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Module

ARA8290 : Research Themes, Theories and Skills in Archaeology II (Inactive)

  • Inactive for Year: 2024/25
  • Module Leader(s): Professor Mark Jackson
  • 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: 10
ECTS Credits: 5.0
European Credit Transfer System

Aims

This module will develop skills essential to the successful completion of archaeological research and initiating a career in the discipline.

Outline Of Syllabus

Outline syllabus, intended as a guide only; week-by-week topics may be slightly different to the following:

• Lecture: Introduction to the MA Dissertation
• Workshop: preparing your Dissertation outline I
• Workshop: preparing your Dissertation outline II
• Workshop: Robinson Library Advanced library skills
• Workshop: Writing Conference papers, oral communication and academic networking
• Workshop: Producing Posters for conferences
• Workshop: Publishing in academic journals and writing books
• Workshop: Research and teaching careers and applying for academic jobs
Formative Assessment 10-minute Presentations (All MA students and academic staff to attend)
Semester 2
Formative Assessment PGF Conference

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities
Category Activity Number Length Student Hours Comment
Guided Independent StudyAssessment preparation and completion251:0025:00N/A
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesLecture11:001:00present in person
Guided Independent StudyDirected research and reading371:0037:00N/A
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesSmall group teaching62:0012:00Present-in-person seminar
Structured Guided LearningStructured research and reading activities201:0020:00N/A
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesWorkshops15:005:00Person to Person, mini-conference
Total100:00
Teaching Rationale And Relationship

In Semester 2, Students will be assisted by formal sessions designed to prepare them for starting research on their dissertation. These sessions will occur in weeks 2 to 6 after an initial introduction to the dissertation in week 1. Students will put these new skills to practice and produce a dissertation proposal by mid-semester. They will each have to give a ten minute presentation on their outline submission during a mini-conference at the end of the semester. In the second half of the module, a series of sessions will help prepare students with various career skills including networking, publishing work, and applying for jobs and careers.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Other Assessment
Description Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Research proposal2A1002000 word dissertation proposal
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
Oral Presentation2M10 minute presentations to whole cohort with feedback from staff and peers.
Poster2MPoster based on Dissertation proposal to be submitted for PGF Conference
Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The dissertation proposal (Research Proposal 1) will link to ARA8099 in Semester 3. It must be based on a clearly defined research question and an associated set of data of archaeological sources. A methodology will then be created for the analysis of the data/sources, and the proposal as a whole structured according to the AHRC headings for research project proposals.

The proposal will assess your ability to plan a project using archaeological research methods. The project must be based on a clearly defined research question and an associated set of data or archaeological sources. A methodology will then be created for the analysis of the data/sources.

Submitted work tests intended knowledge and skills outcomes, develops key skills in research, reading and writing.

Formative assessments will provide you practice in communicating your research to an audience of peers while allowing you to gain early, informal feedback before continuing with further research for your dissertation.

Reading Lists

Timetable