Module SXL-3113:
Dissertation
Module Facts
Run by School of History, Law and Social Sciences
20.000 Credits or 10.000 ECTS Credits
Semester 1 & 2
Organiser: Dr Marie Parker-Jones
Overall aims and purpose
The purpose of this module is to provide students with the opportunity to write an extended piece of independent research-based work on a legal topic. In particular, the aims of the module include enabling students to formulate a research proposal setting out appropriate research techniques and methodologies; enabling students to plan, organise and write a lengthy piece of work; and enabling students to demonstrate an ability to undertake a detailed and sustained investigation into a particular topic or issue within the field of legal scholarship. Students will also deliver an oral presentation on their research.
Course content
The module will provide students with the opportunity to develop their research skills; an opportunity to develop their skills of written and oral presentation; and an opportunity to research a topic in more depth than is otherwise possible during their undergraduate studies.
Assessment Criteria
excellent
Excellent: A- to A* (70+%) An outstanding, possibly brilliant, answer, containing all the material relevant to the question and no irrelevancy, all the material and references being accurate and correct, there being no inaccuracy or error, the whole presented in a clear, logical, critical argument with little room for improvement. An answer which demonstrates a complete mastery of the subject.
good
Good: B- to B+ (60-69%) High Standard: A comprehensive answer, containing all the material relevant to the question and no irrelevancy, all the material and references being accurate and correct, there being no inaccuracy or error, the whole presented in an argument which, while clear, logical and critical, leaves room for improvement in its construction and presentation. An answer which shows complete competence in the subject.
threshold
Threshold: D- to D+ (40-49%) An answer which, while predominantly correct in its presentation of material, contains a significant level of error and is therefore not entirely reliable.
C- to C+
C- to C+: C- to C+ (50-59%) An answer which, while always in the main accurate and correct, fails to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant material and is lacking in criticism. An answer which while reliable with regard to correctness is either not comprehensive or not entirely pertinent.
Learning outcomes
-
Demonstrate the ability to communicate reasoned and clearly structured written arguments on a legal topic succinctly using appropriate referencing systems.
-
Demonstrate the ability to present ideas and reasoned arguments orally using a short focused presentation including using use information technology programme such as PowerPoint.
-
Identify, obtain, critically review, and analyse relevant legal and associated materials from various sources.
-
Demonstrate the ability to independently conduct sustained and focused research on a selected legal topic in order to create a well-balanced argument.
-
Demonstrate the ability to identify, explain, and articulate arguments in a problem area.
Assessment Methods
Type | Name | Description | Weight |
---|---|---|---|
DISSERTATION | Dissertation | 6,000 - 8,000 word dissertation |
70.00 |
INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATION | Presentation | 10 minute prepared presentation to staff and students in a conference format, with an additional 5 minutes for questions |
30.00 |
Teaching and Learning Strategy
Hours | ||
---|---|---|
One-to-one supervision | Students will work with a Supervisor throughout the academic year. |
4 |
Private study | Students will use private study time to carry out further research and to write their Dissertation. |
192 |
Seminar | There will be 4 hours of Seminars in total. These sessions will be used to provide students with guidance on the writing process. |
4 |
Transferable skills
- Literacy - Proficiency in reading and writing through a variety of media
- Computer Literacy - Proficiency in using a varied range of computer software
- Self-Management - Able to work unsupervised in an efficient, punctual and structured manner. To examine the outcomes of tasks and events, and judge levels of quality and importance
- Exploring - Able to investigate, research and consider alternatives
- Information retrieval - Able to access different and multiple sources of information
- Inter-personal - Able to question, actively listen, examine given answers and interact sentistevely with others
- Critical analysis & Problem Solving - Able to deconstruct and analyse problems or complex situations. To find solutions to problems through analyses and exploration of all possibilities using appropriate methods, rescources and creativity.
- Presentation - Able to clearly present information and explanations to an audience. Through the written or oral mode of communication accurately and concisely.
- Teamwork - Able to constructively cooperate with others on a common task, and/or be part of a day-to-day working team
- Mentoring - Able to support, help, guide, inspire and/or coach others
- Management - Able to utilise, coordinate and control resources (human, physical and/or financial)
- Argument - Able to put forward, debate and justify an opinion or a course of action, with an individual or in a wider group setting
- Self-awareness & Reflectivity - Having an awareness of your own strengths, weaknesses, aims and objectives. Able to regularly review, evaluate and reflect upon the performance of yourself and others
- Leadership - Able to lead and manage, develop action plans and objectives, offer guidance and direction to others, and cope with the related pressures such authority can result in
Subject specific skills
- Develop the ability to interpret legal rules and employ techniques of legal reasoning competently and efficiently in order to offer a range of solutions and conclusions to actual or hypothetical complex legal problems, all supported by relevant academic literature, jurisprudence and legislative research. Such solutions will be clearly communicated and presented
- Develop the ability to analyse complex legal issues, set against the background of the political, social, economic or cultural contexts in which they may arise
- Develop those skills which are necessary for scholarship and research in legal subjects, namely the ability to identify relevant primary and secondary legal sources and to retrieve accurate legal information using paper and electronic sources
Resources
Talis Reading list
http://readinglists.bangor.ac.uk/modules/sxl-3113.htmlReading list
Recommended Reading: S Foster, Legal Writing Skills (Pearson 2019) L Lammasniemi, Law dissertations: a step-by-step guide (Routledge 2018) M Salter, Writing Law Dissertations (Longman 2007) L Webley, Legal Writing (Routledge-Cavendish 2010)
Pre- and Co-requisite Modules
Co-requisites:
Co-requisite of:
Courses including this module
Optional in courses:
- M115: LLB Law with English Literature (International Experience) year 3 (LLB/ILEL)
- M100: LLB Law year 3 (LLB/L)
- M11B: LLB Law (4 year with Incorporated Foundation) year 3 (LLB/L1)
- M1N4: LLB Law with Acc and Finance year 3 (LLB/LAF)
- M1NB: LLB Law with Accounting & Finance (4yr with Incorp Found) year 3 (LLB/LAF1)
- M101: LLB Law (2 year) year 3 (LLB/LAW2)
- M1N1: LLB Law with Business Studies year 3 (LLB/LBS)
- MN1B: LLB Law with Business (4year with Incorporated Foundation) year 3 (LLB/LBS1)
- MT11: LLB Law with Chinese year 4 (LLB/LC)
- MT12: LLB Law with Chinese (International Experience) year 4 (LLB/LCIE)
- M1W1: LLB Law with Creative Media Writing year 3 (LLB/LCMW)
- M1W2: LLB Law with Creative Media Writing (International Exp) year 4 (LLB/LCMWI)
- M116: LLB Law with French (European Experience) year 4 (LLB/LFE)
- M117: LLB Law with German (European Experience) year 4 (LLB/LGE)
- M1V1: LLB Law with History year 3 (LLB/LH)
- M1V2: LLB Law with History (International Experience) year 4 (LLB/LHI)
- M102: LLB Law (International Experience) year 4 (LLB/LI)
- M103: LLB Law with Accounting & Finance (Intl Exp) year 4 (LLB/LIA)
- M104: LLB Law with Business Studies (International Experience) year 4 (LLB/LIB)
- M105: LLB (European) Law with French year 4 (LLB/LIC)
- M108: LLB Law with Social Policy (International Experience) year 4 (LLB/LIF)
- M113: LLB Law with Criminology (Intl Exp) year 4 (LLB/LIK)
- M118: LLB Law with Italian (European Experience) year 4 (LLB/LITE)
- M1P1: LLB Law with Media Studies year 3 (LLB/LMS)
- M1P2: LLB Law with Media Studies (International Experience) year 4 (LLB/LMSI)
- M10P: LLB Law with Placement Year year 4 (LLB/LP)
- M1V5: LLB Law with Philosophy and Religion year 3 (LLB/LPR)
- M1C8: LLB Law with Psychology year 3 (LLB/LPSY)
- M119: LLB Law with Spanish (European Experience) year 4 (LLB/LSE)
- M1L4: LLB Law with Social Policy year 3 (LLB/LSP)
- M1LB: LLB Law with Social Policy (4 yr with Incorp Foundation) year 3 (LLB/LSP1)
- M1Q5: LLB Law with Welsh year 3 (LLB/LW)
- M1M9: LLB Law with Criminology year 3 (LLB/LWCR)
- M1MB: LLB Law with Criminology (4 yr with Incorporated Foundation) year 3 (LLB/LWCR1)
- M1MP: LLB Law with Criminology with Placement Year year 4 (LLB/LWCRP)
- M1QK: LLB Law with English Literature year 3 (LLB/LWEL)
- M1M0: LLB English Law and French Law year 3 (LLB/UKLFL)