Research Experience

Module title	Research Experience
Module code	POC3139
Academic year	2023/4
Credits	15
Module staff	Dr Gillian Juleff (Convenor)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks	11

Number students taking module (anticipated)	15

Module description

This module is designed to give you the opportunity to participate in research by working as research assistants for Politics faculty. Prior to the start of term, research active members of staff who wish to recruit research assistants will advertise projects and opportunities to students. If you are interested in taking the course, guidelines will be posted on how to apply for a particular project and acceptance by the project and supervising staff member will be the only required pre-requisite.

Acceptance onto the module is, in other words, competitive and not guaranteed. Opportunities are subject to who wants to bring an undergraduate RA on board, and some projects will be looking for specific skills. Some projects may involve working with external partners beyond the University but all work will be supervised by a staff member. The module provides you with an opportunity to participate on an active and ongoing research project. This experience should give you an understanding of an academic work environment through practical activities and enabling you to gain experience in the application of relevant methods and technologies.

Module aims - intentions of the module

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. Some projects will be multi-disciplinary and you will have exposure to research beyond discipline boundaries.

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 or equivalent project contribution that will form part of a larger research project. 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. The research assistant may 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)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. Develop methodological research skills, specifically in reading, designing, and conducting experimental research
2. Attain knowledge of landmark experimental research studies in political science

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

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

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

6. Conduct both independent and directed research tasks
7. Exercise critical judgment in the form of cogent and persuasive writing

Syllabus plan

While the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover the following topics:

Initial meeting with staff member/researcher
Outlining of specific tasks and responsibilities by the research
Assignment of relevant background material and reading list to understand the project
Submission of literature review
Submission of a project contribution

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
7	143

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	2	Orientation and training sessions
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	5	Tutorial meeting with project manager
Guided Independent Study	85	Private study (investigations of sources and research)
Guided Independent Study	18	Private study (writing literature review)
Guided Independent Study	40	Private study (writing project contribution)

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Plan: literature review	500 words	1-2, 6-7	Written and verbal feedback
Plan: project contribution	500 words	3-7	WrittenWritten and verbal feedback

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
100	0	0

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Literature review	35	1000 words	1-7	Written
Project contribution	65	2000 words	1-7	Written
	0
	0
	0
	0

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Literature review	Literature review (1000 words)	1-7	August/September reassessment period
Project contribution	Project contribution (2000 words)	1-7	August/September reassessment period

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Designing Social Inquiry by King, Keohane, and Verba

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/

Key words search

Research, Politics

Credit value	15
Module ECTS	7.5
Module pre-requisites	None
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	6
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	31/01/22
Last revision date	11/02/2023