2024/25 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

LAW5662M Postgraduate Legal Research Skills

15 creditsClass Size: 500

Module manager: Dr Joshua Warburton
Email: J.Warburton1@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

Module replaces

LAW5661M

This module is not approved as an Elective

Module summary

The aim of this module is to prepare students for studying law at Masters level, undertaking coursework assignments and writing a dissertation in law. Students will be introduced to different legal sources and provided with techniques for locating, interrogating, and critiquing those sources.

Objectives

The key objective is to equip students with the fundamental and advanced level academic skills needed to study law at Masters level. The module achieves this by guiding the students through relevant material and providing regular quizzes and opportunities to gauge their progress. Ultimately, the students will complete a workbook that directs them through the initial stages of producing a longer form academic project in a legally-related topic.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
By the end of this module, students should:
- know how to find and navigate a wide range of legal sources;
- know how to search law databases for appropriate sources;
- be able to find and use diverse legal sources, including primary and secondary legal sources;
- be able to conduct the legal research required to participate in seminars, complete assignments and write a dissertation;
- have a sound understanding of different legal systems;
- be able to demonstrate the critical and analytical thinking skills required at Masters level;
- be able to attribute their work correctly using an approved referencing system (e.g. OSCOLA);
- be familiar with the different conceptual approaches to legal research;
- be able to formulate a research question, to support a dissertation in Law;
- know how to present arguments in different ways, including in oral discussion, in written work, and in a more concise form (i.e. a poster);
- develop transferable skills, including critical and analytical skills and the ability to present arguments in different formats.

Skills learning outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
1. Digital Skills (Digital proficiency and productivity) – Students must be able to use a variety of digital tools to obtain and synthesise information
2. Academic Skills (Reflection, Critical Thinking) – Students must demonstrate that they understand and can express knowledge to varying levels of expertise, requiring a synthesis of complex information from different sources.
3. Enterprise Skills (Spotting Opportunities, Planning and Mobilising Resources) – Students must demonstrate an ability to find new ideas and establish a niche within the legal field. They must then be able to plan for longer research projects.

Syllabus

Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
seminars	3	1.50	4.50
Lecture	8	1.50	12.00
Private study hours			133.50
Total Contact hours			16.50
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			150.00

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

A formal formative assessment opportunity will be provided, which is specifically pedagogically aligned to the summative assessment task. As part of this, each student will receive individual feedback designed to support the development of knowledge and skills that will be later assessed in the summative assessment.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Assignment	Coursework	100.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 04/04/2024

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