Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
• Critically evaluate academic and policy literature relevant to environmental issues, and cite and reference sources accurately using appropriate academic conventions
• Contribute meaningfully to group and class activities, demonstrating the ability to engage with peers in collaborative learning environments
• Demonstrate the ability to produce original work that reflects independent critical thinking and complies with academic integrity guidelines, including the responsible and transparent use of digital tools and technologies
• Develop clear, focused research questions aligned with policy needs
• Design and implement appropriate research strategies using qualitative and/or quantitative methods
• Analyse and interpret data using basic statistical techniques and secondary datasets
• Apply introductory GIS skills to explore spatial patterns in environmental and policy data
• Communicate research findings effectively to policy audiences through written, visual, and oral formats
• Demonstrate effective presentation skills through an individual communication task, including engagement with peer feedback
• Produce a concise, policy-relevant research insight paper based on applied research, incorporating awareness of responsible AI use in academic work
• Demonstrate the ability to manage time and meet deadlines by submitting work in accordance with module requirements, including assignment criteria, institutional policies, and correct use of referencing formats
Indicative Module Content:
Developing research questions for evidence-based environmental policy
Techniques for conducting literature reviews and evaluating academic and grey literature
Qualitative methods: interviews and coding using NVivo; Qualitative Document Analysis
Quantitative methods: survey design, sampling, and basic statistical analysis using SPSS
Use of secondary data (e.g. Census, CSO, EPA) for policy analysis
Introduction to spatial analysis and GIS tools
Communicating research through policy briefs and presentations
Group work and presentation skills for policy-focused communication tasks