Undergraduate Dissertation - SOC00052H

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Module summary

This module allows students to undertake a self-selected in-depth research project in their programme specified field of interest (sociology, criminology or social psychology).

Related modules

Module will run

Occurrence	Teaching period
A	Autumn Term 2022-23 to Summer Term 2022-23

Module aims

The aims of this module are to:

• Provide students with the opportunity to undertake an independent research project in their programme field of study (sociology, criminology or social psychology) that is well structured, clearly written and analytically robust.
• Enable students to develop an in-depth understanding of a self-selected topic in the context of a relevant sociological, criminological or social psychological perspectives and theories.
• Facilitate students engaging in empirical or non-empirical research to devise and conduct a feasible, appropriate and ethical methodology to investigate their topic.
• Empower students to manage a sustained research project that draw on their accumulated skills, particularly in terms of argument, project design and research method.

An additional learning aim for BA Criminology is:

• Enable students to use their knowledge of policy and sociologically informed theories of crime and deviance to make an analytical contribution to how crime is understood in contemporary culture

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Design and undertake a research project which draws upon appropriate qualitative, quantitative and theoretical skills, in order to produce rigorous analyses of a sociological, criminological or social psychological topic
• Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of a self-selected topic in the context of a relevant sociological, criminological or social psychological perspectives and theories, and in the case of BA Criminology, policies.
• Assess the appropriateness of research methods to their own research questions in order to produce rigorous analyses of a sociological, criminological or social psychological topic.
• Where empirical research is undertaken, demonstrate an understanding of ethical concerns and an ability to address them.
• Use their knowledge of sociological, criminological or social psychological theories to synthesis and communicate complex arguments regarding the understanding of social worlds, issues and debates in contemporary culture.
• Use independent critical thinking and problem solving skills to address a self-selected sociological, criminological or social psychological debate or issue. 

An additional learning outcome for BA Criminology:

• Identify any policy implications of their criminological research

Academic and Graduate Skills - students should be able to:

• Explain, analyse and apply complex sociological, criminological or social psychologically informed concepts and theories, and in the case of BA Criminology, policies, to craft a more considered understanding of social worlds.
• Be able to formulate appropriate research questions and design an appropriate research project to address the questions.
• Engage critically and creatively with sociological, criminological or social psychological issues in rigorous and critical ways.
• Be intellectually curious about, and challenge, commonly held assumptions about our social worlds.
• Be ethical in their conduct by considering the effects of their interactions with others, display sensitivity to the well-being of others and design research involving others.
• Recognise their own limitations and make use of constructive feedback from others to improve their capacity for effective working.
• Demonstrate skills in independent learning and sustained management of a research project
• Confidently communicate their intellectual positions in written form.
• Be resourceful in planning and managing their own work-load effectively and carrying out self-directed work.

Module content

Workshops will address topics such as:

• How to start a dissertation
• How to supervise your supervisor
• How to produce a dazzling literature review
• Finding the research hook
• How to breeze through the ethics process
• Developing your argument and analysis with theory and concepts
• How to write a watertight methodology
• How to design a coherent dissertation
• Using thematic analysis effectively

Indicative assessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	100

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	100

Module feedback

Prior to submission, students receive

• ongoing verbal advice and feedback on their progress from supervisors

As well as:

• oral feedback on their research proposal
• written and oral feedback on their ethics form
• written feedback on the 1,500 dissertation extract

 

After submission, students will receive:

• detailed written feedback on the dissertation based on the marking criteria

 

Indicative reading

Key texts will depend on the study undertaken but the following are indicative generic texts on dissertation writing in the social sciences:

• Bell, J. (2010) Doing your research project (5th ed.). Maidenhead: Open University Press.
• Clark, T., Foster, L. and Bryman, A. (2019) How to Do your Social Research Project or Dissertation, US: Oxford University Press.
• Greetham, B. (2009) How to write your undergraduate dissertation. London: Palgrave Macmillan.