Research Dissertation

Course Type
Postgraduate, Module

Module Overview

The module will enable students to select an area of interest and develop a research question, identify an appropriate design to answer the research question, and to undertake and present the findings of the project orally and in writing. The selected research question will be appropriate to the aims of the individual student’s programme.

Opportunities for carrying out projects within existing staff research programmes will be provided.

Each student will be allocated a supervisor for their project who will contribute an appropriate background of subject and/or methodological expertise

Learning outcomes

  • Develop and justify the choice of research question within the context their programme aims
  • Critically appraise relevant research literature to design a suitable research study to answer the research question
  • Identify, collect and analyse appropriate data / information (gaining ethical approval if appropriate), demonstrating effective project management
  • Demonstrate the ability to disseminate the research, its conduct, methodology, results, conclusions and implications at M level through both written and oral means

Module Attendance Required

6 hours lectures / tutorials to support identification of research question, use of state of the art equipment, data analysis, statistical package etc

Individual supervision time (nominally 10 hours per student) 

Module Dates

Semester 2 

Assessment

A dissertation compiled in the form of an article based on the conducted research, written for an identified peer-reviewed journal with a Journal Impact Factor that is appropriate for the project, in accordance with the ‘Guidelines for Authors’ of the chosen journal. Marking will be against the M level marking criteria and the ‘Guidelines for Authors’. The word count for the article will be in accordance with the ‘Guidelines for Authors’. This is intended to facilitate dissemination of student work. 

Academics involved in the delivery of this module