Undergraduate Module Descriptor

LAW3151B: Research Paper

This module descriptor refers to the 2022/3 academic year.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

You will choose your research area at the end of the first term of year 3 and fill in the form that is sent to you by email. You are expected to use the Christmas vacation to do some background reading, but no written work is expected of you. No supervision takes place over this period.

You will confirm the research question at the start of term 2 of your final year. The allocation of supervisors is confirmed by the module convenor at the start of term.

This module is essentially facilitated through individual supervision. You will have a number of meetings with your supervisor, following a schedule set out in the module handbook.

ELE is used to provide you with materials and to enable the module convenor to communicate with you throughout the duration of the module.

You will have to keep a ‘learning log’ to reflect on your research as it progresses. This is a formative part of the module (i.e. non-assessed) and you are encouraged to write regular entries in your journal each week to monitor and reflect on how your research is developing. As a rough guide you may wish to write 200 words in your reflective learning log per week. You and your supervisor may wish to discuss this during supervision meetings.

NOTE: If you think that as part of your research you will need to carry out interviews, issue questionnaires or undertake any other form of interaction with people, you MUST discuss this with your supervisor and ensure ethical compliance. Any such research may only proceed once ethics clearance has been acquired.

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
14	136	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	2	Individual Supervision meetings a minimum of two hours contact is expected over the term.
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	12	Four x 1.5 group training sessions on research preparation, skills and legal academic writing and three 2 hour facilitated peer support sessions.
Guided Independent Study	6	Learning Log
Guided Independent Study	16	Identifying and locating research materials.
Guided Independent Study	57	Carrying out research, reading and taking notes.
Guided Independent Study	57	Drafting and writing up.

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
Learning log	You are expected to write about 200 words per week in your log.	1-2, 4, 6-9	You may discuss with your supervisor specific issues arising in your research and noted in your log; peer feedback available through the research discussion meetings.
1,500 words submitted to your supervisor for feedback as set out in the module handbook.	1,500 words	1-9	Individual oral and/or written feedback from supervisor during supervision meetings as set out in the module handbook.

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
Research Paper	100	4,500 words	1-9	Written feedback and (if needed) individual meeting with supervisor
	0
	0
	0
	0
	0

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
Research Paper	Research Paper (4,500 words)	1-9	August/September re-assessment period

Re-assessment notes

It is expected that students who fail their research paper will re-submit it on the same topic to reflect on and learn from the feedback they will have received on the research paper originally submitted. Any derogation from this will have to be discussed with and approved by the module convenor.

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.

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)