| Semester 1, 2020 On-campus Toowoomba | |
| Short Description: | Legal Research Methodology |
| Units : | 1 |
| Faculty or Section : | Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts |
| School or Department : | School of Law and Justice |
| Student contribution band : | Band 3 |
| ASCED code : | 090900 - Law |
| Grading basis : | Graded |
Staffing
Examiner:
Requisites
Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following programs: DPHD, DJUR, LLBH, LLMR or LLMC
Other requisites
Students are required to have access to a personal computer, e-mail capabilities and Internet access to UConnect. Current details of computer requirements can be found at .
Synopsis
This course provides an introduction to basic research for students undertaking an LL.B. Honours year, a J.D., an LL.M., or a Ph.D. in Law. Students will discuss the philosophy of research and gain a deep understanding of theoretical perspectives and epistemological assumptions underpinning different research approaches in legal scholarship. The focus of this course is on preparing students to develop their research proposals and to ensure that they have skills which allow them to identify and formulate meaningful research problems, to plan and execute a critical literature review, and to ground their research in a theoretical perspective that will inform their methodology, research strategy and design. Students will be expected to improve their critical thinking skills and to learn to read and critique previous research published in journals associated with law. The course provides an overview of both qualitative and quantitative research methodology and associated methods. Research quality is emphasized throughout the course as students begin to make critical decisions about the formulation of their research question and the most effective research design to address that question.
Objectives
On successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
- understand the theoretical perspectives and epistemological assumptions underpinning different research approaches and methodologies in basic legal research;
- evaluate the role of theory in research and understand the importance of the selection and use of a theoretical framework in conducting basic research;
- develop the research skills required for planning and executing basic legal research, including conducting literature searches and reviews, formulating research questions, choosing and defending a research approach and methodology, and selecting specific methods and techniques appropriate for answering a research questions.
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Introduction to legal methodology | 10.00 |
| 2. | Developing a research question | 15.00 |
| 3. | Ethics and academic misconduct | 10.00 |
| 4. | Doctrinal legal analysis | 10.00 |
| 5. | Empirical legal research | 10.00 |
| 6. | Law and economics | 5.00 |
| 7. | Socio-legal research | 10.00 |
| 8. | Referencing and the AGLC | 5.00 |
| 9. | Comparative legal research | 5.00 |
| 10. | Legal history | 5.00 |
| 11. | Advanced legal research resources | 5.00 |
| 12. | Literature reviews | 10.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2020&sem=01&subject1=LAW8001)
Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)
Reference materials
Student workload expectations
| Activity | Hours |
|---|---|
| Assignments | 70.00 |
| Directed 精东传媒app | 50.00 |
| Private 精东传媒app | 50.00 |
Assessment details
| Description | Marks out of | Wtg (%) | Due Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| REFLECTIVE RESPONSE 1 | 20 | 20 | 02 Mar 2020 | |
| REFLECTIVE RESPONSE 2 | 20 | 20 | 09 Mar 2020 | |
| REFLECTIVE RESPONSE 3 | 20 | 20 | 16 Mar 2020 | |
| REFLECTIVE RESPONSE 4 | 20 | 20 | 23 Mar 2020 | |
| RESEARCH QUESTION DEVELOPMENT | 20 | 20 | 23 Mar 2020 |
Important assessment information
-
Attendance requirements:
Online: There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students' responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
On-campus: It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration. -
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks. (Depending upon the requirements in Statement 4 below, students may not have to satisfactorily complete each assessment item to receive a passing grade in this course.) -
Penalties for late submission of required work:
Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4) -
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course. -
Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course. -
Examination information:
There is no examination in this course. -
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
Not applicable. -
精东传媒app Student Policies:
Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene 精东传媒app policies and practices. These policies can be found at .
Assessment notes
-
Referencing in assignments: Students studying this course must use the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (AGLC) style. For AGLC style guide enquiries, consult the AGLC manual from the USQ Library's referencing guide at or contact the Law librarian.