1. Bibliography and Research Plan

Due: By 11.59pm Friday Week 4 (20th August 2021)

Weighting: 30%

Students are to submit an annotated bibliography of modern works on their chosen area of research together with a research plan (of no more than 300 words) outlining the proposed research project. The annotations and research plan should not be more than 1500–2000 words overall.

For the annotated bibliography students should provide a few sentences describing and/or analyzing the contents of each bibliographical item. It is recommended that students aim to find ca. 10–15 bibliographical items. (Please note that the citation of the bibliographical item itself isn’t included in the word count.)

**The choice of items for your bibliography and the nature of your research plan should be discussed with your supervisor.

Markers will stop reading assignments which are more than 10% over the specified word length. Students who submit assignments which are under 10% of the prescribed word length may be asked to resubmit.

This assessment must be submitted via Turnitin on the iLearn website by 11.59pm on Friday of Week 4 (20th August 2021).

 

2. Short Book Review

Due: By 11.59pm Friday Week 8 (1st October 2021)

Weighting: 20%

Students are to submit a short (750–1000 words) review of a book or major article (30+ pages) which is central to their chosen field of study.

**The choice of book or article should be discussed with your supervisor.

The book review should start with the full bibliographical details of the work under review.

It should also (i) identify two or three of the most central points in the book (or major article) chosen; and

(ii) discuss how far the author has derived them from the ancient sources.

 

Students might address the following (where relevant and/or appropriate):

What is the purpose of the work?

What is the topical and chronological range of the work?

What are the common themes or unifying elements?

What is the emphasis of the work?

Is this consistent throughout the work?

What is the author’s perspective or point of view?

Is the author impartial, objective or prejudiced?

Does the author seem to have an ‘axe to grind’?

Does the author achieve any stated purpose to your critical satisfaction?

Have questions raised been satisfactorily answered?

What is the nature of the material used?

How well does the author handle the ancient evidence or other modern scholarship?

Is the work well written?

Is the work well presented?

How accurate is the information given?

Are maps, illustrations or charts used?

How successful do you think the work is in terms of the arguments raised?

What could have been done differently, and why?

Does the work have any flaws? If so, what are they?

Is the work methodologically sophisticated?

Examples of scholarly reviews (of varying quality) may be found in the Bryn Mawr Classical Review: <http://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/> and on the iLearn website under Week 8 Readings.

Please note that if you use other scholarly reviews to inform your review you need to fully acknowledge these in your footnotes.

Markers will stop reading assignments which are more than 10% over the specified word length. Students who submit assignments which are under 10% of the prescribed word length may be asked to resubmit. Please note that footnotes and bibliography are not included in the word count. Guidelines on the referencing for written papers will be found on the iLearn site.

The review must be submitted via Turnitin on the iLearn website by 11.59pm on Friday of Week 8 (1st October 2021).

 

3. Oral Presentation

Due: Tues. & Wed. of Week 13 (2nd and 3rd of November 2021)

Weighting: 10%

A 15 minute presentation of the results of your research will occur at the unit mini-conference on the mornings of Tuesday and Wednesday of Week 13 (2nd and 3rd of November 2021) and accounts for 10% of your final grade.

**Presenting at the mini-conference on the afternoons of 2nd and 3rd of November 2021 is compulsory. Sessions will run between 9am and 1.00pm on both days.

Student papers will normally be 15 minutes in length. 5 minutes will be allocated for questions from peers and staff in attendance. All students are expected to participate in this regard.

There will be facilities for PowerPoint presentations if students wish to use them. Students may also wish to produce an accompanying handout.

The presentation will be assessed in terms of its content and delivery and the way in which paper-givers field questions. Students should endeavour to present their work clearly and in a way which is accessible to non-specialists in the area. It is also important to adhere closely to the allocated time. (Any problems of this nature may be averted by reading your paper aloud and timing it beforehand.)

**It is the responsibility of students to make sure that they invite supervisors to attend their paper and advise them of the relevant time and location.

 

4. Written Research paper

Due: By 11.59pm Friday Week 13 (5th November 2021)

Weighting: 40%

Students are to submit an essay on a chosen research topic between 2,500–3,000 words in length. They are expected to meet regularly with supervisors to discuss progress on the research paper THROUGHOUT THE SESSION.

**It is essential for students to have met at least twice with their supervisor and obtained feedback on their developing research project by the end of Week 4.

Guidelines on the referencing for written papers will be found on the iLearn site. Markers will stop reading assignments which are more than 10% over the specified word length. Students who submit assignments which are under 10% of the prescribed word length may be asked to resubmit. Please note that footnotes and bibliography are not included in the word count in this unit.

The research paper must be submitted as a pdf via Turnitin on the iLearn website by 11.59pm on Friday of Week 13 (5th November).

 

ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION AND RETURN

All written work will be assessed by your supervisor and must be submitted as a pdf via Turnitin through the AHIS3000 iLearn site. All assignment files should be saved with your full name in the label of the file. They should include the following at the start: Student name; Student number; Assessment Task Title or Question.

Every effort will be made to return assignments in a timely fashion.

N.B. (NOTA BENE), i.e. NOTE WELL: You should always keep a copy of completed assignment tasks in case of loss.

 

ASSIGNMENT LENGTH

Markers will stop reading assignments which are more than 10% over the specified word length. Students who submit assignments which are under 10% of the prescribed word length may be asked to resubmit. Please note that footnotes and bibliography are not included in the word count in this unit.

 

GRADING

The grade a student receives will signify their overall performance in meeting the learning outcomes of the unit. Grades will not be awarded by reference to the achievement of other students nor allocated to fit a predetermined distribution. In determining a grade, due weight will be given to the learning outcomes and level of the unit. Markers in the unit will use the following grades:

HD = High Distinction 85–100

D = Distinction 75–84

Cr = Credit 65–74

P = Pass 50–64

F = Fail 0–49

Criteria and standards for required for the Assessment Tasks will be found on the iLearn site. Marking rubrics will be used and sample papers provided in this unit.

 

EXTENSIONS AND PENALTIES FOR LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSESSMENT TASKS

Extensions for assignments can only be granted for serious and unavoidable disruptions that arise after a study period has commenced and may only be sought with the support of documentary evidence. If you anticipate any difficulty in meeting due dates for assignments then it is important that you contact the unit convenor as early as possible and before the deadline. Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – 10 marks out of 100 credit will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted seven days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline.

 

SPECIAL CONSIDERATION

The granting of extensions is subject to the University's Special Consideration Policy. A student who has experienced unexpected, unavoidable, and serious circumstances affecting their assessable work may lodge an application for Special Consideration.

Applications will only be accepted in the following circumstances:

• where academic work has been hampered to a substantial degree by illness or other cause; and

• the circumstances are serious and unavoidable and beyond the student’s control; and

• the application for Special Consideration is lodged no later than five (5) working days after the assessment task due date or examination date.

https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedure s/policies/special-consideration

 

IMPORTANT NOTE ON FINAL MARKS

Please note with respect to the marks you receive for work during the session: that the marks given are indicative only; final marks will be determined after moderation. See further the note on Results in the Policies and Procedures section below.

FINDING A SUPERVISOR

Students will undertake research on a topic arising from an Ancient History unit which they have previously undertaken. Usually, supervisors will be the course convenor of the unit chosen. For your convenience, a list of academic staff and their research interests can be found at:

https://www.mq.edu.au/faculty-of-arts/departments-and-schools/department-of-history-and-archaeology/our-people

**Students are advised strongly to make contact with the relevant member of staff as soon as the unit guide is published and to set up a meeting as soon as possible to gain a staff member's approval to act in a supervisory capacity and to discuss a potential topic. (Staff contact information can be found at the url given immediately above.) The general rule is that staff members should not supervise more than three AHIS3000 students at a time. Students must contact one of the unit convenors by the end of the first week of the session to register their topic and the name of their supervisor.

CLASSES

There will be four group meetings in this unit. There will be two short meetings: one in Week 1 and another in Week 7.

The first group meeting will be organizational and introductory (no preparation is required) and the second is intended to give students the opportunity to meet and discuss any issues which might have arisen in the course of their research. Attendance at the first meeting is essential but optional at the mid-session meeting in Week 7. Students will be reminded of the dates and times of these meetings via an Announcement on the unit's iLearn site.

Presenting at the mini-conference held on the mornings of the Tuesday and Wednesday of Week 13 (2nd and 3rd of November 2021) is COMPULSORY. Students should consult with their supervisors about their research on a regular basis.

**It is also compulsory for students to have met at least twice with their supervisor and obtained feedback on their developing research project by the end of Week 4.

REQUIRED READING AND TEXTS

Students should consult with their supervisors regarding required and recommended reading.

TECHNOLOGY USED AND REQUIRED

The unit has an iLearn page which can be accessed at: http://ilearn.mq.edu.au/. PC and internet access are therefore required. Basic computer skills (e.g., internet browsing) and skills in word processing are also a requirement. Please consult teaching staff for any further, more specific, requirements.

EXAMINATIONS

Please note that there are no formal examinations in this unit.

SATISFACTORY COMPLETION OF UNIT

A student is expected to attempt all forms of assessment and is required to achieve an overall mark of 50% or above to complete the unit satisfactorily.

IMPORTANT NOTE ON FINAL MARKS

Please note with respect to the marks you receive for work during the session: that the marks given are indicative only; final marks will be determined after moderation. See further the note on Results in the Policies and Procedures section below.

There will be four group meetings in this unit. There will be two short meetings: one in Week 1 and another in Week 7.

The first group meeting will be organizational and introductory (no preparation is required) and the second is intended to give students the opportunity to meet and discuss any issues which might have arisen in the course of their research. Attendance at the first meeting is essential but optional at the mid-session meeting in Week 7. Students will be reminded of the dates and times of these meetings via an Announcement on the unit's iLearn site.

Presenting at the mini-conference held on the mornings of the Tuesday and Wednesday of Week 13 (2nd and 3rd of November) is COMPULSORY. Students should consult with their supervisors about their research on a regular basis.

**It is also compulsory for students to have met at least twice with their supervisor and obtained feedback on their developing research project by the end of Week 4.