This will provide students with the opportunity to carry out an extended piece of independent analytical research and to produce a more developed and lengthier piece of academic writing than previously attempted in their other undergraduate courses.

4 x one hour sessions as scheduled in MyCampus (of which 1 hour will be demonstration; and one hour will be an Autonomous Learning Group)

3 x 45min individual meetings arranged with supervisor.

None

None

The standard assessments for this course are: 

■ Prospectus (400 words) + Annotated Bibliography (1,250 words) - 10% 

■ Dissertation: 10,000 words, inclusive of foot or endnotes but exclusive of appendices and bibliography - 90% 

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available: 

■ There are no alternatives to the assessments, but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustment (Students should follow the usual process for extensions). 

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.  

It is the default expectation that all courses will offer opportunities for reassessment or deferred assessment. Where it is not possible to offer this in some assessment components, the grade achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade, and any exceptions for this course are described below.

[No exceptions]

This course aims to:

■ help students select and define an individual research project on an agreed topic of literary investigation within the field of Scottish literature;

■ develop students' advance planning and time management skills for a programme of independent research; 

■ foster the capacity for independent research and writing; 

■ enhance students' perspectives on their graduate employability.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ establish an in-depth knowledge of a particular topic in terms of text and context

■ plan for, and carry out, an efficient programme of well managed independent research;

■ clarify crucial terms of discussion and incorporate the views of published critics in their argument;

■ compose a sustained argument in an extended piece of analytical prose;

■ synthesize and write up independent research findings and material.