This course aims to develop the students' ability to conduct research at an advanced level. The skills taught will have a wide application to both scholarly inquiry and problem solving generally.

Students will also be entitled to individual consultation with the lecturer(s) to discuss their own research topics. During individual consultation, the lecturer will take the opportunity to inquire as to progress or comment upon performance and will offer advice and guidance to the students as required.

Students will be required to submit a draft research plan to the lecturer(s) for discussion. The plan should set out in detail a strategy for pursuing a research project, from the identification of the objectives to the collection of materials and data and the presentation of the project in the form of a written dissertation.

The assessment criteria are as follows:

- adequate selection of topic;

- adequate formulation of aims and objectives of research including reasons for the selection of the topic, why it is worthy of study, ethical, moral or social question;

- procedure including design of proposed research;

- data collection and analysis methods, if any

- literature review and bibliography;

- timetable.

Students are required to attend at least 70% of the classes (lectures, seminars, presentations). If a student does not meet this requirement, he/she may be disqualified for assessment.