(1) Access to Sociology/BLC Lab with the following software: word-processing, Netscape Internet access, SPSS and accessibility software such as Natural Reader and related packages for disabled students.
(2) Access to video equipment and tape recorders, and other equipment as required by the methodology employed.
(3) The Library.
(4) Access to these resources must be suitable for disabled students.
(5) BSA and University Ethical Guidelines

1) Before the end of their second year, students will be expected to register their dissertation topic with the Dissertation Tutor. This involves the submission of a Dissertation Topic Registration Form specifying a working title, an abstract of the area for analysis, the aims of the project, proposed methodology and a provisional bibliography. Supervisors will then be allocated to students. Students will also be required to complete an ethics form in compliance with the universitys regulations a copy of which should be included in an appendix to the final report.
2) Personal supervision on a one-to-one or group basis with dissertation tutors.
3) Where appropriate students will have the option of attending ad hoc seminars and lectures on research methods and the research process.

Key Information Set data:
4% Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity
96% Guided Independent Study

Students will undertake an individual research project selected and completed with the guidance of a personal supervisor. Projects may be based upon library and Internet resources, content analysis or fieldwork. The research report will involve the submission of a research report outlining the research design, the methodology and the rational for choosing it, the main theoretical issues to be addressed, a discussion of relevant literature, the probable structure of the dissertation and a bibliography. On completion of the module, students will submit a completed research project. This will comprise a scholarly and reflexive account of the research problems identified in the report and should be in accordance with the modules learning outcomes.

A research report of 2,000 words for submission late in the semester [Learning Outcomes 1 and 5]
A Dissertation of 8,000 words [Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Key Information Set data:
100% Coursework

Bell, J. (2005, 4th Ed) 'Doing Your Research Project'. Open University Press.
Denscombe, M. (2nd Ed) (2003) 'The Good Research Guide'. Open University Press.
Esterberg, K.G. (2002) 'Qualitative Methods in Social Research'. McGraw Hill.
Hall, D. & Hall, I. (1996) 'Project Work in the Community'. Macmillan.
Letherby, G (2003) 'Feminist Research in Theory and Practice'. Open University Press