ADMRFD: Research for Development

Module code: ADMRFD

Module provider: School of Agriculture, Policy and Development

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Professor Peter Dorward, email: p.t.dorward@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 9 July 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

In this module you will learn how to design and undertake meaningful and effective research for development. This will help prepare you to undertake both your dissertation and research as part of your future career.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the foundations of research for development
2. Critically evaluate and explain the advantages and limitations of a range of research approaches and methods
3. Design a substantial piece of research

Module content

The module will include: purposes and roles of research for development, foundations and epistemologies, research methods (quantitative, qualitative, ethnographic, participatory), research tools, analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, ethics and positionality, designing research and writing proposals, writing up and presenting findings.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

A range of teaching and learning methods will be used including lectures, seminars, individual and group work and activities both ‘in class’ and self-directed. Between then they will involve students in acquisition of knowledge, enquiry, practice and application, critical analysis, creation and production, reflection and evaluation, and collaboration.

Study hours

At least 44 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Students individually critically assess a piece of research writing. Share and discuss assessments of the research piece in class in working group.

Reassessment

Additional costs