Undergraduate Course: Research Portfolio A (ASST09005)
Course Outline
| School | School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 9 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
| Course type | Year Abroad |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Research Portfolio A will give students the experience of independently designing a preliminary research proposal. Students will be expected to develop their research design skills in identifying a topic for research, developing questions related to the research topic, and identifying and retrieving secondary literature. Students will also develop their evaluation skills to produce a detailed annotated bibliography. |
| Course description |
Research Portfolio A will introduce students on Chinese Studies degree programmes to core principles of research design and organising secondary literature for a research project. The course will give students the experience of identifying a topic for research related to Chinese Studies and developing this topic into a preliminary research proposal. The preliminary research proposal will serve as the foundational plan for a detailed research proposal which will be developed in Research Portfolio B. The course will also give students the experience of drafting an annotated bibliography. The annotated bibliography will help students critically evaluate sources relating to their proposed research. The course builds on the principles of good academic practice and research methods introduced in the first and second years of a student's degree. An online workshop at the start of the course will introduce students on how to identify and develop a research topic into a preliminary research proposal. A template for the preliminary research proposal will provide scaffolding for the research design and guide students to consider the relevance of their research topic, their research question(s), their topic's relation to some of the available academic literature, potential primary materials, and potential research ethics risks or issues. The course is designed to prepare students for writing their full research proposal in Research Portfolio B and dissertation in Year 4.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | This course is only available to students on Chinese Studies programmes. |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
196 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
100% coursework = «br /»
«br /»
Preliminary research proposal (1,000 words) «br /»
«br /»
Annotated analytical bibliography (2,000 words) |
| Feedback |
Students will receive written feedback for both of the written assessment components.
Students will have opportunities to receive verbal formative feedback on their ideas in the online workshop. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Work independently to identify and explain a research topic related to Chinese studies.
- Produce a coherent research project design.
- Identify and retrieve literature related to the chosen research topic.
- Evaluate critically literature related to the chosen research topic.
- Produce different types of written work in a suitable academic style.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Research and enquiry: problem solving; analytical thinking; knowledge integration and application; independent research.
Personal and intellectual autonomy: self-awareness and reflection; independent learning and development; creativity and inventive thinking; decision making.
Personal effectiveness: Planning, organising and time management; assertiveness and confidence; flexibility.
Communication: interpersonal skills; verbal and written communication; presentation. |
| Keywords | Chinese Studies,research design,research proposal,annotated bibliography |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Natascha Gentz
Tel: (0131 6)50 4229
Email: natascha.gentz@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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