Newcastle University

Pre Requisite Comment

None

Co Requisite Comment

None

Aims

•       to enable students to undertake an in-depth study of a topic within politics of their choice
• to provide students with the opportunity to engage in a major research exercise and one that, in scope and scale, significantly exceeds that of an essay or project
• to develop students’ ability to undertake original research, the results of which they will present in a scholarly fashion
• to develop other skills such as written communication, planning and initiative

Outline Of Syllabus

This module allows students to undertake a substantial piece of original research on a politics topic chosen in conjunction with their supervisor. Students will receive introductory lectures on the nature of the dissertation, how they should settle on a dissertation topic, and how they should organize their work on the dissertation. Each student will obtain a supervisor, who will help her/him to refine the topic and develop a research strategy. Periodic supervisory meetings will supply guidance to the student and written drafts of chapters will be commented on, provided these are submitted by the given deadlines. Students are required to submit a dissertation proposal in mid-November. They will receive an extended lecture advising them on how to construct the proposal and, more particularly, on methodological issues relating to the dissertation. A dissertation conference, held in March, will provide students with the opportunity to present and receive feedback on their research and that of others before submission.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

At the end of the module, students will have:

•       Gained extensive knowledge of a specific subject area in politics.
•       Deepened their understanding of this topic, partly through interpreting the material for the reader and, ideally, by locating their work in a broader academic context.

Intended Skill Outcomes

At the end of the module, students will have:

•       Learned how to carry out a major project.
•       Improved their ability to find and analyse information by using effective research techniques.
•       Developed their capacity to plan and exercise initiative
•       Improved their ability to write and edit long reports.
•       Become more self-reliant and resourceful, academically.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The initial lecture outlines the aims and administration of the module and how students should go about writing a dissertation. Subsequent lectures advise students on how to construct their dissertation proposal, how to confront the methodological issues raised by their dissertation topic, and how to deploy research methods. The meetings with supervisors provide students with much needed advice on the initial choice and subsequent refinement of their dissertation topic, on how they should design their dissertation, and on how they should go about their research. Supervisors also provide feedback on chapter drafts.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The assessment of the research proposal provides students with an incentive to take the proposal seriously and to grapple with the topic of their dissertation, with the relevant literature, and with methodological issues, at an early stage in the year. However, the most important manifestation of the student’s overall achievement is the dissertation itself and that is why it provides 90% of the overall mark.

General Notes

N/A