BA Creative and Cultural Industries

This course will provide students with support for their dissertations – a key part of the BA Culture and Creative Industries programme. Students will be expected to conduct original research on a topic of their choice for the dissertation (subject to approval), drawing on knowledge gained through the programme. Students will then be expected to write a 10,000-word dissertation. This course will provide students with support for the dissertation process, from conception to completion. The course consists of 12 lectures in semester 1 introducing students to the dissertation, research topic selection, research design, writing, and ethics/plagiarism. Students will be expected to write their dissertations independently, with scheduled meetings to discuss their progress with a nominated dissertation supervisor. They will be offered feedback on the dissertation drafts (topic, plan, chapter), and will submit their dissertations in semester 2 of their final year.

The unit aims to:

- provide students with support for writing a substantial, original piece of academic work
- equip students with the ability to conduct primary research on a relevant topic
- provide students with knowledge and advice for successfully planning and managing a dissertation project
 

The course unit will provide students with practical, conceptual, and methodological support for conducting a dissertation research project. The dissertation component of the programme will be introduced in a lecture in semester one, detailing the formal requirements and expectations for devising and completing a dissertation project. Subsequent lecture weeks will cover research topics, research design, writing, and research ethics/ethical approval. In semester two students will also be provided with a dissertation tutor with whom they will have 4 dissertation tutorials designed to offer further structured support for the conception, management, and completion of their dissertation projects. Students will be expected to undertake independent study for their dissertation project during semester two, and will be offered feedback on written material over this period.
 

The unit consists of 12 1-hour lectures across the unit, delivered synchronously and in-person with accompanying online material. The course will also have 4 1 hour face to face meetings with the dissertation supervisor, and independent study commensurate with a dissertation research project. 
 

• Design and structure and complete a research project
• Design, structure, and write a dissertation
• Execute a research plan and methodology to study a chosen topic

• Apply theoretical concepts to an original research topic
• Critically evaluate relevant secondary academic literature
• Critically employ specific research methods and methodologies
   

• Use library and online resources to find secondary literature to support planning and writing of the dissertation
• Use specific relevant research methods, tools, or software
• Structure and execute a substantial written project
   

• Plan, prioritize, and deliver a substantial research project
• Independently manage time and tasks on a research project
• Consider and evaluate practical and ethical aspects of conducting a dissertation project
   

Written, via Blackboard, 15 working days after submission
 

Clark, T., Foster, L. and Bryman, A. (2019) How to do your Social Research Project or Dissertation. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 
Ruddock, A. (2017) Exploring Media Research: Theories, Practice, and Purpose. London: Sage.
Seale, C. (2017) (4th ed.) Researching Society and Culture. London: Sage. 
Stokes, J. (2021) (3rd ed.) How to Do Media and Cultural Studies. London: Sage.