VA7044 - Conservation Project-Dissertation

You will learn through a small number of timetabled sessions which enable you to understand how to select a topic and prepare to research a given topic, determine a research question, for your project, select appropriate sources and undertake accurate referencing in an academic piece of work. You will have the chance to engage with the Skills support team in the University Library and follow advanced search techniques. You will attend sessions on choosing a topic, structuring a project-dissertation, on selecting sources and on referencing.

After those initial sessions you will spend time undertaking your individual research and engaging in supervision meetings one-to-one with your project-dissertation supervisor. In these sessions you will be guided as to how to complete the tasks required for writing a project-dissertation or completing an applied research project with short project-dissertation, you will have further individual support on making the most of your topic. You will have the opportunity to submit draft versions of chapters and to be guided by comments and annotations from your supervisor, enabling you to improve your work from engagement with the formative feedback.

If you are undertaking an applied topic for your project-dissertation you will be supported by Conservation tutors and specialist technicians.

You will be supported in writing your project-dissertation through a number of scheduled workshop sessions which cover how to choose a subject for research, how to shape an academic research project, how to define and refine a research question, how to develop and consider methodologies, how to find, collate, and present an appropriate range of sources, including academic sources. You will also have the opportunity to consider appropriate referencing styles and practice them.

You will be supported in individual tutorials booked with your allocated supervisor (these may be real-time or virtual). The tutorials will be scheduled by mutual agreement and there will normally be a minimum of three opportunities to engage with your supervisor and draft and redraft your project-dissertation accordingly for comment. This formative feedback provided by your tutor will enable you to enhance your work. You will generate a subject-specific reading list based on your discussions with your tutor.

Your supervisor will read and comment on your drafts, annotating it, thus enabling you to enhance your final submission.

You can also book appointments with your personal tutor, other academic tutors or book telephone support sessions, should you require further support or have particular academic issues which you need to raise.

You will be supported in dedicated laboratory research sessions, as necessary, in order to undertake any primary scientific research which you may wish to support your research supported by dedicated demonstration hours.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:

1. Identify, and critically evaluate the role of research evidence and sources for a chosen research topic.
2. Have knowledge and understanding of how to contextualise, theorise, research, evidence and analyse an original research enquiry in a written project-dissertation
3. Demonstrate the analytical, critical and reflective skills necessary to demonstrate originality of thought
4. Create a clear research question and establish an appropriate methodology for responding to it

Intellectual / Professional Skills & Abilities:
5. Demonstrate the ability to coherently communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions (in visual and written form) in manner appropriate to a Level 7 dissertation
6. Demonstrate time and project management skills by completion of any scientific analysis, qualitative or quantitative research and literature review, exercising initiative and personal responsibility in the self-management and realisation of ambitions, goals and outcomes

Personal Values Attributes:
7. Demonstrate ethical awareness and critical reflection skills in relation to conservation practice and research
8. Situate conservation practice in relation to current and emerging international/global practices and debates.

You will be assessed by means of completing a 15000 word project-dissertation on a topic approved by your teaching team. Both routes through the MA Conservation programme enable you to meet the same learning outcomes.

Formative feedback is provided on layout, methodology, structure and on one draft chapters at an early stage of the project-dissertation to enable you to improve your final submission. Formative feedback may be an annotation of your work or may be provided verbally.

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This exciting module provides you with a unique opportunity to demonstrate the skills and knowledge required to conduct, develop and deliver Masters-level research within an area relevant to professional practice in Conservation. With guidance from your tutors, you will select a project-dissertation that best suits your own individual interests: You will select the form of project-dissertation by completing a learning contract approved by the module tutor and supervision team that suits your own individual research and practice interests, choosing from:
1.A literature-based research project-dissertation, requiring a synthesis, critical review, exploration and further development of an academic issue or professional topic - using existing academic and scholarly literature and, if relevant, the interpretation of primary or historic sources OR An applied research project-dissertation, requiring a qualitative or quantitative application of research methods enabling you to explore a problem centred enquiry, combined with scholarly review of relevant knowledge. The applied dissertation normally involves you in developing an evidence base and interpreting primary data, you may undertake observational data collection, or may engage in secondary analysis of existing data OR ALTERNATIVELY
2. An applied project-dissertation (based on a technical or practice-led exploration of a problem-centred enquiry, combined with scholarly review of relevant knowledge. This commonly involves practical experimentation, scientific analysis). The project-dissertation consists of 7500 words equivalent evidence/ reflection on your practice supported by a shorter academic project-dissertation (7500 words).
All project-dissertations will have a strong theoretical and research context underpinning and will require a thorough literature review, or the secondary analysis of existing data.
The project-dissertation also enables you to demonstrate time and project management skills and originality in researching a question which to date has been little explored. Combined this significantly adds to your professional profile and employability status.