Undergraduate Course: Dissertation in Sustainable Development (Science, Technology and Innovation Studies) (STIS10016)
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 4 Undergraduate) |
| Course type | Dissertation |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 40 |
ECTS Credits | 20 |
| Summary | The Dissertation in Sustainable Development (Science, Technology and Innovation Studies Pathway), provides students with the opportunity to undertake a project of their own design and to submit a written dissertation based on their research. With support from their supervisor, students will undertake an independent research project. This will allow students to gain specialist knowledge of a topic of relevance and interest to them, and to develop important research, project management skills, oral and written communication skills. |
| Course description |
Students will write a dissertation proposal at the end of year 3, in the compulsory course Research Design for Science, Technology and Innovation Studies (STIS10014). This proposal will be fully developed into a dissertation project with the support of the supervisor. Dissertation Projects are then approved by the supervisor and the dissertation convenor. In addition to one-to-one supervision, tailored workshops will support the development of the research process in Semester 1 and Semester 2 of Year 4. Peer support will also be actively facilitated, with students being made aware of each other's projects so that they can work together.
In Semester 1, students will review existing literature, refine their research project where necessary, and carry out data gathering and their analysis. Semester 2 will focus on writing up. A draft chapter will be submitted to the supervisor for comments ahead of the final submission.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Students MUST be on the STIS pathway (MA in Sus Dev) to be able to take this course. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Full Year |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
400
(
Dissertation/Project Supervision Hours 8,
Other Study Hours 6,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 8,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
378 )
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| Additional Information (Learning and Teaching) |
'Other Study Hours' will consist of tailored workshops to support students' research development.
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Dissertation 100% (maximum of 10,000 words) |
| Feedback |
Students will work with supervisors who will advise and guide their progress (at a theoretical, research design and empirical level); feedback will mostly be provided within this context. Furthermore, the dissertation course will comprise of progress workshops in Sem 1 and 2 where opportunities for formative feedback are also included. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Acquire the ability to select and define a feasible social science research topic, design research questions and select appropriate methods to answer them.
- Identify, analyse and synthesise relevant literature from a range of disciplinary perspectives and sources.
- Plan and complete a piece of independent study within a pre-determined timeframe.
- Develop and present their own research findings and arguments in writing.
- Work with an academic supervisor.
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Reading List
Bryman, Alan (2015) Social research methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hancké, Bob (2010) Intelligent Research Design: A Guide for Beginning Researchers in the
Social Sciences, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Costa, Cristina; Condie, Jenna (2018) Doing Research In and On the Digital: Research
Methods across Fields of Enquiry. Florence: Routledge.
Yin, Robert K. (1994) Case study research: design and methods. Thousand Oaks, Calif.,
London: Sage.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
This dissertation course will further students critical knowledge, reflexive skills as well as their practical ability to conceive, design and to conduct a discrete research project. They will also present their work in the format of a final dissertation. They will be honing their skills in:
Critical and analytical thinking assessing, evaluating and developing arguments; attribution of meaning to topics of enquiry.
Research skills from the formulation of a research problem to organising and making sense of a body of data.
Independent learning increasing capacity for autonomous learning and development
Organisation and decision at the level of organisation of information and decision-making in relation to essential and accessory information, for example.
Communication and presentation of information effective communication and presentation skills having in mind objective audiences. |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Sarah Parry
Tel: (0131 6)50 6389
Email: Sarah.Parry@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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