Year
2018
Units
4.5
Contact
1 x 2-hour seminar weekly
Prerequisites
1 Admission into HBIS-Bachelor of International Studies (Honours)
2 Admission into HBIR-Bachelor of International Relations (Honours)
3 Admission into HBA-Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
Must Satisfy: ((1) or (2) or (3))
Assumed knowledge
That gained through an International Relations Major
Course context
Core
Assessment
Assignments and Tutorial Participation
Topic description
This topic provides an introduction to the Honours program, and the expectations of higher degree academic research. It consists of interactive workshops designed to provide a working knowledge of:
  • Library research and information and retrieval and management,
  • The formulation and refinement of research proposals,
  • Awareness of variations in research methodologies, and
  • The creation of literature reviews.

The topic would also ensure students are thinking about their thesis, and provide them with a starting point for their further research, through the submission of a literature review and annotated bibliography relating to their thesis.
Educational aims
This topic aims to:
  • Provide students with a solid foundation in higher academic research and writing
  • Provide students with an understanding of the utility of different methodological tools to their particular research project
  • Provide students with an important ‘cohort’ experience of the research enterprise
Expected learning outcomes
On successful completion of this topic students should be able to:
  • Plan and design a research project
  • Identify and assess sources of information
  • Position research questions explicitly in the context of existing scholarship