This second extracurricular module will enable students to acquire and develop the skills necessary to carry out a longer term research project such as their LLM dissertations, learn about other forms of post-graduate studies and career development. Although the focus will be on research methods and theoretical frameworks, other sessions might include: a workshop on editing scholarly work; an introduction to doctoral research; a workshop on working with long documents; and writing a CV.
September students (LAWS9192):
Contact hours: 16
Private study hours: 4
Total hours: 20
January students (LAWS9194):
Private study hours: 20
January students will access the module via e-learning and will be provided with access to the recordings of the lecture/workshops. There will be a group forum on Moodle where students will be encouraged to discuss issues with their peers. The forum will be monitored by the course convenor.
Compulsory for students on the LLM in (Specialisation); LLM in Law and PG Diploma in (Specialisation). Also available optionally to students on the PG Certificate in Law.
September students (LAWS9192):
Students who attend the lectures/workshops and participate in the group discussion will be deemed to have met the learning outcomes of the module. Students will fail the module if they miss two or more of the lectures/workshops. Where there are legitimate reasons for non-attendance, the convenor will permit students to write a 250-word reflective summary for any other missed sessions. Non-submission of the reflective summaries for the missed sessions will result in failure of the module. Where there are no legitimate reasons for non-attendance, students will be required to submit a 1000-word essay which demonstrates their understanding of the material covered on the module as a whole. Non-submission of this essay will result in failure of the module.
January students (LAWS9194):
Due to their engagement with the module via e-learning, all January students are required to submit a 250-word reflective summary per session for at least five sessions to demonstrate their achievement of the module learning outcomes. Non-submission of at least five reflective summaries will result in failure of the module.
Re-assessment methods
100% coursework for both September and January students.
• W.C. Booth, The Craft of Research (University of Chicago Press, 2009)
• P. Cane and HM. Kritzer (ed), The Oxford Handbook of Empirical Legal Research (Oxford University Press, 2010)
• H. Carr et al, Skills for Law Students (Oxford University Press, 2009)
• M. Davies, Asking the Law Question (Lawbook Co., 2008)
• S. Hanson, Legal Method, Skills and Reasoning 3rd Ed. (Routledge-Cavendish, 2010)
• JM. Smits, Mind and Method of the Legal Academic (Edward-Elgar Publishing, 2012)
• W. Twining and D. Miers, How to Do Things with Rules (Butterworths, 1999)
• D. Watkins and M. Burton, Research Methods in Law (Routledge, 2013)
The intended subject specific learning outcomes.
On successfully completing the module students will be able to:
1. Critically evaluate a research project, both doctrinally and in terms of its wider social, economic and/or political consequences;
2. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the range of different methods of legal research;
3. Identify advanced scholarship in their area of interest and critically evaluate different research methodologies and theoretical approaches
applicable to a research project in a defined area of law;
4. Use a range of advanced research skills in and beyond law.
The intended generic learning outcomes.
On successfully completing the module students will be able to:
1. Apply the intellectual skills required for producing creative and original research;
2. Demonstrate advanced skills on textual and case analysis and textual commentary.
Stage 1
University of Kent makes every effort to ensure that module information is accurate for the relevant academic session and to provide educational services as described. However, courses, services and other matters may be subject to change. Please read our full disclaimer.
