BFS-30006 - Module Specification
School of Social, Political and Global Studies
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2023/24

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

N/A

Barred Combinations

N/A

Description for 2023/24

The module aims are to:
- Develop students knowledge of how research in the social sciences is planned, conducted and reported;
- Acquaint students with various forms of evidence, evidence collecting techniques, and types of analysis used in social science research;
- Develop and enhance students own research skills, including their ability to identify a research/dissertation topic;
- Formulate an appropriate research question and hypotheses;
- Identify, access and collate literature relevant to the research topic/question;
- Apply existing or develop students' own theoretical and conceptual frameworks relevant to their dissertation topic and research question;

Intended Learning Outcomes

demonstrate knowledge of the different stages of the research process and of how research in the social sciences is planned, conducted and reported: 1
identify the topic of their dissertation and explain and justify why this research topic is worthy of investigation, and identify and present the dissertation¿s research question (and hypotheses, if relevant), and explain key terms and concepts related to the question/hypotheses: 1
identify, access and collate literature relevant to the research topic/question: 1
apply and critically evaluate existing theoretical and conceptual frameworks relevant to their dissertation topic and question, or develop their own: 1
demonstrate an awareness of the importance of personal responsibility and ethical issues in the research process: 1
identify and collect evidence/data appropriate to the dissertation¿s research question and select appropriate techniques to analyse the evidence/data collected: 1
apply critical skills to formulate arguments, analyse and evaluate evidence and reach persuasive conclusions so as to answer their dissertation¿s research question: 1
plan, structure and complete a substantial piece of written work: 1
demonstrate an ability to conduct independent research, and thus to manage their own learning and to take responsibility for their work: 1

Study hours

5 hours contact time in a mix of workshops at Keele and Beijing Foreign Studies University
5 hours of meetings with supervisor
20 hours preparation for workshops
120 hours preparation and writing of dissertation

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment