MRes Dissertation CEES5015P

  • Academic Session: 2024-25
  • School: School of Social and Political Sciences
  • Credits: 60
  • Level: Level 5 (SCQF level 11)
  • Typically Offered: Summer
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No

Short Description

The dissertation is intended to be a focused piece of work that, whilst building upon themes and issues covered in one or several of the course options permits students to develop their own ideas and demonstrate their capacity for original thought and independent research. The dissertation aims to enable students to identify and research particular issues or problems at a deeper level than is possible within assessed essays and exams and to develop a critical analysis of the existing body of academic work relating to their topic of choice. Finally the dissertation aims to prepare students for further research, study or professional careers through the development of their skills in data collection and analysis, use of original sources and the conducting and writing up of a detailed research project.

Timetable

n/a

Requirements of Entry

None

Excluded Courses

None

Assessment

Dissertation of 12,000 - 15,000 words

Main Assessment In: August

Course Aims

The dissertation is intended to be a focused piece of work that, whilst building upon themes and issues covered in one or several of the course options permits students to develop their own ideas and demonstrate their capacity for original thought and independent research. The dissertation aims to enable students to identify and research particular issues or problems at a deeper level than is possible within assessed essays and exams and to develop a critical analysis of the existing body of academic work relating to their topic of choice. Finally the dissertation aims to prepare students for further research, study or professional careers through the development of their skills in data collection and analysis, use of original sources and the conducting and writing up of a detailed research project.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of the dissertation, students should be able to:

· devise a realistic programme of research into a topic;
· collect, select and review relevant background literature;
· identify and gather research data (i.e. from original language sources, memoirs, interviews, the media, archives, government reports);
· understand and select the appropriate methodology for dealing with sources and data;
· apply these methods (e.g. historical analysis, content analysis, discourse analysis, questionnaires, interviews, participant observation);
· organise the data collected and analyse their findings;
· write up an original research report;
· be self-critical about their findings and the limitations of their analysis.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits