15 credits
Unit tutor: Dr Jane Seale
Dates: 10 October – 21 November 2006
Assignment submission date: 5th December 2006
- Essay: Comparative review
Other tutors:
- Professor Mike Grenfell – [07 November]
- Kate Walker (librarian) – [17 October] and [31 October]
Focus:
This module provides you with an introduction to a range of research skills, processes and issues that you will need to be aware of when designing, conducting and managing your own research.
Rationale:
The purpose of this module is to develop your confidence in planning and managing your research and to ensure basic familiarity with a range of bibliographic and computing techniques.
Learning Outcomes on successful completion of this module you will be able to:
· Formulate a research question, choose appropriate research method(s) to answer that question and justify your selection;
· Find research literature relevant to your research topic and critically evaluate its relevance and application to your research question or research design;
· Construct an outline plan of the different stages and milestones of your research project and assess the key challenges and opportunities that you will need to address during the project;
· Develop an outline structure for your research thesis and identify key issues/areas that need to be covered in order to develop your research argument.
Methods of Teaching:
Sessions will be interactive and you will be expected to play an active part by bringing along examples from your own work to discuss and develop as well as sharing and critiquing the work of others. Some specialist sessions will be led by staff from the University Library.
Assessment Requirements:
Appropriate assessment tasks may be negotiated with the module tutor. Four suggestions are:
1. Produce an overview of the research method(s) that you propose to use in your research project and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the method both generally and specifically in relation to the aims and objectives of your research.
2. Present a comparative review of two or more research articles, critiquing their relevance to your own research.
3. Identify a key practical or ethical issue that is likely to arise during your project and propose, with justification, a strategy or plan for how you can address or manage this issue.
4. Present a short piece of research writing relevant to your project (e.g. literature review, outline proposal, article critique) that you have revised in the light of feedback from peers, tutors or supervisors, briefly summarise the differences between the original and revised work and critically reflect on what you have learnt about presenting and structuring your ideas and arguments that you can apply to your thesis.
Selected Bibliography:
Creswell, J.W (2003) Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Method Approaches. Sage Publications.Moore, N (2006) How to Do Research: The Practical Guide to Designing and Managing Research Projects. Facet Publishing.Murray, R (2002) How to write a thesis.
Milton Keynes: Open University Press
Phillips, E.M. and Pugh, D.S. (2005) How to Get a PhD: A Handbook for students and their supervisors.
Milton Keynes: Open University Press.