Research Methods in Law

RATIONALE
This module prepares students for their independent project in their third year. Students will gain essential skills and in-depth knowledge of the process of designing research projects from start to finish. There is an emphasis on the ‘building blocks’ of research design to provide students with a strong foundation to undertake successful research. Students will develop insights into how legal research is conducted to address substantive, procedural and contextual legal issues and how to apply techniques from related subjects in the social sciences and humanities. Students will explore and apply a series of methods and will develop skills in the analysis of sources as well as primary and secondary data. 

AIMS
This module aims to: 
●    Develop enhanced skills in research design, with a focus on theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches
●    Facilitate advanced applications of research methods in legal and non-legal contexts 
●    Foster an understanding of a wide range of legal research methods 
●    Develop advanced skills in the use of legal databases. 

LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of the module students will be able to: 
1.    Demonstrate ability to design a research project from start to finish.
2.    Demonstrate a critical understanding of the building blocks of research.
3.    Identify the different stages of legal research and classify the models of legal research. 
4.    Justify choices in research design, with a particular focus on choice of appropriate legal research method (given a wide range of methods)
5.    Demonstrate advanced skills in the use of repositories and databases.