Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, any references to assessment tasks and on-campus delivery may no longer be up-to-date on this page.
Students should consult iLearn for revised unit information.
Find out more about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and potential impacts on staff and students
Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Lise Barry
Amanda Head
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Credit points |
Credit points
10
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to LLM or MIntTrdeComLaw or MIntLawGovPP) or (Admission to JD or GradCertLaw and corequisite Laws600 or LAWS8001)
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
This unit introduces students to an array of concepts and research methodologies that underpin various theoretical approaches to legal scholarship, including doctrinal, comparative, interdisciplinary, empirical, and critical legal studies (CLS) approaches, as well as particular issues in human rights and international law research. The unit emphasises theoretical concerns and requirements that pertain to research objectives, research design, research methods, argumentation, writing, and critique including self-critique. The unit also explores the roles, rights and obligations of students in their own scholarship. The unit equips students to better understand the nexus among legal education, legal scholarship and legal practice; enhances their capacity to design research projects with rigorous research methodologies, to proffer good written analyses with sound argumentation, and to reflect on legal scholarship and on the law critically; and helps prepare them for a higher degree by research or for careers in legal practice, government, international organisations, and think tanks, and consultancies.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Assessment details are no longer provided here as a result of changes due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Students should consult iLearn for revised unit information.
Find out more about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and potential impacts on staff and students
1. All assignments must be submitted by 5.00pm on the due date.
2. Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.
3. All assessments in the unit are to be submitted electronically via the iLearn site for this unit. Plagiarism detection software is used in this unit.
4. Word limits will be strictly applied and work above the word limit will not be marked. Word counts for assignments will be taken solely from the tally generated automatically by TURNITIN upon submission.
5. You are required to obtain an overall mark of 50% to pass this unit - you are not required to pass each individual item of assessment.
6. Marking of all assessments is moderated through a process of blind marking and the use of detailed marking rubrics.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Any references to on-campus delivery below may no longer be relevant due to COVID-19.
Please check here for updated delivery information: https://ask.mq.edu.au/account/pub/display/unit_status
This unit will be delivered through (a) online materials available through iLEARN, and (b) eleven one-hour tutorials beginning week 2.
The convenor will be available for drop-in consultations on Tuesdays from 11am-12noon from week 4 onwards, or otherwise by appointment.
Students can set their own pace for learning, insofar as they can accelerate progress through the modules. However, the due dates for assignments indicate the minimum rate of progress expected of students as the semester advances.
In each module, you will be expected to read background materials, watch relevant online video clips, and undertake practical exercises that are intended to build your skills in legal research and writing.
Students should have their own copy of the following prescribed text: Terry Hutchinson, Researching and Writing in Law (Thomson Reuters, 4th ed 2018)
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
The unit schedule/topics and any references to on-campus delivery below may no longer be relevant due to COVID-19. Please consult iLearn for latest details, and check here for updated delivery information: https://ask.mq.edu.au/account/pub/display/unit_status
Unit Schedule
Introduction
Module 1 (Week 2) Legal Research - Legislation
Module 2 (Weeks 3 & 4) Legal Research - Cases
Module3 (Weeks 5 & 6) Legal Referencing
Module 4 (Week 7 & 8) Developing a Legal Research Proposal
Module 5 (Weeks 9 & 10) Research Methodologies
Module 6 (Weeks 11 & 12) Legal Writing
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct
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