Module LAW3176 for 2018/9
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
LAW3176: Researching Public International Law
This module descriptor refers to the 2018/9 academic year.
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
You will attend class each week to plan and discuss your research project. In Week 1, you will meet your research collaborators, and will discuss with the convener different avenues for the research project. In subsequent weeks, you will be assigned individual and collaborative tasks by agreement, and will be accountable for that work at each subsequent meeting of the group. For example, you might be asked to research a discrete area and report back to the group the following week. Or you might be asked to write 1,000 words on an area or set of sources. Everyone in the group will, during the module, undertake both research and writing. Towards the end of the module, students will turn their focus to editing and completion of the (approx.) 12,000 word article. Discussions will then turn towards publication, and submission to a peer-reviewed journal. The summative assessment will comprise of a group element (the finished article), and an assessment of your individual contribution through your individual writing contributions and your class-based contributions.
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 16.5 | 133.5 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 16.5 | 11 x 1.5hr workshops |
| Guided independent study | 133.5 | Research and writing connected to the project |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
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 sections of the article | 1,000 words | 1-6 | Written and oral |
| Each week you will be allocated a research task such as: i) a report on an area of law of less than 1,000 words, ii) a 5-10 minute presentation on a journal article, iii) a 1-page bibliography of resources on a specific area of research inquiry. | 1-6 | Oral |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group Project | 40 | Article-length e.g. 12,000 words | 1-6 | Written |
| Individual writing contributions | 40 | 2,000 words | 1-6 | Written and oral |
| Class contribution your level of participation in research discussions will be recorded by the convenor. | 20 | 1-6 | Written and oral |
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.
Re-assessment notes
Reassessment will take the form of an individual research paper, on a research question to be agreed with the convenor. In the event that 100% is reassessed, this research paper will take the form of a 6,000 word paper. In the event that students complete the class contribution element of summative assessment (20%), reassessment of the remainder will take the form of a 5,000 word assessment (80%).
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
Basic reading:
It is expected that the reading materials for this module will depend upon the defined research questions agreed with Professor Schmitt. For general guidance on researching and writing in law:
R Huxley-Binns et al, Unlocking legal learning, (Hodder Arnold 2005), ch.5
M Salter and J Mason, Writing Law Dissertations: an Introduction and Guide to the Conduct of Legal Research (Longman, 2007)
M McConville, Research Methods for Law (Edinburgh University Press, 2007)
R Banaker and M Travers, Theory and Method in Socio-Legal Research (Hart, 2005)
