English Literature Dissertation Part 1 (U02007)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : LLC-3-U02007

Preparation towards the dissertation undertaken in year 4. Students will be required to work on the identification and appropriate definition of a research area for an independent literary project of their own choice. This will include research exercises in primary and secondary literature to establish an appropriate bibliography; reading and reporting on the central primary and secondary texts; and the definition of the research questions and issues posed by the material. Students will draw on some of the skills addressed in the 'Critical Pactice Part 1: Presentation' course, and have access to individual staff for consultation.

Entry Requirements

? This course is not available to visting students.

? Pre-requisites : Passes in English or Scottish Literature 1 and English or Scottish or American Literature 2, with a mark of 50 or above at the first attempt in the second year course.

? Special Arrangements for Entry : Numbers are limited and students taking degrees not involving English or Scottish literature need the written approval of the head of English Literature

Subject Areas

Home subject area

English Literature, (School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures, Schedule G)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 3rd year

? Delivery Period : Full Year (Blocks 1-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 1 hour(s) per week for 5 weeks

? Additional Class Information : The course runs through Semesters 1 and 2. Occasional lecture-workshop meetings in Semester 1 (Mondays); individual consultation in Semester 2.

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Students successfully completing the course will learn how to generate and approach a research project independently. They will be able to use bibliographical resources of all kinds to locate appropriate material; they will learn how to move from general interest in an area to the development of a coherent research proposal, identifying the questions to be addressed. By the end of the course they will be able to demonstrate their independent capacity to:
- research and locate material
- survey the primary and secondary texts, demonstrating their awareness of the current state of the debate
- identify the research questions raised by their topic
- present their findings in a scholarly manner
Students completing Part 1 of the Dissertation should be well placed for the writing up phase which will constitute Part 2.

Assessment Information

A written submission which will comprise:
1) a dissertation title that indicates in broad terms the area of enquiry.
2) a short document that explores the research questions and issues raised by the topic and gives a reasonably well-directed sense of the subject under investigation and how the dissertation is intended to proceed.
3) an annotated bibliography indicating the key published works in the field, with an outline of what they
contribute to debate in the area under discussion.