Dissertation
| Module title | Dissertation |
|---|---|
| Module code | POC3040 |
| Academic year | 2020/1 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Dr Sabiha Allouche (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 40 |
|---|
Module description
A dissertation provides you with an opportunity to undertake independent research on a topic of your own choice. A dissertation is not just a long essay. It requires you to engage reflectively in designing and undertaking a discrete piece of independent research with guidance from your supervisor. That usually involves examining primary sources, whether these be archives, philosophical texts, statistics, government reports, interviews, media sources, campaign materials, etc. In contrast to a typical undergraduate essay, a good dissertation will demonstrate an awareness of how you have approached a particular issue, provide a rationale for why you have approached it in this way (your ‘methodology’) and demonstrate some reflection on the research process itself, e.g. how did the theoretical approach you adopt help to generate the particular line of inquiry you followed?
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module provides you with the opportunity to engage independently with a particular issue in depth. The aim of the module is to enable you to plan, undertake and write up a piece of research with minimal guidance from academic staff. This process aims to inspire a genuine engagement with research methods in Politics and to enable students to develop important skills needed to work independently organization, motivation, initiative, communication etc ) Another important aim of this module is to develop your interpersonal skills so that you can develop a professional working relationship with your supervisor which will support your research. Your dissertation supervisor will support and guide your research process and will offer feedback throughout the year. S/he will help you narrow down your topic area, devise a suitable research question and help you plan your research activities.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. define a suitable research topic and pursue it to completion
- 2. evaluate the main themes in work of political science
- 3. assess the professionalism and scholarly value of published works in political science
- 4. present work in a scholarly fashion
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. assess the work of scholars
- 6. collate and critique data from a range of sources
- 7. understand and deploy the terminology of political science in a comprehensible manner
- 8. analyse and differentiate between complex sources
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 9. work independently under guidance and to organise your own time over the two semesters;
Syllabus plan
You will be allocated a dissertation supervisor from within the Politics department. You will be responsible for approaching the supervisor to set up meetings about their dissertation. You are allowed 4 supervision meetings of 1 hour at specified times throughout the year. Additionally you are expected to hand in work at various stages so that your supervisor can offer feedback. It is envisaged that the bulk of your time will be spent on private study, at the rate of 10 hours per week. Supervisors are allowed to see and comment on a detailed plan of the dissertation and up to 3,000 words of the final dissertation.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | 288 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 4 | 4 x 1 hour individual supervision meetings with your supervisor, held throughout the year. |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 8 | 4 x 2 hour dissertation skills sessions held throughout terms one and two. Example topics include research proposal design, research questions, literature reviews, structure and submission |
| Guided independent study | 288 | Around 10 hours per week should be spent on planning, conducting and writing up your dissertation. This will include: reading the literature and writing a literature review, collected primary data/sources and analysing them, writing up your research to the required standard. The module handbook outlines when work should be submitted to your supervisor for feedback. Your supervisor will help you plan your time and specific research activities necessary will vary according to research topic. |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dissertation Plan | 750 words | 1-9 | Oral |
| Draft of dissertation chapter | 3,000 words | 1-9 | Oral |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dissertation | 100 | 10,000 words | 1-9 | Written feedback |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dissertation | Dissertation (10,000 words) | 1-9 | August/September reassessment period |
Re-assessment notes
Non-submission of dissertations is non-condonable.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Halperin, S., and Heath, O. (2012) Political research: methods and practical skills. Oxford: OUP
Harrison, L. (2013) Political research: an introduction. Abindon, Routledge.
Higgins, R. (1996). Approaches to research: a handbook for those writing a dissertation. London: Jessica Kinglsey Publishers.
Preece, R.A. (1994). Starting research: an introduction to academic research and dissertation writing. London: Pinter.
Silbergh, D. Doing dissertations in politics: a student guide. Psychology Press, 2001.
Smith, K., Todd M., and Waldman J. (2009) Doing your undergraduate social science dissertation. Abindon, Routledge
Swetnam, D. (2000). Writing your dissertation. Oxford: OUP.
Plus sources appropriate to the topic chosen
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 01/10/2009 |
| Last revision date | 12/08/2020 |
