Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Rita Matulionyte
Holly Doel-Mackaway
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Credit points |
Credit points
10
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
100cp in LAWS units at 1000 level or above and a LAWS WAM of 75 or above
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
LAWS5910 (from 2022 onward)
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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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. |
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:
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. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments - e.g. quizzes, online tests.
All assessments are submitted electronically. Turnitin plagiarism detection software is used to check all written assessments.
Students should carefully check that they submit the correct file for an assessment as no re-submissions will be accepted after the due date and time, including instances where students upload an incorrect file in error.
Word limits are strictly applied. Work above the word limit will not be marked. Footnotes are to be used only for referencing. Referencing must conform to the requirements set out in the Australian Guide to Legal Citation.
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
---|---|---|---|
8000 word thesis | 80% | No | Week 13 |
Thesis Plan | 20% | No | Week 5 |
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
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
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation
The unit will be delivered in semi-intensive mode. During Weeks 1-6 we will have 2-hour workshops (either face-to-face or online mode). During the remaining of the semester there will be no workshops and students will work with their supervisors to write and finalize their thesis.
The prescribed textbook is Terry Hutchinson, Researching and Writing in Law (Thomson Reuters, 4th ed). For further teaching resources consult ilearn site.
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct
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
At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:
Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.
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.
Unit information based on version 2022.02 of the Handbook