Studying at York
Dissertation & Assessed Lecture for Archaeological Scientists - ARC00011H
Module summary
The purpose of the dissertation is to enable students to undertake a substantial piece of independent research on an archaeological science subject of their own choosing (BSc Bioarchaeology students must undertake a dissertation with a bioarchaeological theme). Students will apply the research and study skills acquired during their first and second years to produce an extended piece of written work with the guidance and supervision of a member of academic staff.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Autumn Term 2022-23 to Summer Term 2022-23 |
Module aims
During this module, students will be supported in the writing of a substantial piece of independent written research in the field of scientific archaeology.
Module learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
-
demonstrate a specialist knowledge and understanding of their chosen subject
-
execute a programme of research, working independently
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synthesise and critically evaluate a range of primary and secondary archaeological evidence
-
structure a substantial piece of written work
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present a written dissertation to professional standards, including appropriate graphical and text presentation skills
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manage their time effectively and complete a substantial piece of independent work to deadline
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communicate research findings through a lecture
Module content
The dissertation is an independent study module so most of the time you will be working on this on your own. However, at intervals, you should be submitting work and getting advice from your supervisor. There is one workshop during the Autumn Term - this is an opportunity to discuss progress and problems.
During the Spring Term you will have weekly meetings with your supervisor during term time for support in the design and writing of your dissertation.
The Assessed lecture is part of the dissertation and will be held in summer term.
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Graduate/Postgraduate Dissertation | 90 |
| Oral presentation/seminar/exam | 10 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Graduate/Postgraduate Dissertation | 90 |
Module feedback
Formative: Feedback on drafts will be given to students during supervisorials.
Summative: Written feedback on the dissertation and the lecture will be returned, and marks for all elements of the assessment will be uploaded to your e:vision account (your personal University of York online services account) by the end of week 9 of the summer term. Feedback for this assessment is exempt from the University's Policy on Assessment Feedback Turnaround Time.
Indicative reading
Your reading will be based on your topic but this general guide to dissertation writing might help.
Richer, Suzi, and Authors@York, Provenance. Writing a Dissertation : The Essential Guide. Peterborough: Need2Know, 2013. Print.