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Description
All Masters students are required to submit either a dissertation or report at the end of their final year of study. These must be based on research, either empirical or theoretical. The dissertation provides the opportunity to explore an in-depth issue, with supervision, and introduces students to the skills and techniques required for research and writing scholarly publications. This module runs across an entire academic year. It provides support for the development of dissertation research through: online activities and discussions (autumn term), development of a research proposal (autumn/ spring), and one-on-one tutorial support in conducting research and writing (spring/ summer). As a result of completing this module, students will be able to:听
鈥� conceptualise and write a coherent research proposal;听
鈥� formulate relevant research questions, on the basis of relevant literature and/ or observations of practice, and set about answering them on the basis of literature and/ or systematic data collection and analysis;听
鈥� select appropriate data collection methods where necessary and apply them with due regard to ethical considerations;听
鈥� complete a literature review which synthesizes and critiques relevant knowledge and ideas in a particular field of study and links to one or more research questions;听听
鈥� critically evaluate and analytically discuss evidence from primary and secondary sources;听
鈥� communicate information, ideas, and problems in keeping with academic reporting conventions.听
Teaching Delivery听
This module is taught fully online, asynchronously over the academic year, with Term 1 consisting of online units focusing on all aspects of research, and Terms 2 and 3 consisting of individual work with your supervisor.听
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Indicative Topics:听
Research design and research ethics听
Formulating research questions听
Reading critically and writing a literature review听
Research methods (surveys, interviews, observations, document analysis)听
Approaches to analysis听
Writing a research proposal听
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Assessment of the module consists of a research proposal, evidence of peer-review of a proposal, completion of an ethics review and a dissertation. Dissertation students will write a 2,000 word proposal + 17,000 word dissertation. 听
Module deliveries for 2024/25 academic year
Last updated
This module description was last updated on 8th April 2024.
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