Dissertation

On completion of this module students will/should have an understanding of a specialist topic within a selected field of heritage that they have chosen for the purposes of compiling a 10,000-word long dissertation based on original research.

1. Acquire a detailed knowledge and understanding of a research topic within a specialised area of heritage studies;

2. Possess the kind of knowledge required to design, execute and complete an independent written piece of heritage studies research;

3. Utilise a complex and specialised range of research skills (e.g. archives, fieldwork, surveying, interviews, questionnaires, quantitative techniques);

4. Examine and review literature across the various disciplines concerned with their heritage studies research topic;

5. Apply both descriptive and analytical techniques to their written narratives, and comprehend many practical and organisational problems associated with conducting independent work;

6. Exercise appropriate judgement in a number of complex planning and design functions related to their heritage studies research topic;

7. Act effectively under guidance in a peer relationship with their dissertation supervisor;

8. Act in variable and unfamiliar locations that may have to be visited during the course of their dissertation research. Furthermore, they should be able to display precision, structure and clarity in their communications;

9. Defend their research objectives and findings in two oral examinations. This will provide them with an intellectual opportunity to verbally and graphically explain the rationale behind their choice of dissertation topic, the methodologies of their investigation, their key research findings, and the validity of their conclusions and recommendations. Oral discussion of the work will also facilitate evaluation of the student’s overall grasp of the issues raised in the dissertation, and highlight any limitations with the nature and scope of the research undertaken;

10. Demonstrate accomplished communication, discussion, interpretation, presentation, and writing skills;

11. Demonstrate an ability to utilise a broad range of primary and secondary sources (e.g. blogs, books, book chapters, dissertations, field evidence, films, journal articles, magazine articles, manuscripts, maps, newspaper articles, podcasts, theses, websites, and videos);

12. Draw on the past to comprehend the present and grasp the importance of securing the future, thus linking to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).