Course syllabus

ENGLISH 781 Research Project

Course Coordinator               Jan Cronin (j.cronin@auckland.ac.nz)

Supervisors:                          Jan Cronin

                                                Lisa Samuels

                                                Eluned Summers-Bremner

                                                Sophie Tomlinson

                                                Joanne Wilkes

 

Delivery format

ENGLISH 781 is a research project enrolment. It proceeds by 2 hour seminars in weeks 1, 3 and 6, research cluster supervision in weeks 2, 4, and 5, presentation seminars in weeks 7 and 8, and individual supervision (as arranged with supervisors) in weeks 7-13 inclusive.

(Seminar room details can be viewed on Student Services Online)

Description              

ENGLISH 781 is the research hub of the BA(Hons) programme in English. It offers students in-depth one-on-one supervision while fostering a collaborative research environment. In this community of peer researchers, you can develop your individual research capability as well as valuable project management, presentation and editing skills.

In 2017, four staff members offer supervision of designated research areas as follows (please see the course document for full details)

Janet Frame: Neglected Novels and Posthumous Publishing                         Jan Cronin

The Embodiment of Knowledge in Writing Experiment             Lisa Samuels                 

Words and Things: Reliquary Modes and Materialities          Eluned Summers-Bremner

Adventures in Adaptation Studies                                                        Sophie Tomlinson

The Life and Works of Anne Brontë                                                          Joanne Wilkes

Students submit annotated rankings of their preferred research areas in week 1 of the course and are assigned to a supervised research cluster of approximately 5 students. The early stages of the course alternate between whole cohort sessions (on time management, the writing process, presentation and research skills) and supervised research cluster meetings, in which students can develop their individual research projects in a supportive peer environment. The course then proceeds by individual supervision; and students give an oral presentation and undertake peer review as they produce an independent extended research essay.

This course can provide preparation for students intending to proceed to an MA or PhD. It can also provide the transferable skills often valued by employers of Arts graduates: the ability to conceive and implement a project to completion, to conceptualise and clarify a problem and to cogently report the results.

Course outcomes

A student who successfully completes this course will have had the opportunity to:

• demonstrate intellectual independence, analytic rigour, and the ability to understand and evaluate new knowledge and ideas
• identify topics for research, to plan and conduct research, analyse results, and communicate the findings to the satisfaction of subject experts
• expand their knowledge of those methodologies and forms of analysis that underwrite the contemporary field of English
• enhance their research skills, including those of discovery, analysis, written and oral presentation
• understand the principles and practice of scholarly citation
• learn how to participate in structured peer review
• develop an understanding of the mutual expectations of supervision;
• produce an independent research project.

 

Schedule

Students must consult the detailed weekly breakdown contained in the course document under “files”. This includes preparation and guidance for week 1.

Milestone summary:

• Submission of research area rankings, 6pm Friday Week 1 (28 July)
• Assignment to research clusters, 9pm Friday of Week 1 (28 July)
• Submission of research project mini proposal (250-500 words max), no later than Wednesday of Week 4 (16 August), feedback from supervisors by end of Monday of Week 5 (21 August)
• Presentation of work-in-progress to the whole 781 cohort in an 8 minute time-period (followed by approx. 3 minutes of questions) under quasi-conference conditions in Weeks 7-8
• Submission of 3,000 word draft extract to Aropa by 5pm, Friday of Week 10 (13 October)
• Completion of peer review exercise via Aropa peer review tool, 4pm Wednesday of Week 11 (18 October)
• Final submission of draft work to supervisor before 5pm Friday of Week 12 (27 October)
• Final written feedback from supervisor (in response to work submitted at least one week previously), by end of week 30 October – 3 November
• Submission: 4pm Friday 10 November

 

Prescribed Texts:

See course information document (under “files”) for background reading and preparation for weeks 1, 3 and 6.

Recommended Texts:

Varies depending on research topic (for research stream details, see course document under “files”)

Workload:

The University of Auckland's expectation of 30-point enrolments is that students spend 20 hours per week on the course. Students manage their academic workload and other commitments accordingly.

Deadlines and submission of coursework:

There is no possibility of an extension unless a student can evidence exceptional circumstances. Students unable to meet the deadline due to evidenced exceptional circumstances must formally apply to the Head of Disciplinary Area for an extension, submitting the necessary documentation and a statement of support from their assigned supervisor. Please note that any extension beyond ten days’ duration will require permission from Faculty as well as the Head of Disciplinary Area and will incur additional fees. Students applying for any extension must contact the convenor (Jan Cronin) in the first instance.