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Extended Dissertation

Module description

The dissertation enables you to direct your own learning by producing a sustained critical essay on a cultural, historical, or linguistic topic within Modern Languages and Comparative Literatures and Cultures. This requires you to devise your own research questions and programme of work, and to produce a detailed bibliography, under the guidance of an academic supervisor, with a view to writing the Dissertation. You will develop in-depth knowledge of your chosen area; identify and answer appropriate, subject-specific questions; and expand your capacity for independent study, inquiry and research.  You will also reflect on research methodologies and relevant critical theory. If you need your dissertation to count towards credits for a particular language, you must refer to primary and secondary material in your target language. 

Module aims - intentions of the module

The module aims to enable you to:

• Operate independently and responsibly and to take a positive and active role in your learning
• Devise your own research questions and to pursue these lines of inquiry
• Work under the guidance of an academic supervisor
• Produce a sustained piece of critical work

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the chosen subject, building appropriately on the work completed during the earlier years of their programme
• 2. Demonstrate a capacity for independent study and self-directed inquiry and research
• 3. Demonstrate an ability to identify and pursue appropriate, subject specific questions
• 4. Demonstrate an ability to reflect on research methodologies and to draft, revise and edit written work accordingly

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. With guidance from the dissertation supervisor, analyse the chosen texts, materials, artefacts or evidence, and relate it/them to relevant historical, cultural, linguistic and/or theoretical contexts within Modern Languages and Cultures.
• 6. Make effective use of all sources of information relevant to the topic (including digital and online resources, secondary critical literature, archival material), including source material in the target language where required.
• 7. Demonstrate an advanced ability to understand and analyse relevant theoretical ideas, and to apply these ideas to relevant arguments, cultural phenomena or historical events
• 8. Using recommended bibliographical tools, present a critical bibliography giving a balanced overview of the topic

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 9. Demonstrate time management skills and flexibility to devise and follow your own research questions, extending your knowledge in a specialist research field
• 10. Through essay-writing, demonstrate appropriate research and bibliographic skills, an advanced capacity to construct a coherent, substantiated argument, and a capacity to write clear and correct prose.Through essay-writing, demonstrate appropriate research and bibliographic skills, an advanced capacity to construct a coherent, substantiated argument, and a capacity to write clear and correct prose
• 11. By completing independent research for the dissertation or dissertation portfolio, demonstrate advanced proficiency in information retrieval and analysis and advancing a critical interpretation and/or an original argument

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, the schedule of tasks and supervision sessions will usually progress as follows:

• A brief (one-side) outline of your planned topic, saying which primary material you intend to use, how you intend to go about the project, and any problems you envisage
• A draft bibliography, stating the sources used to compile it. Your bibliography should comprise sources available in the University Library, the electronic library, or free-to-access elsewhere
• A critical response (up to 1000 words) to one or two key pieces of secondary literature (identified in conjunction with your supervisor)
• If your supervisor judges your progress with the dissertation by December to be unsatisfactory, you will be transferred to SML3015 (Dissertation for 15 credits). You will then take an additional taught optional module for 15 credits in Term 2
• A one-side plan of the chapters of the dissertation
• Draft of one section of the dissertation (about 1000 words)
• Submit to your supervisor a one-side progress report, including any remaining problems in organising the material / constructing the argument

In between supervision sessions, you are expected to work independently. During Term 2 you will be asked to give a short presentation on your research to your fellow students and the module convenor.

Dissertations are regarded as examinable components and as such, feedback will not be available until after the exam board has met.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE 

Key words search

Dissertation, independent research