Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2011-2012 (archived)

Module GEOG3432: DISSERTATION (40 CREDITS) IN GEOGRAPHY B

Department: Geography

GEOG3432: DISSERTATION (40 CREDITS) IN GEOGRAPHY B

Type	Tied	Level	3	Credits	40	Availability	Available in 2011/12	Module Cap	None.	Location	Durham

Tied to	CFG0
Tied to	F800
Tied to	LMV0
Tied to	X1F8

Prerequisites

Scientific Research in Geography (Level 2)

Corequisites

None

Excluded Combination of Modules

None

Aims

To enable students to plan and execute a substantial piece of independent geographical research on an approved topic
To provide students with an opportunity to collect and analyse data from primary and / or secondary sources using mainly natural scientific research methods
To encourage students to develop the transferable skills of advanced literacy and presentation

Content

An individual piece of work chosen by the student and approved by the Department's Director of Learning and Teaching
Early formulation of the topic and progress towards completion are monitored by the Dissertation Tutor, with whom there are five discussion tutorials during Level 3
The dissertation should be based mainly on primary and / or secondary natural science research

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

Subject-specific Skills:

On successful completion of the module students are expected to be able to produce a dissertation showing these skills:
Formulation: identify a clear objective
establish the relevant substantive and theoretical context
produce a scholarly and critical review of relevant literature
Execution: use appropriate and relevant natural science research methods
identify a logical structure and argument
show relevance and depth
produce a critical appraisal of the outcome

Key Skills:

Presentation: demonstrate advanced skills of literacy, numeracy, graphicacy, editing and proof-reading, documentation and bibliography

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

The dissertation is the most important single item on which Single-Honours Geography students are assessed
It is their own work on a topic of their own choice, done largely in their own time and reflecting their level of training, attitude, motivation, powers of organisation and analysis
The Level 2 Research Method Advisory Groups (Part of 'Scientific Research in Geography') may make an important contribution to the formulation of projects

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity	Number	Frequency	Duration	Total/Hours
Tutorials	6	Terms 1 & 2	Typically 30 minutes	3	■
Preparation and Reading				397
Total				400

Summative Assessment

Component: Dissertation		Component Weighting: 100%
Element	Length / duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
Dissertation submissions should be typed, using 12 pt Arial font, on A4 paper with 1.5 line spacing, 2 cm left, right, top and bottom margins. The main part of the dissertation, following the title page and abstract and any acknowledgements, must not exceed 10,000 words. This includes captions to figures and tables, but does not include the figures and tables themselves, or the reference list. Appendices (no upper page limit) can be included on a CD but staff are not obliged to read them. They will only be referred to if any questions arise which cannot be answered from reading the dissertation. Appendices are not to be included as hard copy.	10,000 words	100%

Formative Assessment:

Formative feedback on a) eight page draft dissertation chapter and b) two page outline of the dissertation consisting of section headings. This is to be submitted in the last week of Term 1. Staff would provide formative feedback but no mark will be given.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University