SGIA47960: DISSERTATION (RESEARCH METHODS)

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• To provide an opportunity for MA students to engage in a substantial piece of scholarship into an appropriate area of their choice and under suitable supervisory guidance. The dissertation is the culmination of the MA programme.

• Students will produce a dissertation of no more than 12,000 words. The content of the dissertation is dependent upon the field chosen by the student in consultation with their supervisor.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• Through the dissertation students should gain:
• advanced and in-depth knowledge of an appropriate field of study of their choice.

Subject-specific Skills:

• Through the dissertation process students should develop the use of highly specialised and advanced technical, professional and scholastic skills including the ability to:
• analyse critically advanced academic literature in their chosen field and make appropriate use of selected primary texts;
• appropriately structure their work to sustain and advance analytical arguments effectively, commenting upon key points of academic dispute and controversy;
• critically review specialised knowledge of the subject with appropriate recognition of relevant contextual influences on this knowledge;
• identify and utilise appropriately relevant sources of information and data;
• utilise the relevant research methods and demonstrate their ability to conduct their research accordingly.

Key Skills:

• Through the dissertation, students should enhance key skills, including:
• self-reliance in conducting research;
• a self-critical approach to research and the effective utilisation of resources;
• organisational skills in managing time in order to produce a substantial piece of work on time and to length with limited supervisory guidance;
• skills of effective and appropriate presentation of academic work.

• The dissertation stands as the opportunity for students to undertake a largely independent piece of research and as such 'teaching', in the sense of imparting knowledge, is minimal. Instead, supervisors serve as a source of advice and guidance on issues such as:
• developing an appropriate overall structure for the dissertation;
• advising on possible sources of literature and other data;
• offering critical feedback on a limited amount of draft material;
• providing support and advice on overcoming problems, in accordance with the learning outcomes.
• Learning is therefore principally self-directed, with students taking the lead in devising the research project, identifying appropriate resources, developing their ideas and planning how best to conduct and present their work.
• This serves the learning outcomes through encouraging students to work effectively, in a self-reliant and self-critical manner to develop their knowledge and understanding and hone their analytical and other relevant subject skills.

None formally required, although students are encouraged to submit and discuss a draft plan of the dissertation and may submit 1 draft chapter upon which comments will be offered by the supervisor.

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