Scottish Institute for Northern Renaissance Studies

The Research Skills course aims to develop generic research skills, and to introduce students to specialised, discipline-specific skills.

The generic skills to be developed are:

skills in locating and assessing information
IT skills (both in locating information, and in communicating and presenting work)
time management skills
writing and planning skills
oral presentation skills

The discipline-specific skills to be introduced are:

palaeography and manuscript culture: reading and describing manuscripts of the period 1500-1700
bibliography and print culture: hand-press printing techniques of the period 1500-1700
The University of Stirling subscribes to Early English Books Online (EEBO), and has the full ESTC on microfilm

Class schedule

week 1: Post-graduate research and the MLitt: expectations and requirements.

week 2: Information sources and library skills(1)

week 3: Information sources and library skills(2)

week 4: Palaeography and manuscript culture

week 5: Bibliography and print culture (1)

week 6: Bibliography and print culture (2)

week 7: Planning your dissertation (1): finding a question and building a structure

week 8: Planning your dissertation(2): critique of proposals

week 9: Written and oral presentation: writing papers for readers; preparing presentations for audiences

week 10: Presentations

Assessment

Completion of a portfolio of work, to include:

1. Dissertation proposal (1000 words)

2. Annotated bibliography of 8-10 relevant items

3. Listing and assessment of 3-6 on-line resources

4. Materials for a 10 minute oral presentation