Overview

The 7000 word (+/- 10%) dissertation involves several key steps: identifying a research gap, formulating research questions, conducting a literature review, selecting a research methodology, considering ethical aspects, obtaining ethical approval if needed, independently conducting the research project, and presenting the results and discussions in an academic format.

The main goal of this module is to guide and support students in undertaking a substantial independent research project. Each student is assigned a supervisor with research interests aligned with their chosen topic, who provides guidance throughout the research project.The topics for the dissertation vary based on individual students' degree programs, personal interests, employment, or further education goals. While primarily focused on linguistics, applied linguistics, or English language issues, the chosen topics must be relevant to the student's degree program. These can include, but not be restricted to research in English Language Studies, Linguistics, Bilingualism, Multilingualism, Language Disfluencies, Language Acquisition, Language Development, Language use, variation and change, and Teaching English as a Foreign Language.The School endeavors to supervise students on their preferred topics, but in rare cases where capacity is lacking, students are advised to select a new topic.

The academic year is divided into two semesters. In the first semester, students attend lectures and workshops on research basics and proposal preparation. They work on their dissertation proposals through private study, receiving one-on-one support from the module convener and other staff members. In the second semester, students continue with private study to prepare, research, and write their dissertations. They engage in a minimum of five one-on-one supervisory meetings with their assigned supervisor during this phase.

Students in this module, depending on assessment topics, research question(s) and methodologies will have to opportunity to utilize the department labs, specialized software and resources, when carry out their assessments. This can include access to and the use of; dedicated lab facilities for experiments, a direct brain activity measurement (ERP) and eye tracking systems, a professional grade sound isolation booth and high-end recording equipment setup, high-level statistical modelling and analysis software, behavioural experiment software systems, acoustic and phonetic analysis software, clinically-recognised standardised psychometric and language tests and a wide range of concordance software and specialised corpora for many languages.

Topics vary depending on individual students’ degree programmes, personal interests and / or employment or further education or training goals. They relate to a wide array of issues in linguistics, applied linguistics, or English language but must be relevant to the degree programme that the student is registered on. Topics will include, but not be restricted to , research in English Language Studies, Linguistics, Bilingualism, Multilingualism, Language Disfluencies, Language Acquisition, Language Development, Language use, variation and change, and Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Most topics will involve the collection and analysis of data, but the possibility of utilising exiting data or doing an extended literature review is not precluded if relevant to the topic and agreed with the supervisor. The School makes every effort to supervise the topic of the students' choice, however, on the rare occasions that the School does not have the capacity to supervise a topic, students will be advised to choose a new topic.

However, classes will include: • How to identify a research gap. • How to formulate a research question or questions. • How to conduct a review of literature. • Identifying and selecting an appropriate research methodology
• Descriptive and, if appropriate, inferential statistics. • Research ethics, data handling, and data management and storage • Producing a research proposal.

Only students wishing to collect data involving children or vulnerable adults will need a basic Disclosure and Barring Service ( DBS ) check (see below).

Students in this module, depending on assessment topics, research question(s) and methodologies will have to opportunity to utilize the department labs, specialized software and resources, when carry out their assessments. This can include access to and the use of; dedicated lab facilities for experiments, a direct brain activity measurement (ERP) and eye tracking systems, a professional grade sound isolation booth and high-end recording equipment setup, high-level statistical modelling and analysis software, behavioural experiment software systems, acoustic and phonetic analysis software, clinically-recognised standardised psychometric and language tests and a wide range of concordance software and specialised corpora for many languages.

Assessment Strategy

The final assessment will be assessed in these seven categories:

I. Topic / Summary: justification of choice of on theoretical and practical grounds.
II. Review of Literature: knowledge of the field, evaluation of existing research, identification of significant issues and gap relevant to this study.
III. Focus: clarity of identification of research focus, reserach question(s) and suitability of research approach in relation to its aims.
IV. Methodology: clarity of description of procedure (where relevant) and thoroughness and care with which work has been carried out.
V. Analysis: quality of analysis of findings, including statistical analysis where relevant.
VI. Discussion: quality of discussion of results and concluding remarks, including self-evaluation of awareness of limitations and suggestions for improvement.
VII. Presentation: Organisation and presentation, style, referencing and expression

Threshold (D- to D+) Submitted work is adequate and shows an acceptable level of competence as follows: 1.Generally accurate but with omissions and errors.2.Assertions are made without clear supporting evidence or reasoning.3.Has structure but is lacking in clarity and therefore relies on the reader to make links and assumptions.4.Draws on a relatively narrow range of material.

Good (C- to B+) Submitted work is competent throughout and may be distinguished by superior style, approach and choice of supporting materials. It: 1.Demonstrates good or very good structure and logically developed arguments.2.Draws at least in parts on material that has been sourced and assessed as a result of independent study, or in a way unique to the student.3.Assertions are backed by evidence and sound reasoning.4.Accuracy and presentation in an appropriate academic style.

Excellent (A- to A*) Submitted work is of an outstanding quality and excellent in one or more of the following ways: 1.Has originality of exposition with the student’s own thinking being readily apparent.2.Provides clear evidence of extensive and relevant independent study.3.Arguments are laid down with clarity and provide the reader with successive stages of consideration to reach conclusions.

Learning Outcomes

• Apply sustained independent enquiry to achieve targets and meet requirements

• Communicate research and findings effectively following conventions appropriate for the fields of linguistics, applied linguistics, or English language studies

• Design, plan and undertake a research project in a safe and responsible manner including conducting risk assessments and engaging with the ethics assessment process

• Evaluate and implement appropriate methodologies, approaches, tools and procedures to carry out a research-based project in the field of either linguistics, applied linguistics, or English language studies

• Formulate a question or hypothesis, collect appropriate data and plan and conduct analyses designed to answer that question or test the hypothesis

• Synthesise and evaluate the existing literature pertinent to their chosen question or hypothesis, and apply their knowledge of the literature to contextualise and justify their work through the construction of reasoned arguments

• Synthesize information and draw appropriate conclusions from it using existing knowledge, concepts and principles from relevant disciplines