Unit Outline

This unit provides you with ideas, knowledge, and skills that are key to doing contemporary research in the Humanities. You will gain core skills in planning and undertaking major research projects and a deeper understanding of how Humanities disciplines can contribute to active debates on urgent questions and problems facing the world today. You will be exposed to many theories, methodologies, points of view, and academic strategies which will enhance both your growth as a Humanities scholar and your individual research project. This unit emphasises Humanities research as an open-ended pursuit that is most exciting and effective when it is focused on posing new questions and exploring them from multiple angles. You will work independently and together with fellow students and a panel of academics to build your capacity to make connections between contemporary social, cultural, and political issues, disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge, and your own research.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1	Evaluate and apply different methodological and theoretical approaches to research in the Humanities
2	Identify and explain the relevance and aims of research in the Humanities from disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives
3	Critically reflect and contribute to debates on contemporary issues in the Humanities from disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives
4	Communicate effectively in oral and written form about concepts, perspectives, and contemporary issues in the Humanities, adhering to conventions of academic expression, presentation, and referencing

Alterations as a result of student feedback

This is a new unit that has been created in response to student feedback regarding their previous experiences with coursework in Honours. This new unit is now worth 25 points, compared to previous Honours unit which were worth 12.5 points each. This unit now combines content on research methods and skills, and discussion of contemporary issues in Humanities research.

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Participation	See the MyLO site for the due date	10 %	LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 2:	Annotated Bibliography	Week 5	25 %	LO1, LO2, LO4
Assessment Task 3:	Thesis Plan	Week 8	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 4:	Critical Reflection	Week 13	35 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Participation

Task Description:

This is a discussion-based unit that depends on your active participation. You are expected to attend seminars fully prepared to engage with your peers in discussions and learning activities based on the provided content and resources. If you are unable to attend a seminar, please contact your unit coordinator to arrange for an alternative means of participating in the missed seminar.

This task will be assessed across the course of the semester.

Task Length:

Due Date:

See the MyLO site for the due date

Weight:

10 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Actively participate in critical discussions and debates on contemporary issues in the Humanities from disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives	LO3
2	Communicate effectively in oral and/or written form about concepts, perspectives, and contemporary issues in the Humanities to demonstrate genuine engagement with seminar content, activities, and resources	LO4

Assessment Task 2: Annotated Bibliography

Task Description:

The annotated bibliography task supports the development of your Honours thesis. You will apply bibliographic research methods to select 6 key sources that you anticipate using in your thesis project for annotation. Annotations should be approximately 200 words in length and include a concise description of the source, a summary of its main argument and methods, an evaluation of its value and quality, and how it connects to your thesis project. See further task instructions on MyLO.

Task Length:

1,200 words

Due Date:

Week 5

Weight:

25 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Effectively apply bibliographic research methods to produce an annotated bibliography for a research project in the Humanities	LO1
2	Critically evaluate a range of sources relevant to a research project in the Humanities, making explicit connections between the sources chosen and the aims of your project	LO1, LO2
3	Communicate effectively in written form, adhering to disciplinary conventions of academic expression, presentation, and referencing	LO4

Assessment Task 3: Thesis Plan

Task Description:

The thesis plan task supports the development of your Honours thesis. You will devise a research plan for your thesis project which includes a brief introduction to your topic, an outline of your project’s aims and methodology, a discussion of your project’s relevance to a contemporary issue or issues, and a bibliography of 10-15 sources that will contribute to your project. See further task instructions on MyLO.

Task Length:

1,200 words, excluding bibliography and footnotes

Due Date:

Week 8

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Apply appropriate methodological and theoretical approaches to plan a research project in the Humanities	LO1
2	Identify and explain the aims and relevance of your thesis project, including its relevance to a contemporary issue or issues	LO2, LO3
3	Communicate about your thesis project effectively in written form, adhering to disciplinary conventions of academic expression, presentation, and referencing	LO4

Assessment Task 4: Critical Reflection

Task Description:

You will write or record a critical reflection on the relevance of Humanities research methods and approaches to a contemporary issue, drawing insights from your experience participating in interdisciplinary panel discussions and as well as incorporating independent research to inform your reflection. See further task instructions on MyLO.

Task Length:

1,800 words

Due Date:

Week 13

Weight:

35 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Identify and explain the relevance of disciplinary and interdisciplinary Humanities research approaches to a contemporary issue	LO2
2	Critically reflect on contemporary issues in the Humanities from disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives, using examples drawn from panel discussions and independent research	LO1, LO3
3	Communicate effectively in written and/or oral form about the contribution of Humanities disciplines to a contemporary issue, adhering to disciplinary conventions of academic expression, presentation, and referencing	LO4

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Academic progress review

The results for this unit may be included in a review of your academic progress. For information about progress reviews and what they mean for all students, see Academic Progress Review in the Student Portal.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Required Resources

Required reading materials

Please refer to the MyLo site for this unit for required readings each week. 'Essential' and 'Additional' readings for each topic will be provided under the appropriate MyLo content heading.