Undergraduate Module Descriptor

ARA3196: Independent Research

This module descriptor refers to the 2020/1 academic year.

Module Aims

The aim of this module is to equip you with the necessary research skills for conducting research at the Master’s level as well as to provide guidance in the initial stages of a dissertation in IAIS. After completing this module, you will have a well-defined research question and a good understanding of the major scholarly works in your chosen research area

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills	1. Demonstrate knowledge of major theories and research approaches within the discipline of Middle East and Islamic Studies; 2. Analyse relevant scholarly material for a dissertation;
Discipline-Specific Skills	3. Show awareness and knowledge of major research methods, approaches, and skills necessary to conduct research; 4. Locate and situate your own research in disciplinary debates, controversies and developments;
Personal and Key Skills	5. Research and access relevant scholarly works using databases and electronic search tools; 6. Communicate complex ideas and arguments in writing; and 7. Analyse a range of public and scholarly debates.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

Understanding what is a suitable research topic
How to locate a suitable research topic
Researching and writing a literature review
Elements of a research proposal
Deciding upon a methodology and approach
Planning the dissertation and time management

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
5	295	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 & teaching activities	5	5 hours of staff-led sessions teaching dissertation skills to students
Guided independent study	280	Researching and writing the research proposal and literature review
Guided independent study	15	Reading the assigned literature for staff-led sessions

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/