Course Co-ordinator: Dr L Philip and Dr N Spedding

Pre-requisite(s): Available only to candidates in Programme Year 3 registered for one of G&E's Honours programmes.

Note(s): This course may not be taken as part of a graduating curriculum with GG 3572 (15 credit version of the course intended for Joint Honours students).

• The nature of the research process.


• Considering 'what makes a good piece of research' and 'how does a particular approach to your subject influence the type of research undertaken'.


• Aims and learning outcomes of the undergraduate dissertation.


• Selecting research topics and developing research questions. Literature searches and how to write a literature review.


• Sources of quantitative and qualitative secondary data.


• Data collection methods applicable to a wide range of geographical research questions.


• Strategies for interpreting qualitative data.


• Research ethics.


• Health and safety for researchers.


• Writing up research, how to present your dissertation and make the most of your research efforts.

9 x two-hour lectures; 2 x 2 hour workshops; optional field day.

1st Attempt: 100% coursework. Students complete four assignments all of which allow students to choose a topic; each counts for 25% of the overall mark:

(i) research contexts essay; (ii) 2 x short reports: data analysis and interpretation case study;
(iii) preliminary literature review / research planning exercise.

Resit: Resubmission of failed project work, with mark for those components to be capped at CAS 9.