MU5002 - Music History Project

The module falls into two halves. First, you will plan your project and receive skills training in plenary workshop sessions; then, you will undertake research under the supervision of a member of staff. In the workshops you will cover topics such as project and time management; how to do research and build up a bibliography; how to use theoretical, historical and musical sources; how to use electronic sources to extend your research capabilities. Your supervisor will be available to help guide your research and to provide you with commentary on your written work in one-to-one sessions.

Your main support will come from the module tutor and your supervisor. They will help you to develop a research proposal, to find research material in relation to your topic, to develop your research, to build a bibliography, and will discuss the development of your writing. You will also have the support network of other students writing dissertations in Music. You will receive feedback on your ideas expressed in a formative piece of work, and feedback on this will feed forward to help you write your essay.

Your Guidance Tutor’s role includes:
• monitoring your ongoing academic progress
• helping you to develop self-reflection skills
• directing you to services which can help you with your academic skills (e.g. Library’s Skills Plus)

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
• You will demonstrate detailed knowledge of your chosen essay topic and an awareness of critical developments in the field.
Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
• You will be able to devise, plan and manage a research project.
• You will have the ability to identify relevant primary and secondary materials from electronic, print and other relevant sources and to deploy this evidence to support a compelling argument
Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
• You will be able to work independently on a piece of work that reflects your scholarly and musical interests, demonstrating determination through self-motivation.
• You will embrace self-critical awareness and feedback from others as you monitor your own progress.

There are two pieces of assessment, one formative and the other summative.

1. FORMATIVE: 1,500-word research proposal. This provides an outline of your ideas for the essay. It will allow you to develop skills in presenting your ideas in an unusual (non-academic) format, helping prepare you for the world of work, as well as helping you hone your ideas. You will receive feedback via written commentary. (MLO 2, 3, 4, 5)

2. SUMMATIVE: Extended Essay of at least 4,000 and no more than 5,000 words (100%) (MLO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Feedback comprises annotations to the script and a short report, plus an opportunity to go over your work with the marker in an individual tutorial.

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This module equips you with some of the research skills you will need to carry out independent work for your dissertation in your final year. You will write an extended essay on a subject related to a number of topics introduced during the course. You will learn how to frame research questions and arrive at a title, how to manage a project working independently, how to find primary and secondary sources, how to present your work and to develop your academic writing.