Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL3231: Research Experience

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

Module Aims

By the end of this module you will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how to work effectively as a research assistant, including how to communicate with your project manager, how to manage your time, and how to work as part of a team. You will also learn one political science or international relations research project in depth. During the module you will receive support and training and mentoring from the research active member of staff (your project manager). You will be tasked with conducting original, independent research and producing a substantial piece of writing that will form part of a larger research project that the project manager is working on. In the process, you will gain experience in how to demonstrate knowledge of political science and international relations as well as academic and practical research methods. While there are no guarantees, the expectation is that the research assistant will contribute sufficiently to a project to be added as a co-author on a manuscript to be submitted for peer-review for publication.

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. Develop methodological research skills, specifically in reading, designing, and conducting experimental research 2. Attain knowledge of landmark experimental research studies in political science
Discipline-Specific Skills	3. Exercise informed judgement concerning the practical constraints of being a research assistant in Politics/International relations 4. Exhibit an understanding of the relationship between knowledge and practice 5. Communicate (in writing and in speech) in a manner appropriate to professional research environment
Personal and Key Skills	6. Conduct both independent and directed research tasks 7. Exercise critical judgment in the form of cogent and persuasive writing

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
One research assistant-ship review	750 word self-assessment	3-7	Oral feedback

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
Literature Review	20	1500 words	1-7	Written and oral
Project contribution	80	2500 words	1-7	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.

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Literature review	Literature review (1500 words)	1-7	August/September reassessment period
Project contribution	Project contribution (2500 words)	1-7	August/September reassessment period