Dissertation (POLM877)
This module description relates to the academic year 2011/2.
| Lecturer(s) | Allocated members of academic staff |
|---|---|
| Module level | M |
| Credit Value | 45.00 |
| ECTS Value | 22.5 |
| Pre-requisites | |
| Co-requisites | POLM876 Dissertation Skills |
| Duration of Module | June - September |
| Total Student Study Time | 450 hours, to include: 6 hours contact time and 444 hours private study |
Aims
To enable students to pursue an individual programme of research, applying appropriate research methodologies and drawing on appropriate materials, on a topic approved by the programme director and under the guidance of an academic supervisor.
Intended Learning Outcomes
On completion of the module, students should be able to:
Module-specific skills:
Demonstrate knowledge in depth of a specialised subject area. Design an individual research programme, incorporating appropriate social science research methods. Collate and analyse subject-specific information from a range of appropriate sources.
Discipline-specific skills:
Assimilate and critically analyse data from an appropriate range of sources. Develop cogent argument. Communicate complex information and ideas effectively in writing.
Personal and key skills:
Undertake an individual research project. Use IT for information retrieval and presentation. Manage own work.
Learning/Teaching Methods
Number of student-led workshops (frequency to be determined by size of cohort) to support pursuit of dissertation. Supervision of dissertation over the Summer months in form of at least four supervision meetings.
Assignments
Dissertation of up to 15,000 words.
Assessment
Dissertation of up to 15,000 words.
Syllabus Plan
At least four supervision meetings: one to initiate the dissertation followed by three meetings to give academic guidance including specific feedback on draft work.
Indicative Basic Reading List
G King, R Keohane and S Verba, Designing Social Inquiry (Princeton UP, 1994); D Burton (ed), Research Training for Social Scientists: A Handbook for Postgraduate Researchers (Sage, 2000). Subject-specific reading will varying according to research topic.
