Module LAWM687 for 2022/3
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Postgraduate Module Descriptor
LAWM687: Socio-Legal Research Skills
This module descriptor refers to the 2022/3 academic year.
Module Aims
The module particularly aims to enable you to explain, critique, and apply core methods in socio-legal research to research problems. As such, it is essential preparation for the MRes dissertation. It will increase your abilities in respect to research design and methods, and through practising dissemination skills in individual and group contexts.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. demonstrate a good understanding of how differing research designs and methods can be applied to socio-legal research questions; 2. demonstrate an ability to critically evaluate the appropriateness and execution of research methods, design and analytical approaches in socio-legal contexts; 3. demonstrate awareness of the range of ethical issues involved in empirical research in law; 4. demonstrate awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of comparative and cross-cultural research. |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 5. demonstrate knowledge and apply sensible choices about research design to a research question; 6. critically evaluate research design, methods, and analytical choices in empirical research; 7. demonstrate a knowledge of the key steps in delivering a research project deploying core methods, including understanding quantitative and qualitative data analysis, and to make effective choices about data analysis. |
| Personal and Key Skills | 8. use IT effectively and appropriately to help analyse data from a variety of sources; 9. critically reflect on research design, data collection and analysis; 10. write up and present research findings in a systematic way. |
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Draft reflective log | 400 words | 1-10 | Individual written feedback (with oral feedback upon request) |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 reflective logs | 40 | 2,100 words in total (each approximately 700 words) | 1-10 | Individual written feedback (with oral feedback upon request) |
| Essay | 60 | 3,000 words | 1-10 | Individual written feedback (with oral feedback upon request) |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 reflective logs | 3 reflective logs (2,100 words in total; same as above) | 1-10 | August/September re-assessment period |
| Essay | Essay (3,000 words) | 1-10 | August/September re-assessment period |
