Students
LAWS5920 – Legal Research Project Part A
2020 – Session 2, Special circumstance
Notice
As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group learning activities on campus for the second half-year, while keeping an online version available for those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.
To check the availability of face to face activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Rita Matulionyte
|
|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
|
| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
100cp in LAWS units at 1000 level or above and a LAWS WAM of 75 or above
|
| Corequisites |
Corequisites
LAWS5910 (from 2022 onward)
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
|
| Unit description |
Unit description
This is an advanced legal research unit for Bachelor of Laws students intending to graduate with Honours. In this unit, students work under the close supervision of the academic convenor of the unit and their research supervisor to develop a thesis that addresses a contemporary legal problem. Students work to identify the appropriate legal research methodology to address their research question and then apply that methodology to answer the question in the form of an 8000 word thesis. This unit requires advanced legal research skills, the ability to engage in self directed research under supervision and superior legal writing ability. Students will learn 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 while conducted ethical research. |
Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- ULO1: Independently plan an advanced legal research project under the supervision of a legal academic
- ULO2: Choose, describe and critique a legal research methodology appropriate for the research plan
- ULO3: Plan and execute a comprehensive literature review related to the research plan
- ULO4: Identify and apply the ethics of legal research scholarship to the planning and execution of a research project
- ULO5: Critically analyse complex legal problems by identifying, researching, evaluating and synthesising relevant factual, legal and policy issues
General Assessment Information
Special Consideration
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.
Submission
All written assessments in the unit are to be submitted electronically by way of Turnitin on the iLearn page. Plagiarism detection software is used in this unit.
Format
All assessment tasks in this unit must be typed in Word format and be double spaced to facilitate marking in Turnitin.
Word Limits
Word limits will be strictly applied and work above the word limit will not be assessed.
Moderation
Marking for each final research paper is shared between the convenor and supervisor. Detailed marking rubrics will be made available on iLearn. If there are other markers assisting the convenor then a process of 'blind marking' to establish a common marking standard will be adopted and all Fail papers will be double marked.
Style
All written assessments should use the latest edition of the AGLC.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thesis Plan | 20% | No | Week 5 |
| 8000 word thesis | 80% | No | Week 13 |
Thesis Plan
Assessment Type 1: Plan
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: Week 5
Weighting: 20%
In consultation with their supervisor and the convenor, students will prepare a comprehensive plan for their thesis including a literature review and legal research methodology appropriate to the research question
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Independently plan an advanced legal research project under the supervision of a legal academic
- Choose, describe and critique a legal research methodology appropriate for the research plan
- Plan and execute a comprehensive literature review related to the research plan
- Identify and apply the ethics of legal research scholarship to the planning and execution of a research project
8000 word thesis
Assessment Type 1: Thesis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 70 hours
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 80%
Students will prepare an 8000 word thesis under close supervision from an academic from Macquarie Law School
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Independently plan an advanced legal research project under the supervision of a legal academic
- Choose, describe and critique a legal research methodology appropriate for the research plan
- Plan and execute a comprehensive literature review related to the research plan
- Identify and apply the ethics of legal research scholarship to the planning and execution of a research project
- Critically analyse complex legal problems by identifying, researching, evaluating and synthesising relevant factual, legal and policy issues
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
- the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
- the Writing Centre for academic skills support.
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
Delivery and Resources
1. Technology used and required
To participate successfully in this unit, students will require access to the unit iLearn page. This will require access to secure and reliable computer facilities. Students will be required to upload all assessment tasks by way of Turnitin on the unit iLearn page.
2. Delivery mode
This course will be delivered in a semi-intensive mode. Two-hour tutorials will run during Weeks 1-6, with no tutorials for the rest of the semester. Attendance at the other tutorials is optional but highly recommended.
The unit will use an iLearn website.
3. Lecture times and locations
Lectures will be provided online and will be available on iLearn website. For the tutorial time and location please consult the MQ Timetables website: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au.
4. Required and recommended resources
Required:
Terry Hutchinson, Researching and Writing in Law (Thomson Reuters, 4th ed, 2018)
Recommended:
All recommended readings will be available online in iLearn.
Policies and Procedures
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:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Grade Appeal Policy
- Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy (Note: The Special Consideration Policy is effective from 4 December 2017 and replaces the Disruption to Studies Policy.)
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).
Student Code of Conduct
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
Results
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
Student Services and Support
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
Student Enquiries
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.