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GEOG55315: RESEARCH PRACTICE

It is possible that changes to modules or programmes might need to be made during the academic year, in response to the impact of Covid-19 and/or any further changes in public health advice.

Type Tied
Level 4
Credits 15
Availability Not available in 2024/2025
Module Cap
Location Durham
Department Geography

Prerequisites

  • None.

Corequisites

  • None.

Excluded Combinations of Modules

  • None.

Aims

  • This module aims to enable students to develop the range of practical skills used in the development, prosecution and reporting of research. It should help student to manage their time; structure their research; and gain confidence in presenting their findings in a professional and academic manner.

Content

  • Team work and cooperation
  • Writing styles and strategies
  • Bibliographic skills; handling data
  • Presentation skills, visual material and use of illustrations
  • PowerPoint, Endnote, posters and manipulating images; mapping

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

  • Students should understand the practical implications of current debates in their subject field and how this affects their own approach to research.

Subject-specific Skills:

  • The acquisition of practical skills to help students manage a research project. In particular to develop appreciation of the importance of: planning a research project; time management; team work and cooperation
  • The acquisition of enhanced bibliographic skills
  • The communication of research ideas in a conference workshop
  • The development of writing styles and strategies appropriate to Masters level study (in Geography)

Key Skills:

  • The acquisition of presentation skills for the dissemination of research in a way that is consistent with professional practice

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

  • This module is presented as a series of workshops. Each workshop is focussed on the one of the four subject skills listed above and includes an introduction by the staff which is followed by the development of the theme in a mixture of task- and student-led discussions. These discussions take place within the research context of the individual students and are developed specifically to encourage the stated Key Skills (above). This training in personal and intellectual skills will enable them to choose and apply appropriate techniques for their research from those used by professional geographers.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotalMonitored
Workshop4weekly416Yes
Full day conference1Full day7Yes
Preparation & Reading127 
Total150 

Summative Assessment

Component: CourseworkComponent Weighting: 50%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Written report2500 words100Yes
Component: Oral presentationComponent Weighting: 50%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Oral presentation20 mins (15 plus 5 for questions)100Yes

Formative Assessment

Individual formative report (1000 words max) reflecting on individual research practice and the process of writing

More information

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