Undergraduate Course: Imagining Anthropological Research (SCAN10037)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 0 |
ECTS Credits | 0 |
| Summary | This course is only intended only for Honours students in Social Anthropology who are planning to work on a dissertation in the subject in the summer of 2021. The main purpose of the course is to prepare you to write your dissertation proposal. Our chief task, therefore, is to help you imagine what will be involved in your field or library project. To do so we shall be looking at the process of research, from the design stage through to the methodologies and to the writing strategies, always within the context of what is possible in an undergraduate dissertation. We shall also have presentations and discussions on particular people's experience of doing research, using examples from the work of Senior Honours students, previous undergraduates and current postgraduates, as well as members of staff. In the second half of the semester you will be allocated to a group which will work together on developing your research ideas and proposals. By the end of the Semester, students will have developed their ideas into a detailed Research Proposal, setting out a timetable, budget, and a consideration of the practical arrangements and methods. The proposal, which will account for 10% of your final dissertation mark, will include a discussion of relevant theoretical and ethnographic literature. The submission of an online ethics form is also a mandatory component of this course for all those intending to undertake field research. |
| Course description |
The main purpose of the course is to prepare you to write your dissertation proposal. Our chief task, therefore, is to help you imagine what will be involved in your field or library project. To do so we shall be looking at the process of research, from the design stage through to the methodologies and to the writing strategies, always within the context of what is possible in an undergraduate dissertation. We shall also have presentations and discussions on particular people¿s experience of doing research, using examples from the work of Senior Honours students, previous undergraduates and current postgraduates, as well as members of staff. In the second half of the semester you will be allocated to a group which will work together on developing your research ideas and proposals. By the end of the Semester, students will have developed their ideas into a detailed Research Proposal, setting out a timetable, budget, and a consideration of the practical arrangements and methods. The proposal, which will account for 10% of your final dissertation mark, will include a discussion of relevant theoretical and ethnographic literature. The submission of an online ethics form is also a mandatory component of this course for all those intending to undertake field research.
|
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2021/22, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: 101 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Please contact the School directly for a breakdown of Learning and Teaching Activities |
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
This course is not for credit, however the submission of a 2000 word research proposal in mandatory for the successful completion of this course, which is required to be allowed to undertake research towards their honours dissertation in Social Anthropology. The research proposal is submitted near the beginning of the second semester in the Junior Honours year.
The Research Proposal that is handed in as a result of this course in the second semester of the Junior Honours year, will contribute 10% to the Dissertation mark when it is finally assessed in the first semester of the Senior Honours year. |
| Feedback |
There will be continuous feedback give to dissertation ideas as they develop in lectures and tutorials. Written feedback will be provided on the final dissertation proposals that are submitted at the beginning of semester two. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Develop their ideas about the kinds of topic which might make a feasible subject for their dissertation.
- Consider the ethical and methodological issues involved in conducting anthropological research.
- Gain familiarity with using different library resources, including databases on the internet, to develop research ideas.
- Consolidate a more general familiarity with the practicalities of designing and planning a social research project.
- Develop their ability to formulate and present project plans in clear and convincing manner.
|
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Alexander Edmonds
Tel:
Email: alex.edmonds@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Katarzyna Pietrzak
Tel: (0131 6)51 3162
Email: K.Pietrzak@ed.ac.uk |
|
|
University Homepage