Research Project

Subject to approval of the Head of School.

Course Coordinator / Lecturer

Francis Yapp

TUTORS:  Individual tutors will be arranged during the course.

Assessment

1.  CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT  
The course depends on effective independent study guided by a supervising tutor (see below) as well as regular attendance at lectures.  At the end of the course students will be assessed on the following criteria:

*  Attendance and contribution at tutorials and lectures
*  Meeting the draft deadlines and other goals set
*  Consistency of independent study
*  Initiative and engagement with the study in general and supervision sessions in particular

2.  DRAFT TOPIC STATEMENT
Identify a research topic related to the study of music.  Write a draft topic statement that outlines:
*  the research problem, the topic, and the tentative research objective
*  the rationale/need for the study
*  the contribution the project will make to knowledge and practice
You should also outline the way you expect to approach the research (methodology), and why you have chosen this approach.  At this stage, this may be relatively brief.
You should be prepared to present your topic statement to the class in Week 3.

3.  PRELIMINARY LITERATURE REVIEW
Locate and review 5-8 research-based articles that are relevant to your topic and review them.
For each of the chosen articles, write a review summarising the following: the research objective, the research methods used, the theoretical position (if stated), and the main findings.  You should also explain why you have chosen each of the studies/articles.

4.  RESEARCH PROPOSAL  
A research proposal following the template provided in class.  This should be submitted to the course coordinator.  The marked copy should also be presented to the individual tutor at the first compulsory tutorial.

(Note: the proposal should form the basis of the student’s seminar project.  It will be possible to change the topic after this in consultation with the tutor, in which case you will be required to prepare a new proposal for the tutor, with a copy to the course co-ordinator.  However, the grade for the original proposal will stand.)

5.  RESEARCH SEMINAR AND WRITE-UP  
The seminar presentation will be given as part of a School of Music open seminar series in the second half of Semester 2.  These seminars should consist of 40–45 minutes presentation, with 10–15 minutes for questions and discussion.  A schedule of presentations will be arranged in the first part of Semester 2.  The written-up version must be submitted within one week following the presentation.  This will typically be approximately 4000 words in length, though this may vary according to the nature of the topic.

The seminar and written-up version will be assessed together, according to the following criteria:

•  Quality of presentation, including for the seminar clear and effective delivery, and appropriate use of supporting resources and media, and for the write-up, good language and academic writing skills, effective presentation on the page, and correct referencing and bibliography.

•  Content (including evidence of effective research and preparation, quality of idea, and effective structure and argumentation) as evidenced in both seminar and write-up.

The live presentation may take various forms, such as a lecture-recital, an introduction to and explanation of a composer’s own work, a short lecture or research paper, an audio-visual presentation of a practical project, and so on.  The written submission should be in prose-style (not notes) and incorporate full and appropriate referencing and bibliography.  The relationship between the live and written presentations must be clear; any failing in this respect will be treated as a deficiency of content.  The written version need not exactly reproduce the content of the seminar (a written prose style does not necessarily make for an engaging oral delivery), and may be more or (more improbably) less comprehensive than the seminar, but they should be clearly versions of the same thing.

Before you present your seminar you must also present the marked copies of your previously assessed coursework to the course co-ordinator:  ie, the original and any revised proposals, and the writing skills assignment, so that these are available during the seminar and for external moderation.

All written components of the course must be submitted through the school office, marked for the attention of the course co-ordinator.  They should be securely bound and contain the usual cover sheet information.  You should give a copy of written drafts and finished paper to your tutor personally.

Notes

TEACHING AND STRUCTURE

The course is supported by two forms of teaching:  (1) Full-group sessions on subjects such as selecting and researching a topic and techniques of presentation and argumentation.  You will also have the opportunity to discuss work in progress with other students, and to gain experience in lecture- or seminar-type presentation.  (2) Individual tutorials with a supervising tutor, supporting the student’s particular project.

You will be assigned to an individual course tutor in the process of, or soon after, formulating your proposal, arranging tutorials as required, usually up to a maximum of 10 hours.  Any member of the music staff may act as your tutor, if available, but your choice of topic will be constrained by the availability of staff to supervise it.  Supervision by non-School of Music staff may be allowed in consultation with the course coordinator and Head of School.  

You are expected to have at least three formal sessions with your tutor supporting written work.  One should follow the return of the marked copy of your proposal, and two more should each follow your submitting increasingly refined drafts of your paper to your tutor.  Your tutor will indicate the type of work/revision expected for each draft.  The quality of the draft papers and discussion of them in tutorials will figure in your continuous assessment mark.

Note that the individual tutorial process ends on the date the seminar paper is delivered.  Tutors will not advise on the essay after this date, or give feedback on the seminar content.

USE OF TECHNOLOGY

This course assumes that you have sufficient information and technology skills to use a computer confidently to access material for your course.  Your written work should be submitted typed.  The School of Music has computers you are able to use.
You will be required to access our learning management system - LEARN - and to become familiar with its tools.  Learn provides easily-accessible information about the course and assessments, topics and deadlines, and supports the learning you will gain from attending all lectures and tutorials.  For help using LEARN, refer to http://learn.canterbury.ac.nz/course/view.php?id=2157

Indicative Fees

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.