Sociology Dissertation

Module Identifier: GS31240
Module Title: Sociology Dissertation
Academic Year: 2027/2028
Semester: Semester 2 Taught over 2 semesters
Co-ordinator: Dr Cerys Jones
Reading List: View on Aspire
Other Staff: Dr Yvonne Ehrstein; Dr Bethany Simmonds; Rhys Dafydd Jones; Dr Cerys Jones; Professor Stephen Tooth; Dr Emma Sheppard

Assessment

Assessment Type	Assessment details	Proportion
Semester Assessment	Written Research Dissertation: 12000 Words	90%
Semester Assessment	Oral Presentation: 10 Minutes	10%
Supplementary Assessment	Written Research Dissertation: 12000 Words	90%
Supplementary Assessment	Recorded Oral Presentation: 10 Minutes	10%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

Plan, design and execute a piece of rigorous social science research.
Undertake research to high standards, including the collection of primary and/or secondary data (as appropriate).
Analyse research findings in a rigorous manner, employing appropriate techniques and analysing the results in the context of existing knowledge and theories.
Produce a substantial written dissertation in an appropriate academic style.
Demonstrate self-motivation, planning and initiative in working on an advanced project independently.

Brief description

This module takes the form of a student-led advanced independent research project. An appropriate topic will be proposed by the student and approved by the supervisor and/or dissertation module coordinator. The project involves five stages: (i) the identification of a research topic and development of an appropriate research plan; (ii) empirical research to collect primary data and/or collate information from secondary sources, as appropriate for the research issue; (iii) the analysis of data and information, including the interpretation of findings in the context of existing knowledge and theories; (iv) the delivery of an assessed presentation; and (v) the production of a 12,000 word dissertation.

Content

This module takes the form of a student-led independent research project. Each student will be allocated a supervisor after Easter of their second year who will provide guidance on the development and reporting of the project. Students will receive support for their independent study in a number of different contexts:
Large-group sessions will be provided by the module coordinator to introduce students to the module and the aims of the dissertation.

Supervisors will hold formal project supervision meetings with students at the end of the second year and during the third year. These meetings will be a mixture of one-to-one and small-group meetings.

Module skills

Skills type	Skills details
Application of Number	If appropriate to the selected research topic, students may develop numerical skills through the collection, analysis and presentation of quantitative data.
Communication	Written communication skills are developed through the production of the dissertation. Oral communication skills are developed through the presentation. They may also be developed through empirical research where verbal research methods are employed (e.g. interviews and questionnaires).
Improving own Learning and Performance	The intensive period of self-directed study undertaken on this module will provide students with an excellent opportunity to improve their own independent learning skills.
Information Technology	Students will be expected to employ appropriate IT resources in identifying data sources and collecting data (e.g. internet, electronic information resources), in data analysis (e.g. statistical packages), in producing the final dissertation (e.g. word processing and/or GIS and mapping packages), and in preparing and delivering the oral presentation.
Personal Development and Career planning	Personal development and career planning will be developed through discussions with the student’s dissertation supervisor who will also act as the student’s personal tutor. In addition, the generic skills developed in the dissertation will have significant transferability to a wide range of career contexts.
Problem solving	Problem solving skills are developed through the identification of research questions, an appropriate methodology and research plan, and through responses to difficulties experienced during data collection.
Research skills	Research skills are developed through the collection and analysis of data appropriate for investigation of the research questions.
Subject Specific Skills	Subject specific skills will be developed and assessed in this module. They will vary depending on the nature of the dissertation proposed.
Team work	These skills are not developed through this module.

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 6