Dissertation skills

Module title	Dissertation skills
Module code	ARAM233
Academic year	2023/4
Credits	15
Module staff	Professor Nahyan Fancy ()

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks	11

Number students taking module (anticipated)	20

Module description

This module is intended to introduce you to general research skills, sources and tools relevant to the study of the Middle East, North Africa and the Muslim world in general from the perspectives of the social sciences and humanities. It is compulsory for all students on taught Masters courses in the IAIS and for those first year PhD students who are deemed by their supervisors to need methodological training. Otherwise there are no pre- or co-requisites. It consists of workshops introducing relevant methodologies for studying the Middle East, focusing in particular on how to write a dissertation. The course covers issues such as the structure of a research proposal, how to find a research question, the literature review, ethics, and how to receive and use constructive feedback.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module is designed to develop the advanced skills you will need to undertake an MA in Middle East Studies, especially to research and write.

Postgraduate study in the social sciences includes both comprehension of research methods and the ability to use them yourself. This module exposes you to different types of methods within the social sciences, ranging from qualitative methods such as ethnography and participant observation to quantitative methods such as surveys. There is an emphasis on both good research design and ethical research, with opportunities for you to apply the techniques learned to your own research project.

Throughout the duration of the course you will learn to plan a major research project and to communicate that research – its aims, objects, methods and discoveries – which is an essential part of your development as a postgraduate researcher.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

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

1. Design an individual research programme, incorporating appropriate social science and humanities research methods.
2. Collate and analyse subject-specific information from a range of appropriate sources.
3. Understand the relationship between research questions and conceptual tools, and apply this when formulating a proposal for a dissertation project.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

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

4. 4. Develop the skills requisite to conducting an extended piece of academic writing, including: settling on a research question, designing a research proposal, how to write a literature review organising and summarising key debates and ideas.
5. Locate your own research in key disciplinary debates.
6. Recognise the theoretical and conceptual links to other disciplines within the social sciences and humanities.
7. Evaluate the most effective means of presenting research, reviewing it and developing research in line with feedback from peers and staff.

ILO: Personal and key skills

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

8. Use IT for information retrieval and presentation.
9. Conduct independent study and group work, including participating in oral discussions.
10. Demonstrate ability to construct and defend a sustained argument concisely and clearly in writing.
11. Demonstrate capacity for independent critical analysis.

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

What does a research proposal look like?
Settling on a research question
The literature review
Methodological considerations
Workshop
Revising your proposal in light of feedback
The writing process

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

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
14	136	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	3.5	7 x 0.5 hour lectures
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	3.5	7 x 0.5 hour seminars
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities	7	7 x 1 hour workshops
Guided independent study	40	Reading in preparation for lectures
Guided independent study	16	Research
Guided Independent Study	80	Writing (research proposal and literature review)

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Research proposal	750 words	1-11	Written

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	100	3,000 Words	1-11	Written
	0
	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 (3000 words)	1-11	August/September reassessment period

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Basic reading:

Della Porta, Donatella (ed) (2008) Approaches and Methodologies in the Social Sciences: A pluralist Perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Potter, Stephen (2006) Doing Postgraduate Research. London: SAGE.

Ridley, Diana (2012) The Literature Review. London: SAGE.

Silverman, David (2016) Qualitative Research. London: SAGE.

Wallace, Mike and Alison Wray (2016) Critical Reading and Writing for Postgraduates. London: SAGE.

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

www.ex.ac.uk/library

Key words search

Dissertation skills, Middle East Studies

Credit value	15
Module ECTS	7.5
Module pre-requisites	None
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	7
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	23/01/2018
Last revision date	06/10/2020