Programme of Study Catalogue

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
formulate a research proposal, appropriate to a 5,000-word essay, which defines their intended research area and shows the scope of the project;
demonstrate understanding and appropriate research skills (including use of both library and internet resources) in handling a range of primary and secondary material relevant to the research area and topic;
demonstrate understanding of the philosophical, ethical and/or religious concepts and issues arising from discussion of the topic;
Produce a piece of coherently argued writing, supported by appropriate scholarly apparatus, making a valid contribution to critical debate on the topic.

Content:

Students will define a topic of their choice, in consultation with an appointed member of the TRS teaching staff; formulate a proposal; conduct a detailed investigation of the topic, under the supervision of the appointed member of staff; and complete a critical essay on the topic, appropriately presented and supported by scholarly apparatus. Students will also be introduced to questions in research ethics appropriate to their topic. Where possible, learning will be supplemented with site visits. Research methods that aid fieldwork will also be considered where appropriate and, whenever possible, put into practice.

Learning and Teaching Information:

During Semester 1 and 2 there will be four one-hour workshops for the whole group on how to carry out research, prepare a research proposal, and write a long essay. After that there will be a number of short supervisions leading to a discussion of the draft essay.

Workshops
Contact hours: 4

Tutorials
Hours: 3

Guided independent study
Hours 393

Further details relating to assessment
It is essential to the module that students submit a 500-word proposal, outlining the topic and scope of the dissertation, before the end of Semester 1. The proposal will be marked to provide formative feedback.

Assessment:

001 Dissertation 8,000 words End of Semester 2 100%

Fact File

Module Coordinator - Nathan Uglow
Level - 6
Credit Value - 40
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered - 6YL