HSS8003 : Dissertation Preparation
- Offered for Year: 2025/26
- Module Leader(s): Dr Nicky Gardiner
- Co-Module Leader: Dr Jen Tarr
- Owning School: School X
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 5.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
This module aims to enable postgraduate researchers to:
Understand the practicalities involved in managing and writing a dissertation at Masters level in a UK university.
Employ a range of strategies for managing and writing a dissertation at Masters level in a UK university.
Critically reflect on their existing research presumptions, habits and strategies.
Adapt generic guidance and strategies to fit the specific needs of their own research.
Identify obstacles or challenges to effective practice and respond appropriately.
Outline Of Syllabus
Managing time, priorities and workload.
Working with academic literature
Researching and writing a literature review
Strategies for getting started with academic writing.
Maintaining healthy writing habits.
Building an academic argument and writing critically.
Structuring a Masters dissertation.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 10 | 2:00 | 20:00 | Guided critical reflection in preparation for each lecture and seminar. Asynchronous online reflection questions |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 6 | 1:30 | 9:00 | Interactive lectures to introduce context, challenges and strategies for future reflection. Dedicated discussion activities built into each lecture. Synchronous in-person + asynchronous recap recording & lecture slides |
| Structured Guided Learning | Structured research and reading activities | 5 | 1:00 | 5:00 | Synchronous discussion tasks to complete within allocated peer study groups |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 5 | 1:00 | 5:00 | Workshops for researchers to discuss and compare reflections and findings. Synchronous in-person. |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 61:00 | 61:00 | N/A |
| Total | 100:00 |
Jointly Taught With
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| HSS8001 | Thinking about Research |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
This module has been scaffolded to give researchers the space and time required to engage in full, meaningful reflection on their existing presumptions/habits around academic writing and research, experiment with alternative approaches and make adaptations according to individual need. It includes both synchronous in-person and asynchronous online activities to offer different ways of engaging with the module according to researchers' individual abilities and circumstances.
Aside from the first introductory lecture, researchers will be set a series of reflective prompts to help excavate existing study habits around particular issues (e.g. time management, critical reading, developing arguments etc.). These topics will then be contextualised within the lecture and strategies offered for experimentation and reflection. Further reflective prompts will be provided after each lecture and researchers will discuss their responses and findings within the workshops.
Students will also be allocated into peer study groups and given weekly discussion tasks to complete synchronously within their own allocated time. These are designed to give a space for students to share experiences without the pressure of a staff presence and promote the development of a peer community amongst the cohort.
Weekly structured reflection will give students practice in reflective writing and potentially generate content that builds towards the completion of the summative critical reflection at the end of the module.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written exercise | 1 | M | 100 | A 1500-2000 word critical reflection detailing issue/s encountered when conducting academic research and strategy/ies deployed in response. |
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written exercise | 1 | M | A 750-1000 word critical reflection detailing issue/s encountered when conducting academic research and strategy/ies deployed in response. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The assessment will consists of a critical reflection that will assess researchers' ability to identify, interrogate and adapt study strategies to more effectively and efficiently conduct their dissertation. In doing so, the critical reflection appropriately assesses student development in relation to the previously stated learning outcomes
A formative assessment will give students the opportunity to practice and receive feedback ahead of the summative assessment.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- HSS8003's Timetable