Postgraduate Course: Research Methods and Problems (CLLC11004)
Course Outline
| School | School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This is a dissertation preparation course for students on the MSc in Comparative Literature and the MSc in Intermediality. Meeting in person and working in small groups, we will consider general principles of research- and practical-project design, featuring examples of good practice and constructive peer review. The mid-semester assignment will comprise a 10-minute video presentation (30%), and the final assessment will comprise the MSc dissertation proposal (70%). Students also will engage in regular blogging, sharing of resources, and commenting on each other's work using the VLE. These assessments will be graded on a Pass/Fail basis. |
| Course description |
The course will begin with sessions on how to prepare for the dissertation and practical project, including writing a thesis statement, structuring the argument, presenting supporting evidence, and engaging with associated scholarship. We will focus on the transition from identifying a topic to presenting a research problem by examining instances of good practice and reflective writing on research processes. students will introduce their primary and second sources in a 10-minute video. Once they receive feedback on this submission, they will prepare their proposal, using the MSc dissertation/practice-based project template.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Formulate a research problem, appropriate to their respective MSc programme;
- Demonstrate their awareness of the methods appropriate for dealing with different modes of literary and cultural research;
- Demonstrate their competence not only in the preparation of bibliographies and research documents, but also their capabilities for identifying and articulating possible research projects in literary and cultural studies.
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Reading List
Bibliography
Booth, W. et al, The Craft of Research (U of Chicago P, 2014);
Graff, G. and C. Birkenstein, They Say/I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing, (New York: Norton, 2018);
Hayot, E. The Elements of Academic Style (Columbia U P, 2014);
https://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/strategies-essay-writing https://www.citethemrightonline.com/ |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
The course will be taught in person and through group work hosted by the VLE. Students will upload a 10-minute presentation and their MSc dissertation proposal, which comprises the final assessment. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Robert Irvine
Tel: (0131 6)50 3605
Email: R.P.Irvine@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms June Cahongo
Tel: (0131 6)50 3620
Email: J.Cahongo@ed.ac.uk |
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