Undergraduate Module Descriptor

LAW3110C: Legal Research Paper 1

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Students will be asked to select their field of study from a range of subject areas offered by staff. Having reached agreement with staff over supervision, students will undertake a research phase to narrow down and refine their field of study to a specific title.

Students will meet with their supervisor on a mutually agreed basis (not less than three meetings during the term) to plan and discuss their research, analysis and writing. Students will also be supported by specific teaching materials (which may include group workshops) for guidance and advice on: managing and structuring the paper; research using databases and library resources; preparing the Progress Report (see below); referencing; and effective writing. Students will receive regular formative advice and feedback through the individual and group supervision activities.

Midway through the module, students will submit a Progress Report (1000 words). This work is summatively assessed and enables students to demonstrate and test their interim progress with their Legal Research Paper. The Progress Report will take the form of an abstract of the paper setting out the aims of the paper and summarising the strands of discussion that will be covered in the final paper. It will include a short indicative bibliography.

Thereafter, it is anticipated that students will focus on independently developing and writing up the final paper with support from their supervisor, group sessions and independent planning. Students will be expected to prepare their final submission as if they are submitting their work to a peer-reviewed journal and the assessment will include consideration of how the journal reviewers might consider the submission.

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
11.5	138.5	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	1.5	Individual Supervision meetings; a minimum of three hours contact is expected over the term.
Scheduled learning and teaching activities	10	8 hours of training sessions on research preparation, skills and legal academic writing and one 2 hour facilitated peer support session.
Guided independent study	18.5	Identifying and locating research materials.
Guided independent study	60	Carrying out research, reading and taking notes
Guided independent study	60	Drafting and writing up

Online Resources

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

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.

B Allison and P Race, The Student’s Guide to Preparing Dissertations and Theses (Routledge Cavendish 2004)

R Banaker and M Travers, Theory and Method in Socio-Legal Research (Hart, 2005)

J Bell, Doing your Research Project (4th edn, Open University Press 2005)

L Blaxter and C Hughes, How to Research (3rd edn, Open University Press 2006)

J Grix, The Foundations of Research (Palgrave 2004)

E Higgins & LTatham, Successful Legal Writing (3^rd edn, Sweet and Maxwell 2015)

J Knowles, Effective Legal Research (4th edn, Sweet and Maxwell 2016)

M McConville, Research Methods for Law (Edinburgh University Press 2007)

N Salkind, Exploring Research (7th edn, Prentice Hall 2009)

M Salter and J Mason, Writing Law Dissertations: an Introduction and Guide to the Conduct of Legal Research (Longman, 2007)

D Stott, Legal Research (2nd edn, Routledge Cavendish 1999)