Follow your intellectual curiosity as you are guided to design, conduct and communicate research on a legal or socio-legal topic of your choice. Drawing on the rich culture of research and scholarship at Kent Law School, you will be supported to carefully define a research question, and then critically engage with and analyse current literature on the topic through regular contact with your supervisor, extending and deepening your analysis across the two terms. You will learn about rigorous and relevant legal and socio-legal research methods through a series of workshops and will demonstrate application of appropriate methods and frameworks in your own work. Finally, you will be encouraged to share your research in a mode of your choice, and also to reflect on the process of designing, carrying out and presenting a piece of research.
To be eligible for this module, you must arrange your own supervision within the Kent Law School and confirm this with your supervisor in writing before the start of the module. Please note that not all staff will be available to supervise research projects every year, and that there will be a cap on the number of projects staff members can supervise.
Workshops 12, Individual supervision 8
Option 1
2,000 words Short Writing Piece. Assessment Details: Dissertation chapter worth 20%.
5,000 words (Dissertation total is 7,000 words, including first assessment chapter) Extended Writing. Assessment Details: Research Project Dissertation worth 80%.
Option 2
20 minutes Presentation, Assessment Details: Individual presentation worth 20%.
30 minutes Presentation, Assessment Details: Individual (pre-recorded) presentation worth 40%.
A1 conference poster, Written -Visual Representation,Assessment Details: Conference poster (A1) worth 40%.
Reassessment Method: Like for Like
On successfully completing the module, students will be able to:
1) Design a suitable research question that frames and guides their research project
2) Appraise and analyse a wide variety of literature to build well-informed arguments
3) Present their research accurately and persuasively
4) Apply a robust research framework and extensive and in-depth knowledge and understanding to their chosen topic
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