Postgraduate Course: Research Sources and Strategies in Archaeology (PGHC11079)
Course Outline
| School | School of History, Classics and Archaeology |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The course has essentially three aims: 1) to help you to commence research for a dissertation and to provide guidance on good research practices; 2) to give you practice in some practical research exercises and communication skills, including presenting a research topic or proposal to peers using PowerPoint, preparing a poster about your proposed research and writing a research proposal; 3) to familiarize you with certain aspects of the practice and profession of Archaeology both inside and outside Universities, with primary reference to the UK.
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| Course description |
The course differs from most other MSc Archaeology/Osteoarchaeology courses in that it is not tied to any single theme, period or place, although there is a strong emphasis on Research Skills (including communication skills) and general knowledge of the academic and professional context of the discipline. The first part of the course consists primarily of presentations on selected topics (research and library skills, dissertation writing, ethics, SPSS, museum skills, employment opportunities and job-seeking issues). In addition, a number of guest speakers are invited, usually professionals working in various branches of archaeology (such as heritage management, commercial archaeology, museums), to give short talks about aspects of their work or about doing research in local or national organisations. The course encourages you to learn while thinking more actively and independently about your own research.
The last three or four weeks of the course are for individual Masters students to deliver power point presentations to the group on a research topic of their own choosing (these count towards assessment: see below) and a group poster presentation session.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | All students taking this course must attend the Health & Safety Awareness training session at the start of the semester. If this course is not on your Degree Programme Table you must seek the permission of the course organiser before being enrolled in this course. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2017/18, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
75 %,
Practical Exam
25 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Students are required to produce:
a 2,000 word (excluding bibliography) research proposal (50%);
a poster (25%);
and to deliver a PowerPoint presentation (approximately 10 minutes duration) normally in weeks 8-11 (25%). |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate an ability to devise a programme of research and to locate relevant sources of information.
- Demonstrate by way of coursework and seminar participation, an ability to understand and apply research skills to the investigation of material or other topics for a dissertation;
- Demonstrate the ability to develop and sustain original scholarly arguments in oral and written form in seminar discussions, presentations, and coursework by independently formulating appropriate questions and utilising relevant evidence;
- Demonstrate, by way of seminar discussions, presentations, and written coursework, originality and independence of mind and initiative; intellectual integrity and maturity; an ability to evaluate the work of others, including peers.
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Reading List
Biggam, J. 2011. Succeeding with your Master's Dissertation. A step-by-step handbook. Open University Press (2nd ed).
Swetnam, D. & Swetnam, R. 2009. Writing your Dissertation. Howtobooks, Oxford (3rd ed).
Wallace, M. & Wray, A. 2011. Critical Reading and Writing for Postgraduates. Sage Study Skills. (2nd ed).
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | RSSinArch |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Robert Leighton
Tel: (0131 6)50 8197
Email: Robert.Leighton@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Danielle Jeffrey
Tel: (0131 6)50 3782
Email: djeffery@ed.ac.uk |
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