Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Convenor and tutor
Holly Doel-Mackaway
Contact via iLearn
see iLearn page
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Credit points |
Credit points
10
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
160cp in LAWS units and a LAWS WAM of 75 or above. Applications for the Honours units are managed internally by Macquarie Law School.
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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 is the first of two units that form the requirements for students wishing to graduate with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours). This is an advanced legal research unit, designed to develop the skills necessary to plan and execute their major legal research project. The unit introduces students to a variety of research methodologies including doctrinal, comparative, interdisciplinary, empirical, and critical legal studies (CLS) approaches. The unit emphasises theoretical concerns and requirements that pertain to research objectives, research design, research methods, argumentation, writing, and critique. The ethical dimensions of legal research are core topics in this unit and students will explore the roles, rights and obligations of students in their own scholarship. 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. |
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:
All written assessments submitted electronically must be submitted through the link provided in iLearn. This unit will utilise Turnitin plagiarism detection software. Students should carefully check that they submit the correct file for an assessment, as re-submissions will not be accepted after the due date and time, including instances where students upload an incorrect file in error.
The design, moderation and feedback of all assessments is in accordance with the Macquarie University Assessment Procedure (link provided under ‘Policies and Procedures’ below).
Late Submission Policy
A maximum penalty of five (5) percentage points of the total possible marks will be applied per day to late submissions, for up to a maximum of seven calendar days. Tasks that have not been submitted within the maximum number of additional late days will receive a mark of zero. This provision does not apply to online exams or other assessment with a time limit of less than 24 hours.
Penalties for late submission will be applied consistently and equitably to all students enrolled in the unit. Where short-term, serious and unavoidable circumstances have affected their ability to submit an assessment task, a student must submit a formal application for Special Consideration as per the Special Consideration Policy. Students should not request an informal arrangement from their tutor, lecturer or Unit Convenor.
Where an application for Special Consideration is approved, and the outcome is an extension to the due date of a task, submissions that are received after the new due date will be subject to late penalties that are calculated from the new due date. This only applies where the outcome is an extension to the due date – see the Special Consideration Policy for a schedule of all possible outcomes.
Special Consideration
Students should submit applications for Special Consideration electronically via the Service Connect portal, along with the supporting documentation. Before submitting their applications, students should refer to the Special Consideration Policy (link provided under ‘Policies and Procedures’ below).
Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
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Thesis Proposal | 40% | No | Weeks 5 and 6 in class (24 and 31 March, 2025) |
Thesis Plan | 60% | No | 18/05/2025 |
Assessment Type 1: Plan
Indicative Time on Task 2: 32 hours
Due: Weeks 5 and 6 in class (24 and 31 March, 2025)
Weighting: 40%
In consultation with their supervisor and the convenor, students will prepare a proposal for their thesis including research question/s.
Assessment Type 1: Plan
Indicative Time on Task 2: 62 hours
Due: 18/05/2025
Weighting: 60%
Students are required to submit a comprehensive legal research plan including literature review, research methodology and strategy
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
This unit is delivered face-to-face and online and consists of 6 x 2 hour workshops with 2 hours of corresponding pre-recorded lecture material for each workshop. There is also a mini-workshop of 1 hour (online) in week 11.
Workshops for this unit run in Weeks 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 11. The workshops are interactive and designed to equip you with the skills necessary to carry out your research project. Active participation in all workshops (with video on for online students) is expected and attendance at the workshops is recorded. This unit does not include a mark for class participation however, participation in class is necessary to do well in this unit.
Before each workshop students should:
During each workshop students will:
Participation in this unit is based on acceptance into the Law Honours program and only students who have already been accepted are permitted to attend. This unit is worth 10 credit points, which equates to 150 hours of work. Therefore, students should expect to commit an average of 10 hours per week to this unit, including all scheduled and unscheduled activities and preparing and executing the assessment tasks.
Resources
The required textbook is: Terry Hutchinson, Research and Writing in Law (4th ed, Lawbook Co 2018).
Students can purchase the textbook online from online resellers such as Booktopia, Amazon and Zookal. The Macquarie University library holds also copies.
Additional readings will be accessible through iLearn.
Students require access to a computer, internet with decent speed and a secure/reliable server. The iLearn page contains all Unit requirements and a weekly schedule for teaching, readings and tutorials. Information about all assessment tasks is also available on iLearn.
UNIT SCHEDULE
Week |
Module * Lecture materials for each module correspond with the Workshop activities |
Workshops (6 x 2 hrs each) Mini-workshop week 11 is 1 hr |
Assessments |
Week 1 |
MODULE 1
‘In Conversation with Professor Surya Deva: ‘The Role and Power of Legal Research’ In Conversation with Dr Carolyn Adams: 'Doing Legal Research: Integrity and Ethics' |
Research Integrity Module and Quiz (must be completed in order to access all modules) |
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Week 2 |
MODULE 2
In Conversation with Dr Amanda Head: ‘Reviewing the Literature and Writing Research Questions’ |
WORKSHOP 1 (2hrs) (learning activities based on module 1 lectures/readings) |
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Week 3 |
MODULE 3
Also see: In Conversation with Dr Sonya Willis and Dr Andrew Burke: ‘Top Tips (and things to avoid) for a Successful Supervisor/Student Relationship’ |
WORKSHOP 2 (2hrs) (learning activities based on module 2 lectures/readings) |
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Week 4 |
MODULE 4
In Conversation with Professor Niloufer Selvadurai: ‘Undertaking Doctrinal Legal Research’ In Conversation with Dr Holly Doel-Mackaway and Associate Professor Amy Barrow: ‘Undertaking Empirical Research About Sensitive Issues with Vulnerable Groups’ In Conversation with Dr Francesca Dominello: ‘Beyond Doctrinal Research - Using Interdisciplinary Perspectives to Critique the Law’ (Family Law and Indigenous Peoples and the Law) |
WORKSHOP 3 (2hrs) (learning activities based on module 3 lectures/readings) |
Census date (liaise with supervisor to narrow and refine topic and get feedback on 3MT - deliver your 3MT to your supervisor this week) |
Week 5 |
MODULE 5: Writing a Legal Thesis: Skills In Conversation with Professor Cathy Sherry: Using Case Law in Your Thesis |
WORKSHOP 4 (2hrs) (learning activities based on module 4 lectures/readings) |
Thesis Proposal (3 Minute Thesis Presentation in class, PLUS 1 page summary submitted the night before Week 5, Mon 24 March, in class. |
Week 6 |
MODULE 6: Refining Research Skills and Preparing for Next Semester 3 optional lectures - Refining Your Legal Research Skills:
In Conversation with Law Librarians Susan Fripp and Anne Cleary: Using Referencing Software In Conversation with Jacqueline Albert: ‘Where can an Honours degree in Law Take You?’ |
WORKSHOP 5 (2hrs) (learning activities based on module 5 lectures/readings) |
Thesis Proposal (3 Minute Thesis Presentation in class, PLUS 1 page summary submitted the night before Week 6, Mon 31 March, in class. |
Week 7 |
Optional: Consultation with Convenor about Thesis |
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RECESS |
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RECESS |
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Week 8 |
Optional: Consultation with Convenor about Thesis |
WORKSHOP 6 (2hrs) (learning activities based on module 6 lectures/readings) |
(contact your supervisor - discuss and send draft of your Thesis Plan for feedback this week) |
Weeks 9 |
Optional: Consultation with Convenor about Thesis |
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Week 10 |
Optional: Consultation with Convenor about Thesis |
Thesis Plan Week 10, Sunday 18 May by 11.55pm |
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Weeks 11 |
Optional: Consultation with Convenor about Thesis |
MINI-WORKSHOP 7 (1hr) (note this is not on the timetable, it is an additional online tutorial) |
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Week 12-13 |
Optional: Consultation with Convenor about Thesis |
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 connect.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 the Service Connect Portal, 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.
Additional week 11 1 hr tutorial
Unit information based on version 2025.03 of the Handbook