SW6003 - Critical Research Project

Learning and teaching includes lectures, seminars, self-directed study, and supervision. The lectures will give you knowledge on research-related topics and instructions on how to carry out specific activities relevant to your summative assignment. The seminars include brief focused tasks for you to complete, either within the seminar session itself or during your designated self-directed study to help to conduct a research project by yourself. Most of your learning is expected to take place via independent self-directed study and the use of Northumbria University’s Study Skills Resources focusing on your summative assignment. Individual tutorials for your summative assignment will be arranged with your dissertation supervisor, outside timetabled lectures and seminar sessions. As part of the formative assessment and tutorials, you will have the opportunity to discuss/ get feedback about your project topic, the structure and content from your peers and seminar tutors.

There are opportunities for you to receive advice and support from your dissertation supervisor and the module leader in the case of your supervisor’s absence while planning and preparing your summative assignment. Your supervisor will discuss with you your questions, offer clarifications, and make suggestions for specific aspects of your summative assignment including the topic, structure, sources of information presented, recommendations, links with social work practice. You will have access to your supervisors via email, phone and/or one-to-one meetings. Detailed dissertation supervision guidelines will be given to you.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

At the end of the module you will be able to:
Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of research methodology, including research methods and ethics, and be able to use research critically and effectively to sustain and develop practice.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
2. Demonstrate a capacity for logical, systematic, critical, and reflective reasoning and apply the social work theories and techniques of reflective practice
3. Gather, rigorously question and evaluate the reliability and validity of information from different sources.
4. Know how to formulate, test, evaluate, and review hypotheses in response to information available at the time and critically appraise how this might inform judgements in practice.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity.
5. Apply imagination and curiosity to practice issues and recognise how research-based evidence may inform diverse practice settings.

The formative assessment comprises the submission of a meticulously crafted research proposal, comprising no more than 1,000 words, delineating the parameters of your dissertation project plan. This proposal is to be presented to your dissertation supervisor. You will receive written feedback on your research proposal from your dissertation supervisor. This feedback is anticipated to serve as a valuable resource in refining your preparations for the forthcoming summative assessment.
(MLO 1,2,3)

The summative assignment is a 6,000-word dissertation where you can demonstrate your ability to identify gaps, dilemmas, and issues of interest in an area of social work practice that would benefit from further enquiry. The summative assignment will require you to identity/ formulate problems and issues, conduct literature reviews, evaluate information, investigate and adopt suitable development methodologies, draw conclusions and make recommendations, process data, critically appraise and present your findings. The assignment is submitted through Turnitin and constitutes 100% of the module mark. You will receive written feedback from your dissertation first and second marker through Turnitin.
(MLO 1,2,3,4,5)

SW4000, SW4001, SW4002, SW4003, SW4004, SW4004, SW5000, SW05001, SW5002, SW5003, SW5004

SW6000, SW6001, SW6002

This module is focused on production of an evidence-based project report (dissertation) on a topic relevant to current social work practice. This is with a view to enhancing your expertise in the topic area you have chosen and employability by developing project planning and evaluation skills that would be required in current social work settings. Learning and teaching is focussed on planning for and supporting the production of the evidence-based research report. Formative assessment (a research proposal) and feedback are offered by your dissertation supervisor. By the end of this module, you will improve your ability to inform you future practice with high quality and up to date evidence and engage in effective lifelong learning. This module requires you as an independent social work researcher to consolidate your learning from Levels 4. 5 and 6 and explore in depth a topic you are interested in; critiquing and synthesising the evidence base and discussing the relevance of this for social work research, policy theory and practice.