| CODE | ATS3041 | ||||||
| TITLE | Methodologies of Research | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Faculty of Arts | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit will put the problem of critical research at centre stage, with the intent of illustrating a series of methodological approaches in order to address different types of research issues. The main objective of the study-unit is to furnish students with a series of critical tools which are necessary for research purposes at a postgraduate level: attention will be given to general methodological issues – such as the compilation of a bibliography, quotations and footnotes. The unit will also focus on how to draw sources from diverse fields such as popular culture, philosophy, visual arts, film and new media. Among the various approaches that will be discussed in class, the study-unit may focus on textual analysis, biographical interpretation. Different style-sheets will be discussed. The unit will be taught by different members of the Master of Arts in Literary Tradition and Popular Culture, who will focus on specific issues pertaining to their critical background and formation. Study-unit Aims: - Prepare students for their final written dissertation. - Standardize the modalities for writing academic papers, as well as final dissertations. - Prepare students to carry out research on diverse subjects ranging from literature, popular culture, and history, to philosophy, film studies, and the visual arts. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit, the student will be: - Exposed to the most recent research methods in the fields of literature, philosophy, sociology, film studies, and cultural studies; - Provided with a general overview of the main sources on which they have to draw when writing an academic paper and a dissertation; - Exposed to various databases and sources (English, Italian, Maltese, German, French). 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit, the student will: - Be able to apply their analytical and critical tools in the writing of their papers and their dissertation; - Be able to apply different interpretative methodologies when reading a text; - Be able to write academic papers using a variety of sources; - Be able to compare texts of a diverse nature ranging from literary to filmic ones; - Be able to engage with questions regarding the Western canon and its influence on popular culture; - Refine their technical skills when writing a paper on a word processor. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: A coursepack of readings will be distributed at the beginning of the semester - Research Methods in Cultural Studies (Research Methods for the Arts and the Humanities), Edinburgh University Press, 2008. - MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Modern Language Association of America, 7th edition, 2009. |
||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
|
||||||
| LECTURER/S | Valentino Baldi Anthony J. Frendo Adrian Grima Kathrin Schoedel Thierry Tremblay |
||||||
|
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
|||||||