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IS20150

Academic Year 2024/2025

Critical Research Skills (IS20150)

Subject:
Information Studies
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Information & Comms Studies
Level:
2 (Intermediate)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Brendan Spillane
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module explores core competencies around research. Research is a core skill required in academic contexts, but it is also considered a key transferable skills for industry and employability more broadly. To that end, this module will serve to equip students with the necessary training in a broad range of research skills, with the aim of preparing them for engaging and developing research projects, developing research questions, identifying research paradigms and methods along with being able to manage research data and understand research ethics. In terms of developing these skills, the module will also serve to help students’ professional development and employability and promote innovation and entrepreneurship around research. The course will additionally provide skills around sourcing, evaluating and implementing evidence in a range of contexts, along with ability to synthesize information from varying sources

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

Module Learning Outcomes

1. Develop an understanding and critical awareness of the research process and the varying stages of research.
2. Demonstrate a capacity to identify and evaluate academic materials critically.
3. Recognize the core aspects of research practice, including the ethical, data management and research design components of research.
4. Identify key transferable critical research skills and how they are relevant to pragmatic workplace contexts in industry.
5. Create and design a research project following principles learned in this module.

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

20
Autonomous Student Learning

69
Lectures

24
Seminar (or Webinar)

12
Total

125

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
- Lectures
- Tutorials

Students are not allowed to use Generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI), or other machine learning technology, in their assignments for this module except where explicitly stated otherwise in an assignment brief.

Students should familiarise themselves with UCD’s
- Academic Integrity Policy: https://hub.ucd.ie/usis/!W_HU_MENU.P_PUBLISH?p_tag=GD-DOCLAND&ID=274
- Student Academic Misconduct Procedure: https://hub.ucd.ie/usis/!W_HU_MENU.P_PUBLISH?p_tag=GD-DOCLAND&ID=275

All assignments will be checked with UCD’s text-based similarity detecting software.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Critically appraise a peer-reviewed journal article and its research process. Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
40
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Students must identify a research idea, and develop a solid research question and overarching project plan. Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12, Week 14, Week 15 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
60
 No

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Name Role
Mr Conor Keogh Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
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