Module Identifier DR33720  
Module Title INDEPENDENT RESEARCH PROJECT  
Academic Year 2003/2004  
Co-ordinator To Be Arranged  
Semester Semester 2 (Taught over 2 semesters)  
Other staff Professor David I Rabey, Mr Richard D Downing, Dr Roger Owen  
Co-Requisite DR39310  
Course delivery Lecture   5 Hours 8 x 1 hour  
  Seminars / Tutorials   3 Hours 2 x 30-minute individual tutorials (per student)  
  Seminars / Tutorials   1 Hours 3 x 1 hour small group seminars  
Assessment
Assessment TypeAssessment Length/DetailsProportion
Semester Assessment Dissertation: 7,500 words For information on due dates for submission of assessed work, please refer to the departmental web pages at http://www.aber.ac.uk/tfts/duedates.shtml 100%

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
demonstrate an understanding of research methods in Theatre Studies

carry out a piece of independent research in an agreed aspect of Theatre Studies.

recognise the different stages involved in effective research: formulating a question, grounding this in existing research, theories and frameworks, formulating methods, managing the research process, and evaluating findings.

Develop their own dissertation proposal in light of these.

Aims

1. This module, which is compulsory for all Single Honours Drama students, gives students the opportunity to engage in a supervised independent research project in an agreed area of Theatre Studies, during their final semester of their third year. As well as introducing students to traditional research methods it allows them the opportunity to construct and present a coherent and sustained argument in a 7,500 word dissertation.
2. To re-focus the teaching and assessment of the existing module DR33720 (The Production Environment), by removing the element of reflection on Practice which it previously contained.
3. To widen the scope of the module so that it encourages students to research topics which may now be drawn from the whole range of their previous experience of the degree programme, rather than merely that which they encountered in their practical semester.

Brief description

This module, which is compulsory for all Single Honours Drama students, gives students the opportunity to engage in a supervised independent research project in an agreed area of Theatre Studies, during their final semester of their third year. As well as introducing students to traditional research methods it allows them the opportunity to construct and present a coherent and sustained argument in a 7,500 word dissertation.

Reading Lists

Books
** Recommended Background
Cottrell, Stella (2000) The Study Skills Handbook Palgrave
Fabb, Nigel and Alan Durant (1993) How to Write Essays, Dissertations and These in Literary Studies Pearson
Peck, John and Martin Coyle (2000) The Student's Guide to Writing Palgrave
Turley, Richard Maggraf (2000) Writing Essays Routledge
Each student will be expected to construct their own appropriate and relevant bibliography, according to the research subject chosen and approved

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 6