Research Methods with Planning and Environmental Management MSc

You will conduct a small-scale piece of empirical research of relevance and use this as the basis for your dissertation. The emphasis of the dissertation will be on the use of methodology in the context of:


- tracing the application of certain methods to the investigation of particular issues;


- discussing how that methodology functioned in practice;


- research reflexivity.


You will be expected to report on the findings of the study, although the scale of the work will necessitate modest aims and outcomes, given that you will require space to provide in-depth methodological critique and potentially also methods development as an outcome of your study.

It will also be possible for you to choose to undertake a literature-based dissertation, in which case there will be an expectation that a formal review methodology will be used to conduct the review.

The form the dissertation ultimately takes will reflect the study conducted, and its structure will be negotiated and agreed by your supervisor. All dissertations undertaken will be required to contribute to meeting the ESRC's research training criteria.