ARTS40160: Critical Medical Humanities Dissertation

• Concepts and Frameworks in the Critical Medical Humanities, Reimagining Health Research: Methodologies in the Critical Medical Humanities

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• The aim of the dissertation is to give the student the opportunity to conduct an independent research project in a specialist area of their degree, utilising the techniques developed in the research methods modules.

• Through consultation with the module convenor and Medical Humanities MA Programme Director, students will identify a broad topic for specialised research and be assigned an appropriate supervisor from one of the Departments contributing to the programme. Working closely with the supervisor, the student will hone the topic of their major research project, conduct a review of the relevant literatures, collect data (using methods appropriate to the project or gathering from published sources), conduct data analysis and provide a discussion of their findings.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• Students will develop a deep understanding of the theory and current state of knowledge in the area in which they conduct their research
• Students will develop an advanced understanding of methodological issues in the area in which they conduct their research

Subject-specific Skills:

• Students will further develop their skills to research and interrogate the relevant literature
• Students will learn to identify relevant methods for research in a specified area
• Students will learn to evaluate and articulate relevant ethical issues applicable to their research project
• Specialised supervision will help students develop advanced research skills

Key Skills:

• Students will further hone skills to write clearly and concisely, explaining why their topic of research is important, critiquing previous research, and providing a coherent discussion of their findings
• Students will learn to manage a research project from an initial idea, the development of a research question, collection of data to the presentation of a dissertation
• Students will use computer software for analysis and/or presentation of data
• Students will conduct advanced and/or qualitative analysis

• A suite of recorded introductory lectures will provide information on preparation for the dissertation.
• The remainder of teaching and learning is by regular supervision by an appointed and appropriate staff member. The task of the supervisor is to guide the student through the stages of planning, implementing and writing up of their discussion, meeting all the learning outcomes
• Assessment is by a written dissertation, which should demonstrate acquisition of all the learning outcomes

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