CAC2000 : The Researcher’s Toolkit: Sources, methods, and interpretations in Classics and Ancient History
- Offered for Year: 2026/27
- Available for Study Abroad and Exchange students, subject to School approval at module registration
- Module Leader(s): Dr Joseph Skinner
- Owning School: History, Classics and Archaeology
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Pre-requisite
Modules you must have done previously to study this module
Pre Requisite Comment
N/A
Co-Requisite
Modules you need to take at the same time
Co Requisite Comment
N/A
Aims
The aim of this module is to build towards your Stage 3 dissertation proposal by providing you with:
A series of research ‘toolkits’: core skills and approaches equally germane to Classical Studies and Ancient History – the idea being that you will be able to select and apply a number of these to a topic that you consider interesting and important enough to form the potential basis for an undergraduate dissertation at Stage 3 (although you will not be held to this!).
A series of structured activities designed to support you in the design and development of a research proposal for a major piece of independent research (research labs and workshops, culminating in one-to-one interactions with individual members of staff).
Outline Of Syllabus
Professional academics rarely rely upon one approach or theoretical framework in isolation – not least because they often find themselves working with a variety of different forms of evidence, each requiring a different skillset or critical lens. The study of speeches delivered by Roman emperors might encompass orations preserved in the works of an historian or else an inscription set up in a public space but which now only survives as a record in a Nineth-century manuscript. It is with this variety in mind that the first half of the module will introduce you to the various critical approaches, methodologies and (key) datasets that underpin Ancient History and Classical Studies as fields of enquiry. The importance of these core topics to Ancient History and Classical Studies respectively will be illustrated in seminar-workshops organized around specific case-studies.
The second half of the module will focus on practical instruction on how to formulate and refine research questions, how to select and then analyze primary data together with additional sessions devoted to the design, planning and execution of an extended piece of independent writing. You will be given the opportunity to discuss your research plans both with your peers (for example in the research labs) and with an academic advisor. You will also have the opportunity to present your ideas orally, thereby honing your oral – as well as your written – communication skills.
Topics covered might include the following:
Researching the Classics/The study of the past
Modern (ab)uses of the ancient past
Classical receptions
Feminist and gender approaches
Identity politics: race and ethnicity
Using poetry/literature as a historical source
Ancient literature in its performative context
Epigraphy and numismatics
Papyrology
Iconography
Approaches to Material culture
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 11 | 1:00 | 11:00 | In-person lectures. |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 70 | 1:00 | 70:00 | Guided Independent Study. |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 52 | 1:00 | 52:00 | Guided Independent Study. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 6 | 1:00 | 6:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 5 | 1:00 | 5:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 5 | 2:00 | 10:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 1 | 1:00 | 1:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 45 | 1:00 | 45:00 | Guided Independent Study |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures will communicate core knowledge relating to the critical approaches, methodologies and (key) datasets that underpin Ancient History and Classical Studies as fields of enquiry. Study skills sessions will provide instruction on how to approach the assessment tasks i.e. how to successfully create and deliver an oral presentation.
The set tasks and ensuing seminar discussions are an opportunity for you to develop your understanding dynamically, e.g. by familiarising you with the various different forms of primary evidence and/or critical approaches and following the structured routes to a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the topic which will then be further developed and enhanced through discussions during the seminar itself. Active participation in the seminars will enable you to develop your analytical skills, oral communication skills and your ability to work collaboratively as part of a team.
The workshop sessions will enable students to focus on the practicalities of how to formulate and refine research questions, how to select and then analyze primary data, and the practicalities surrounding the design, planning and execution of an extended piece of independent writing - as well as providing a forum for knowledge-sharing in the form of the oral presentations.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Presentation | 2 | M | 25 | 5 minutes plus up to 5 minutes of questions, supported by powerpoint and handout. |
| Essay | 2 | A | 75 | 2,500 words - including footnotes but not bibliography. (You must engage with at least two of the approaches introduced during the module.) |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 2 | M | Literature review: 750 words (including footnotes but not bibliography). |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The students will be advised to start thinking about dissertation topics at the beginning of the module. Following the initial six weeks of teaching students will submit a 750-word formatively assessed literature review which relates to their chosen topic and engages with at least two of the approaches taught during the first half of the module.
Feedback on this assignment will then provide scaffolding for the summatively assessed oral presentation (5 minutes plus five minutes of questions), supported by handout and slides, to be delivered during seminar/workshops (25%). Feedback on the presentation will assist the student in preparing their final written assignment, a 2,500-word write-up of their oral presentation to be submitted in the form of an essay (75%). The final essay will combine and further build upon these earlier elements, providing practical insights into the research process whilst at the same time laying the groundwork for a potential third-year dissertation.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- CAC2000's Timetable