Undergraduate Course: Interdisciplinary Research (EFIE09002)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh Futures Institute |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 9 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 40 |
ECTS Credits | 20 |
| Summary | Conceive, plan and deliver a collaborative research project with a multi-method approach. Working in a small research team with the support of a supervisor, you will apply the skills and knowledge developed in pre-honours core courses to create a new research project in response to a selected global challenge. The course develops your advanced skills and knowledge in interdisciplinary research. |
| Course description |
This course brings together skills and methods developed in the pre-honours courses for Edinburgh Futures Institute's undergraduate degree programme. You will work together in interdisciplinary teams to develop and apply a mixed methods approach to a selected research question, hypothesis, or enquiry, relating to a key global challenge. Groups will be comprised of students with emerging skills in diverse methods. These might include a combination of the categories introduced in the Researching Global Challenges courses (for example, Data Collection, Data Analysis, Creative Practice, and Cultural Analysis). Global challenges can only be addressed by working together, finding shared approaches, and adapting to new situations. This course requires application of interdisciplinary methods and practices that will equip you with the skills and experience you need to help create better futures.
An important feature of this course is its flexible structure. Taking place across both semesters, but with variation in key formative and summative assessment points, the course offers you a degree of agency in finding the most effective supervision and meeting structure for the year. This may include a hybrid approach with a programme of in-person, online and asynchronous supervision and individual and group work. Early in the course, you will work with supervisors to agree a detailed timeline for progress towards flexible submission points. Progression through the course will be clearly structured through a series of tasks and submissions. The course will introduce a number of potential models and frameworks for developing a research project, as well as exploring broad topic areas that may inform the choice of project. Using a hybrid model, full class introduction and training sessions will be delivered, which may include further skills development in working with specific types of text, data and media. You will then complete a formative assignment individually exploring a potential topic and methodology. As research teams are created, you will be supported as you share ideas and approaches, leading to an agreed group project with clearly defined individual roles and responsibilities within a team structure. Groups will usually be comprised of 3-5 students and would only be outside this range in exceptional circumstances. A group presentation will take place midway through the agreed timeline and this will be centred around a hybrid event at the end of semester 1, which will include an asynchronous component for those who may be studying or working away at this point in the year. The final submission will be a co-authored paper submitted at the end of the course.
It is recognised that group research at undergraduate level can be challenging and requires a flexible supervision process that ensures all students are well supported. This course is designed to ensure that all students can participate in a well-conceived and planned research project, learning to respond to complex global challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Full Year |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
400
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 16,
Dissertation/Project Supervision Hours 20,
Formative Assessment Hours 4,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 8,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
352 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
The course will be graded.
There will be two summative assessment points: one at the midpoint of the agreed timeline (typically at the end of semester 1); and one at the end of the second semester (although some groups may elect to submit at an earlier point in the year):
1) Group Presentation (25%)
Semester 1 will culminate in a hybrid event at which students will present progress on their project. This will include an overview of their research enquiry; a review of key literature; and a proposed methodology. All members of the group will be expected to contribute. The presentation will be supplemented by an individual pro forma, which will inform any individual adjustments to the group mark.
Up to 5 minutes per student with an upper limit of 15 minutes; accompanied by individual peer review form. 25% of assessment (adjustable by 10 marks in either direction, based on peer contribution review).
2) Co-Authored Paper(75%)
A co-authorised paper will be submitted at the end of the course. Groups will determine the form of this assignment, which may include a report, an article, or an alternative document. However, the submission must respond to academic literature and meet the requirements for academic research paper. Creative and experimental approaches are not discouraged, but there will be greater flexibility at Level 10 for the Capstone Project. The purpose of this assignment is to communicate to an academic readership.
Total word limits calculated by group size: up to 4,000 words per student; with a total limit of 15,000 words (so a group of three would have a limit of 12,000, while larger groups will be limited to 15,000); accompanied by individual peer review form. 75% of assessment (adjustable by 10 marks based on peer review). |
| Feedback |
There will be one formative assessment point, which will offer an early experience of a marked written assignment.
1) An individual written submission. This will take the form of a hypothetical research proposal, submitted during the first semester of the course. Students will offer a brief rationale, literature review, and methodology. The document will form the basis of a pitch to the rest of the group, which will be a key stage in group formation around shared interests and complementary approaches, leading to the selection of group projects, which will be agreed as soon as possible after the formative assessment.
Word count: 1500 words; submitted during semester 1. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the scope and defining features of a complex research problem in order to develop an appropriate research enquiry.
- Apply knowledge, skills and understanding in identifying, selecting, employing a range of appropriate research methods with a coherent interdisciplinary methodology.
- Undertake critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis of ideas, concepts, information and issues, both independently and collaboratively.
- Interpret, use and evaluate different types of data to complete a collaborative research project.
- Work in ways that show awareness of own and others' roles and responsibilities in a collaborative process.
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Reading List
Indicative Reading List:
Students will research their own hypothetical research projects in semester 1; and will work with their group on the collaborative project in semester 2. As such, the range of subjects and literature will vary significantly per group. Reading on research methods is introduced in the pre-requisite courses, summarised below. General reading on undergraduate research is also provided.
Mixed Methods:
Creswell, John W. 2014. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches 3rd edn. London: SAGE
Creswell, John W., and Plano Clark, Vicki L. 2017. Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research 2nd edn. London: SAGE
Ivankova, Nataliya V., and Plano Clark, Vicki L.. 2015. Mixed Methods Research: A Guide to the Field. London: SAGE
General Research:
Lyall, C., Bruce, A., Tait, J., & Meagher, L. 2011. Interdisciplinary Research Journeys: Practical Strategies for Capturing Creativity. London: Bloomsbury
Robson, Colin. 2014. How to Do a Research Project: A Guide for Undergraduate Students. London: Wiley
Wisker, Gina. 2018. The Undergraduate Research Handbook. London: Macmillan Education
Smith, Linda Tuhiwai. 2016. Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples. London: Zed Books
Methods Literature Introduced in Researching Global Challenges Pre-requisite Courses:
Data Collection
- Olsen, Wendy. 2011. Data Collection: Key Debates and Methods in Social Research. London: SAGE Publications.
Data Analysis
- Hardy, Melissa and Bryman, Alan. 2009. Handbook of Data Analysis. London: SAGE Publications.
- Perez, Caroline Criado. 2019. Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men. London: Vintage.
Creative Practice
- Mannay, Dawn. 2015. Visual, Narrative and Creative Research Methods: Application, Reflection and Ethics. London: Routledge.
- Nelson, Robin. 2013. Practice as Research in the Arts: Principles, Protocols, Pedagogies, Resistances. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.
- Smith, Hazel and Dean, Roger, T. (eds.). 2009. Practice-led Research, Research-led Practice in the Creative Arts. Edinburgh University Press.
- Owens, Allan and Adams, Jeff (eds.). 2021. Beyond Text: Learning Through Arts-Based Research. London: Intellect Books Limited.
Cultural Analysis
- Pickering, Michael. 2008. Research Methods for Cultural Studies. Edinburgh University Press
- Bignell, Jonathan. 2002. Media Semiotics: An Introduction, Second Edition. Manchester University Press.
- Davidov, Eldad; Schmidt, Peter; Billiet, Jaak; and Meuleman, Bart (eds.). 2018. Cross-Cultural Analysis: Methods and Applications 2nd Edition. London: Routledge.
- Smith, Linda Tuhiwai. 2016. Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples. London: Zed Books. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
On completion of this course, you should:
- Have developing skills in research and enquiry and the ability to identify and creatively explore and respond to global challenges.
- Have personal and intellectual autonomy to critically evaluate ideas, evidence and experiences from an open-minded and reasoned perspective.
- Be able to draw on a range of sources in making judgements.
- Adapt to new situations with sensitivity and integrity.
- Have communication skills that can be used to enhance understanding of a topic or context and to engage effectively with others. |
| Keywords | Creative Practice,Cultural Analysis,Data Analysis,Data Collection,Group work,Interdisciplinary |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr David Overend
Tel:
Email: david.overend@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Matt Bryant
Tel:
Email: Matt.Bryant@ed.ac.uk |
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