Module Handbook: LICA 300: Dissertation, 2022-23
DRAFT
Convenor: Charlie Gere
Supervisors: individually assigned
Lectures: Two online lectures in term 1
One online lecture in term 2
Supervisions: 5–7 hours arranged in consultation with
the supervisor
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1. Module Overview
Curriculum Design: Outline Syllabus
This module is directed towards completion of an independent research project by the student in
the form of a final dissertation, or optionally in the case of Film Studies students, a dissertation plus
video project, or in the case of Design students a dissertation plus practical project.
The course is taught through lecture/seminars focussed on research skills and one to one
supervision. The lectures/seminars will include an introduction and guidance on how to determine a
suitable topic and write a proposal (to be given in the final term of a student's second year). Other
lectures/seminars will cover library resources, identifying research questions, methodology, writing
up, presentation and references. Detailed supervision on the progress of students' research projects
and dissertations will be given in tutorials. Students are entitled to a minimum of five hours and
maximum of seven hours of tutorials.
Educational Aims: Subject Specific: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills
The course aims to provide students with the opportunity to develop research skills through
engaging in a research project of directed, independent study, leading to a dissertation of 10,000
words. In the case of Film and Design students, the research may lead to a dissertation of 6,000
words plus a practical output equivalent to 4,000 words. (Students in Fine Art and Theatre have
opportunities for practical outputs elsewhere in the curriculum.)
Students will develop a thorough knowledge and understanding of a topic of their choice in the
contemporary arts, subject to approval of a supervisor. Topics should be related to but not
substantially repeat material studied on other modules available within the student’s degree scheme
This study will engage in a sustained analysis of relevant creative and critical texts and enable the
student to develop a critical awareness of key debates for a particular field.
This module consolidates and applies learning achieved throughout the degree scheme.
It is particularly useful for students who intend to proceed to postgraduate study.
Educational Aims: General: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills
This course aims to provide students with the opportunity to:
• develop research skills through engaging in a research project of directed, independent
study;
• consolidate and extend independent study skills, with particular emphasis on depth and
breadth of reading and/or study of artworks;
• consolidate and extend the ability to develop and sustain a cogent and coherent written
argument;
• consolidate and extend independence of thought and the ability to communicate effectively
and clearly through written work;
• consolidate skills in presenting written work in accordance to rigorous scholarly standards
and in accordance with specific guidelines.
Learning Outcomes: Subject Specific: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills
On successful completion of this module students will be able to demonstrate:
• the ability to engage in depth with a topic of their selection in the contemporary arts;
• a knowledge of literature, artworks, current debates and, where relevant, technology
related to that topic;
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• for those students whose topic relates to their own creative practice, a reflexive ability to
articulate relations between their own practice and current issues in relevant fields of the
contemporary arts.
Learning Outcomes: General: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills
On successful completion of this module students will be able to demonstrate:
• independent critical engagement with conceptual material;
• the ability to position oneself in relevant debates and traditions;
• independent learning and self-direction;
• the ability to design and develop a research project;
• the ability to abstract, conceptualise, analyse and synthesize information from written,
visual and aural sources;
• the ability to comprehend and evaluate arguments and to use evidence in developing ideas
and constructing coherent and sustained arguments;
• the ability to produce clear written work, using appropriate scholarly conventions
• the ability to utilize the library, internet and other resources effectively in the pursuit of an
independent research project;
• the ability to manage personal workloads and to meet deadlines.
2. Module assessment
The dissertation will embody the results of the project and count as 100% of the assessment. It will
normally be a sustained piece of writing of 9 - 11,000 words (exclusive of notes and
bibliography), following appropriate scholarly conventions and in specified format. For Major and
Combined Film students studying subjects other than Art or Theatre, or for Major and Combined
Design students, it can, by agreement with the supervisor, be a combination of a dissertation of
6,000 words and a practical output equivalent to 4,000 words.
This latter option is not open to Theatre and Art Majors, or to students taking these subjects in
combination with Film who have the opportunity to pursue research-based practical projects in
other Art and Theatre modules.
3. Teaching and learning
This course is essentially independent study supported by one-to-one sessions with supervisors. It is
not a taught course. Students are entitled to a minimum of five hours and a maximum of seven
hours of tutorials with their supervisor. A small number of plenary lectures cover topics of
organisation and skills of research and writing which will be common to all students.
Schedule
Summer Term 2022
May/June 2022. Introduction and Choosing a Topic. The course starts in the summer term
of students’ second year. This is to give students the opportunity to pursue preliminary research for
the dissertation over the summer vacation. There is a lecture with some subject-specific
seminars to assist students in finding a dissertation topic. Students submit a draft proposal
and have an opportunity for brief feedback either in person or via email on this proposal from a
member of staff before the end of term or over the vacation. This member of staff will not
necessarily be their supervisor.
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Autumn Term 2022
Monday 17 October 2022 (week 2). Students submit a final proposal. On the basis of the proposal,
each student is assigned a supervisor.
Week 2. Research methods lecture 1: developing a bibliography, finding research materials, etc.
Week 6. Research methods lecture 2: refining your topic, methodologies, creating an argument.
Monday 21 November 2022 (week 7, Theatre only). Students submit work to their supervisor for
feedback before the end of term.* (This date is varied from week 8 for other students to avoid a
bottleneck of other work for Theatre students.)
Monday 28 November 2022 (week 8, other students). Students submit work to their supervisor for
feedback before the end of term.*
* The work to be submitted to your supervisor by week 7 or 8 should be either a draft section, of
between 1500 and 2000 words, or a detailed plan for the entire dissertation, by agreement with
your supervisor.
Spring Term 2023
Week 14. Research skills lecture 3: writing and revising.
Monday 27 February 2023 (week 17). Students submit a draft section, of between 1500 and 2000
words, different from what was submitted in autumn term, to their supervisor. Supervisors will
arrange for feedback before the end of term. Please note that your supervisor will not read a
complete draft of your dissertation. This is the last opportunity for detailed feedback. After the
vacation, it is only reasonable to expect your supervisor to answer very specific questions.
Summer Term 2023
Monday 8 May 2023 (week 23) 12 noon. Deadline for submission of the final dissertation. See
below for information on the format of submission required.
4. Recommended reading
Andrews, Richard J. (2003) Research Questions, London: Continuum.
Booth, Wayne. C., Colomb, Gregory, G., Willams Joseph, W. (2009) The Craft of Research (Third
Edition) Chicago: Chicago University Press.
Brown, T. (2008) Design thinking. Harvard Business Review, 86(6) 84–92.
Buchanan, R. and Margolin, V. eds. (1995) Discovering Design: Explorations in Design Studies,
Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Buchanan, R. (1992) Wicked problems in design thinking. Design Issues, 8(2) 5–21.
Cooper, Harris M. (1998) Synthesizing Research: A Guide For Literature Reviews, Thousand Oaks,
Calif.: Sage.
Cross, N. (2001) Designerly ways of knowing: design discipline versus design science. Design Issues,
17(3), 49-55.
Day, Robert A. (1989) “The Development of Research Writing”, Scholarly Publishing, 20(2) (January).
Dorst, K., Cross, N. (2001) Creativity in the design process: co-evolution of problem–solution. Design
Studies, 22 425–437.
Dorst, K. (2006) Design Problems and Design Paradoxes. Design Issues, 22(3) 4–17
Fraleigh, Sondra Horton and Hanstein, Penelope (eds) (1999) Researching Dance: Evolving Modes of
Inquiry, Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.
Jones, Lois Swan (1978) Art Research Methods And Resources: A Guide To Finding Art Information,
Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Pub. Co.
Mcneill, Patrick (2005) Research Methods, London: Routledge.
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Schon, D.A. (1983) The Reflective Practitioner. How Professionals think in Action. New York: Basic
Books.
5. Referencing
It is essential for you to properly acknowledge and reference the sources of information and
quotations used in your dissertation. You must use Harvard (author, date) style. You will find
information on how to use this referencing style on the Library website
(http://lancaster.libguides.com/c.php?g=673043), along with detailed guidance on how to refer to
different kinds of material (https://answers.lancaster.ac.uk/display/LLD/Harvard+Referencing).
There are many on-line sources of information about Harvard-style referencing, but be aware that
there is no one fixed Harvard style; there are variations in the use of punctuation in references,
capitalisation, etc., but the principles remain the same. You are recommended to follow the style in
the Library’s guide (because that is simplest) but you are not required to do so. You should,
however, be consistent. Adopt one set of conventions and stick to them.
6. Format of final dissertation
Title page
Your dissertation should have a title page with at least the following information:
• your name,
• the title of the dissertation,
• the words ‘Submitted for module LICA300 in part fulfilment of the requirements of the
degree of BA , Lancaster University, ’
Length
The dissertation should be approximately 9 - 11,000 words long (6,000 for Film students also
submitting a practical project), including the abstract, but not counting the bibliography,
notes and any appendices. Outside those limits, students should discuss the length of their
dissertation with their supervisor, to judge whether everything appropriate has been said if the
dissertation is too short, of if there is unnecessary material if the dissertation is too long. Examiners
are entitled to stop reading a dissertation which is overly long.
Sections
Your dissertation should have the following sections in this order.
• Abstract: a statement in less than 200 words of what the dissertation is about
• Acknowledgements (if any); only thank those people who have given specific help and
support for this dissertation.
• Table of contents; list the chapter headings and subheadings, with the page numbers.
• Several chapters—this is the main body of the dissertation; number each chapter beginning
at 1 and give each a meaningful title.
• References or Bibliography
• Appendices (if any)
Figures, illustrations, tables, diagrams, graphs, etc.
All figures, illustrations, tables, etc. must have a numbered caption (such as ‘Figure 1’ or ‘Table 1’)
which gives a brief statement of what is shown. All figures, illustrations, tables, etc. should be
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referred to in the text in order to make clear to the reader how they relate to the rest of the
dissertation.
It is best to place figures, illustrations, tables, etc. within the text close to the place where they are
referred to. The ideal positions are at the top or bottom of a page, but this is not essential. Review
the positions of these things prior to submitting your dissertation, because it is common for them to
be moved by word-processing software as the document is changed, resulting in a poor layout.
If you use colour figures, illustrations, tables, etc., either print in colour or review their appearance
before submission to ensure that vital information is not lost in the conversion to monochrome.
Format
Your dissertation should be formatted for A4 size paper throughout. Every page should have a
margin of at least 2cm on every side. Use a font and size which is not difficult to read (e.g., Arial (11
pt), Calibri (11 pt) or Time New Roman (12 pt)). Space the main body text with 1.5 or double spacing.
The person who marks your dissertation is likely to want to pencil comments onto the page, and this
is easier if there is space.
Paragraphs should begin either with extra space above or with indentation of the first line.
Block quotations (i.e., longer than two lines) should be indented and single spaced but should not be
in a different font or size.
Every page should be numbered. The common convention is to number the first page of the first
chapter ‘1’ in Arabic numerals and to use small Roman numerals for the preceding pages, excluding
the title page (called ‘front matter’). This is possible in word-processing software by dividing your
text into ‘sections’.
There should be a header on each page except the title page which gives your name and the chapter
title (abbreviated if necessary). Word-processing software usually makes it easy to add a different
header for each ‘section’.
Any footnotes (which should not be used for references) should be in a smaller font size and single
spaced.
The bibliography or reference list should be single spaced and arranged in alphabetical order by the
surname of the first author of each item. Make clear where each item begins either by space before
or by a hanging indent.
Binding and printing
Your dissertation can be printed on both sides of the paper.
The paper copies of your dissertation should be bound in a soft binding. A thermal, comb or spiral
binding is acceptable, with plastic or card covers at the front and back. Make sure that the text is all
readable once the pages are bound.
The day before the submission deadline is a holiday. Do not rely on getting your dissertation bound
by a commercial or University service on that day. Make arrangements in advance.
Submission
For students of Film and Design, if the project includes a practical output, that output is due at the
same time as the dissertation and must be submitted in a manner and format agreed in advance
with your supervisor.
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Please refer to the Undergraduate Handbook for further information including; procedures and
guidelines, coursework submission, general marking criteria, progression, plagiarism, referencing,
contacts, and further information about your course.