Topic
IS CHILD PROSTITUTION ON THE INCREASE AND WHAT SHOULD BE DONE TO REDUCE IT?
FIRST ASSESSMENT STRATEGY
Assignment one has two components.
First part is a reflective exercise, which requires students
(a) To demonstrate awareness of the key characteristics of the different theoretical perspectives which can be adopted on their chosen topics;
(b) To select the most suitable perspectives, or combination of perspectives, in relation both to the topic and to the students personal values; and
(c) To identify the research method's) most appropriate to the selected perspectives) (1000 words)
The second part consist of
(a) Write up of the research proposal which sets out the aims and objectives of the study, the areas of literature consulted/to be consulted; the methodology adopted and a discussion of the ethical and feasibility issues involved; and
(b). An action plan and timetable (500 words)
Independent Project Assignment 1
Introduction
Assignment 1 is worth 20% of the Unit grade and comes in two parts. The first is a reflective exercise on your chosen theoretical perspective and methods (1000 words). The second is an outline research proposal (500 words). These are distinct but related topics and so can be organised either separately, discussed one after the other, or as an integrated whole, where theory and methods become parts of an overall research proposal. The aim of this lecture is to provide guidance on how you should approach each part of the Assignment as detailed on page 11 of the Unit Handbook which you are advised to refer to prior to writing your assignment.
The First Part
This requires you to undertake three tasks. The first task is for you to show some general awareness of those theoretical perspectives that could be adopted to explore your chosen topic. The lecture Theoretical Perspectives by your tutor could be helpful here. It is now on the Unit’s BREO site. Not all five overarching theoretical perspectives (as presented in the lecture) can usefully be applied to all research topics, so you need to be selective. The handbook’s reference to “the key characteristics” of “the different theoretical perspectives” is referring to their ontological and epistemological characteristics but you are not expected to go into great detail here. The minimum required is two perspectives, in order for you to make a basic comparison.
The second task is for you to choose a theoretical perspective, or a combination of perspectives, and to set out your reasons. This is likely to require a paragraph. For example, why you selected that theoretical perspective and not one of the others you discussed in the first task? The answer will have something to do with the suitability of the perspective for your particular research topic – and you will have to explain this – together with how the perspective best suits your personal assumptions and values, which you will also need to explain. This could easily require two further paragraphs to address each of these items.
The third task is for you to identify the research methodology most appropriate to your theoretical perspective, or combination of perspectives, and to (briefly) give your reasons. This is likely to require a paragraph. You will then need to set out the specific research methods/instruments you intend to use in your dissertation as an expression of your methodological approach in action – and how these will help to provide answers to your research question's). This is likely to require a couple of paragraphs. The links between theory, methodology and methods are all unpacked in the de Mont & Melrose lecture for each of the five overarching theoretical perspectives/traditions of thought.
There is no set distribution of the 1000 words between these three tasks. As a general guide however, you are advised to allocate approximately 250 words for each task so that it can be effectively addressed. Beyond this, you are free to allocate as you see necessary. You should try and stick to the 1000 limit and include a word count at the end of this Part. Your writing must be word processed, double spaced and page numbered.
The Second Part
This requires you to undertake five tasks, which together make up an outline research proposal. The idea here is essentially for you to organize a framework for your actual dissertation – which is assignment 2 on the Unit. The tasks to cover in your research proposal are as follows and, you are advised, in this sequence:
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A statement of the aims and objectives of your dissertation. For instance, what questions is your research seeking to find answers for? You could also say something here about your choice of topic (when you could have chosen others, of course, so why this one?). Another objective could be to explore your topic though the lens of a chosen theoretical perspective, to see what might be learned from interpreting a topic from that direction? If you are testing a hypothesis or evaluating a discourse, then either could be included here as well. No more than a single paragraph is needed for this first task.
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The areas of literature consulted and/or to be consulted. This will include the results of your preliminary literature review, as recommended in the Getting Started on a Dissertation lecture (also on the Unit’s BREO site) and a statement following on from this about which types of literature your dissertation is going to focus on. For example, newspaper archives, peer-approved journals, government reports, oral testimonies, research studies and so on. Please remember that a literature review will be a part of all dissertations, even those that are fieldwork based. Perhaps a couple of paragraphs will be required here.
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The methodology to be adopted and the methods/instruments to be used. This could simply be a short restatement of what you have covered in the First Part already. Alternatively, it could expand further. For example, whether you are going to do any triangulation in your research by combining quantitative with qualitative methods and data? A single paragraph is likely to be sufficient.
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The ethical and feasibility issues involved in your research. This involves a statement about the ethical issues arising from any fieldwork proposed or from certain secondary sources to be used. A further statement about ‘feasibility’ refers to any issues to do with what is practical and manageable in the time available for the dissertation. For example, how many interviews are feasible in the time available, bearing in mind the practical problems of transcribing, analyzing and drawing overall findings from the data? You will probably need a couple of paragraphs to cover each set of issues.
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The timetable and action plan you are following to complete your dissertation on time. This can take the form of a single paragraph or an outline diagram where you set out the actions you have planned and the targets for completing particular sections of the research – each linked to certain dates. The timeline begins with your work on Assignment 1 and ends with the hand-in date for your dissertation (Assignment 2).
There is no set distribution of the 500 words across these five tasks above. The handbook says that the word count for the whole assignment is “deliberately tight” and meant to “get you to focus and practice concise writing”. You should hence provide a word count at the end of this second Part of the Assignment. As only a general guide, you should aim to allocate up to 100 words for each of the five items but subtract from one (or two) and add accordingly to others as you see necessary. You should try to stick to the 500 word limit and provide a word count at the end of this Part. The broad University regulation is that students may go over an assignment limit by no more than 10%. For Assignment 1 as a whole, 10% translates into a further 150 words.
Conclusion
You should reference your work, using the Harvard system to identify the sources of all the information used in the assignment. You are also asked to refer to how you have used any learning achieved in the LRC workshops on Friday mornings, together with how you have taken account of any tutor guidance and supervision to date. You should also note how the handbook points out how you can draw on the work for this Assignment within your dissertation itself, particularly – it says – in “your introduction and methodology sections” that will come in chapter 1 of the dissertation. Wherever possible, you are advised to consult your supervisor on aspects of this Assignment as appropriate.
Student are required in this part of the assignment to demonstrate how they have used learning achieved in the workshop and how they have taken account of tutor guidance and supervision to date.
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