propose other nation-states and international actors play in attempting to deal with the issue?
  • Which specific international actors, that is—countries, transnational corporations, international bodies, NGOs—ought to get involved?
  • Will incentives or penalties be needed to encourage their participation?
  • How should the UN (or the organ you are working within) respond and what actions should it take?

Research Notebook

With an idea of what and how you should be researching, the next question is how you should organize the newspaper articles, book sources, UN documents, etc. that you have compiled through the course of your researching. The easiest thing to do is to get a three ring binder and make a research notebook that is organized into different categories of information.
Sample Notebook Content

  • General Facts and Commentary
  • Newspaper/ Magazine Articles
  • Book photocopies
  • Website print outs
  • Past UN Actions:
  • UN resolutions
  • UN reports
  • Website print outs
  • Country Past Actions and Solutions:
  • Newspaper/Magazine Articles
  • Book photocopies
  • Website print outs

Organizing your research in this way will not only prepare you to write your position paper, it will also enable you to carry all of your work to the conference in a neat and tidy binder, just in case you have to prove something in a hurry to a skeptical delegate.