SEL8674 : Research Methods (Literature)
- Offered for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Dr Jacob Jewusiak
- Lecturer: Dr James Cummings, Professor Anne Whitehead, Dr Robbie McLaughlan, Professor Neelam Srivastava, Mr Joey Jenkins, Dr Kirsten MacLeod, Dr Aditi Nafde, Dr Stacy Gillis
- Owning School: English Lit, Language & Linguistics
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
This module is designed to manage students' transition from undergraduate work to postgraduate study and research. It introduces them to new and current trends in the discipline and allows them to lay the preliminary conceptual and theoretical groundwork for the development of their Masters dissertation project.
To this end, it enables them to develop:
• Knowledge and understanding of the importance of disciplinary and cross-disciplinary research
frameworks
• Knowledge and understanding of a variety of disciplinary methodologies, sources and resources
• The capacity to situate individual research in relation to major critical fields
Outline Of Syllabus
After an introductory week, focusing on critical methods, the module will examine methods of research in literary studies through case studies of theories and approaches which may include:
• Canonicity
• Historicism and cultural materialism
• Formalism
• Feminism
• Queer theory
• Postcolonialism and world literature
• Psychoanalysis
• The archive
• Digital humanities
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 44:00 | 44:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 11 | 2:00 | 22:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Student-led group activity | 11 | 1:00 | 11:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 123:00 | 123:00 | N/A |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Small group teaching/workshops are the most appropriate teaching strategies for the deep learning required at Masters level. This will be supplemented by learning activities and independent study.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 1 | A | 100 | 4000 words |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
At the end of the module, students will submit a 4000-word essay that will examine one or more of the critical theories and/or approaches they have studied on the module and in which they will position their own work in relation to those theories and/or approaches. This will require students to show understanding both of a key critical theory and/or method and encourage reflection on the conceptual and theoretical basis of the research they will undertake at Masters level.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- SEL8674's Timetable