Module POL3040 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POL3040: Dissertation
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
Module Aims
This module aims to equip you with necessary knowledge and skills to conduct research on the research question of your choice resulting in a dissertation within one of the areas of politics, including political science, or political theory, or political philosophy, or International Relations. It is taught by using a series of dissertation skills sessions that introduce you how to design, research for and write up your dissertation; by drawing upon one-to-one supervision meetings working with one of the members of staff, and most importantly, based on your independent research.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. develop your own research project, the terms of which must be approved by a member of academic staff. |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 2. analyse a subject in the field of politics in great detail; 3. engage in primary and/or secondary data analysis using appropriate research design, and robust and ethical approach to data collection and analysis to address chosen research question(s). Engage in primary research of political material; 4. demonstrate detailed knowledge of the appropriate literatures and ability to place your own research within the field; 5. demonstrate a high standard of academic writing, presentation and structuring a substantive research project. |
| Personal and Key Skills | 6. organise your own time over the two terms; 7. manage and plan work time over a lengthy period. |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Dissertation skills sessions are delivered by the module coordinator, in collaboration with other members of academic staff where necessary – supported by the content of the ELE module page. These sessions will cover basics of research design and methodology, key aspects of ethical review and tips on dissertation writing.
You can also expect to meet with your supervisor four times (30 mins each) throughout the year (not during University recess). In addition to general advice and guidance on dissertation research and writing, your supervisor will provide you with feedback on up to 2,000 words of draft sections (i.e. ¼ of the dissertation) only if you submit them before the Easter non-teaching period.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 292 | 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 activity | 2 | Supervisor meetings (4x30 minute meetings) |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 6 | Dissertation skills sessions |
| Guided independent study | 292 | Researching your topic and writing it |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
- ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=1532
- Project Planner – http://methods.sagepub.com/project-planner
- Methods Map – http://methods.sagepub.com/methods-map
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discussions with supervisor | 4 x 30 minutes meetings | 1-7 | Verbal |
| Draft disseration chapter | 2,000 | 1-7 | Written |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dissertation | 100 | 8,000 words | 1-7 | Written and verbal |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dissertation | Dissertation (8,000 words) | 1-7 | August/September reassessment period |
Re-assessment notes
This will depend on the subject studied.
