Student should be registered on MSci Policing and Criminal Investigation

The assessment will consist of the following elements:
1. An extensive literature review (weighted at 30%) of the area, that covers both the wider context and more specialised nature of research relevant to your study. The review should be no more than 6000 words in length (excluding the reference list). [LO 1, 3 & 5]
2. A manuscript (weighted at 50%) written in the style of an article submitted for publication of no more than 8000 words. This must achieve a pass mark of 50% for the module to be passed. [LO 1 and 6]
3. A hardback A4 work diary (weighted at 10%) in which you make contemporaneous notes of all the work carried out on the project. This will include outlining thought processes, key lines of research, information retrieval, literature searches and research methodology. [LO 1, 2, 3 and 4]
4. A conference style presentation (weighted at 10%). This can take the form of either a 30 minute verbal conference style presentation to an audience of staff and students or a poster (including a 30 minute question and answer style defence) covering an appropriate aspect of the work undertaken. This is the final piece of assessment for this module. [LO 6]

Acting as a full time (35 hours per week) research assistant you will plan, execute and report on a substantial research project which is of relevance to the sector. This will include carrying out initial literature surveys on the topics of interest and completing the ethical and risk assessments for the work. The subject matter of the project will, where possible, be developed in conjunction with external providers who have topics of interest which they wish to explore in depth.
The module runs for a single semester during which you will work exclusively on all aspects of the project.
The indicative content will be highly dependent on the subject and nature of the research you plan to undertake. The study will be carried out independently and will demand dedication, initiative and originality. You will be expected to carry out policing/ criminological research and to gather results pertinent to an agreed topic within the overall discipline of policing and criminal investigation.

During the course of your research you will have a series of meeting with your academic supervisor which will provide any guidance needed to ensure that the project is successfully executed.
It is anticipated that these meetings will be largely a means of you updating your supervisor with progress and explaining how you anticipate continuing on the basis of the results obtained.

You will need to access the library and information facilities. These will be available to you remotely. You will have access to an academic supervisor who will be able to give you advice, guidance and support.

The nature of required texts will vary depending on the subject of your research. However the following texts will assist in the preparation and completion of the research assistantship:
Hart, C. (2011) ‘Doing your Master’s Dissertation’, Sage Publications
Davies, Francis and Jupp (2011) ‘Doing Criminological Research’, Second Edition, Sage Publications.