SML8096 - Research Methods & Dissertation/Project

• Offered for Year: 2026/27

• Module Leader(s): Dr Michael Jin

• Owning School: School of Modern Languages
• Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus

 

Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Aims

This module aims to:

• Provide students with the methodological tools and research skills required to undertake an independent research project in translation & interpreting studies.

• Allow students to undertake independent research into a specialised area with individual supervision. There are two routes available:

1. Students may research and write a dissertation on a specialist subject of their choice, to be agreed with the module leader, and supervised by one of the programme team.
2. Students may undertake an independent project where they build on core skills acquired in interpreting, translation, localisation and subtitling modules to produce and critically discuss a substantial piece of practical work in interpreting, translation, localisation and subtitling studies.

This module provides students with a solid grounding for doctoral study.

Outline Of Syllabus

SEMESTER 1&2:
This section of the module allows students to develop the knowledge and skills required to design and write up a dissertation or interpreting/translation/localisation/subtitling independent project, and covers the following:

• Introduction to research methods & planning research
• Writing a research proposal in T&I studies
• Studying T&I strategies; think-alouds
• Translation Projects: choosing texts, gathering data
• Interpreting Projects: choosing speakers, setting up data-gathering
• Surveys, interviews and questionnaires
• Case studies, observation and ethnography
• Sampling, variables, validity, reliability
• Style analysis
• Ethics and working with people
• Charts & Statistics with Excel
• Advanced academic skills - Writing a literature review and managing information
• Writing the Project Commentary
• Writing the Dissertation

SEMESTER 3:
The topic of the dissertation or nature of the independent project should reflect the taught elements of the programme and is to be agreed in consultation with the module leaders.

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

SEMESTERS 1&2:
The combination of lectures and workshops enables students to get a combination of lecturer input, mini practical tasks and discussion, thus building up their knowledge and practical research skills. Library skills work develops study skills. Here, non-synchronous online work supports the linked live sessions. The former involves looking at information on various techniques, where it is better for students to do this at their own pace, and to have the online materials available to refer to afterwards.

SEMESTER 3:
Students have the opportunity to research a topic and/or develop an extended independent project, try out knowledge and understanding, and demonstrate an in-depth, critical knowledge of an interpreting/translating/localisation/subtitling topic and/or practice appropriate to Masters level.

Supervisory meetings allow supervisors to offer staged support through guided and progressively adjusted autonomous learning.

Assessment Methods

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

Other Assessment

The scaffolded formative and summative assessments aim to evaluate both the students' knowledge of methodological principles and their ability to apply the principles and techniques learned to a research project. The practical working research proposal produced serves as a basis for the subsequent Dissertation or simulated real-life Project.

DISSERTATION
12,000 words (+/-10%), including footnotes and appendices, but excluding bibliography, table of contents, abstract and acknowledgments.

INTERPRETING PROJECT
Approximate total length of recording (source + target combined):
* consecutive interpreting: 25-40 minutes
* simultaneous interpreting: 15-30 minutes
* public service interpreting: 25-40 minutes

To be submitted alongside a 7,500-word critical commentary (+/-10%) (including footnotes and appendices, but excluding bibliography, table of contents, abstract and acknowledgments).

TRANSLATING/LOCALISATION PROJECT
1,000-8,000 word Source Text (word count depending upon genre of text, to be agreed with module leader and supervisor), and 7,500-word critical commentary (+/-10%) (including footnotes and appendices, but excluding bibliography, table of contents, abstract and acknowledgments).

SUBTITLING PROJECT
3,000–6,000 words/total film-length 20-45 minutes (word count and film length depending on film-type, to be agreed with module leader and supervisor), and 7,500-word critical commentary (+/-10%) (including footnotes and appendices, but excluding bibliography, table of contents, abstract and acknowledgments).

INTERPRETING/TRANSLATING/LOCALISATION/SUBTITLING PROJECT - The two components of the assessment of the practical work (translating/localisation/subtitling/interpreting) and the commentary carry the same weighting (50/50) in the final mark. In order to pass this module, candidates must attain a minimum of 50% in both practical work and commentary components. A Fail mark for one or both of the assessment components will require reassessment of the failed component/s. The returned mark for each reassessed component will be capped at the pass mark of 50. The final module mark will be capped at 50 or at the original module mark, whichever is higher.

Timetable

• Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/