Postgraduate - UnitLAW7300 - SJD Seminar

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2012 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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12 points, SCA Band 3, 0.250 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

Level	Postgraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Law
Offered	Clayton First semester 2012 (On-campus block of classes) Clayton Second semester 2012 (On-campus block of classes)
Coordinator(s)	The Director or Convenor, Higher Degree by Research

Notes

For postgraduate Law discontinuation dates, please see http://www.law.monash.edu.au/current-students/postgraduate/pg-disc-dates.html

Synopsis

The seminar will introduce students to advanced legal research techniques, empirical research, ethics in research, useful computer software, legal writing, legal publishing and contemporary theoretical approaches to law (philosophical, sociological , critical, feminist and economic). Students will be required to submit a 3000 word paper on a topic relevant to their proposed research. The seminar will also provide a forum in which students can interact in a semi-structured environment in order to test their research ideas, while contributing to the development and improvement of one another's research projects. Students will be required to present their research proposal for discussion.

Outcomes

To provide students with the intellectual and methodological skills they will need to plan, research, write and publish their thesis. In particular, to assist students in:

preparing feasible research plans, which addresses research aims, assumptions, methods and possible findings;
thinking carefully, broadly and creatively about the best way to invesigate and answer their research questions;
enhancing their understanding of significant issues in current legal theory and awareness of theoretical approaches relevant to their research; and
developing a friendly peer support network for the remainder of their candidature.

Assessment

Participation in the seminar program: 20% plus 3000 word essay: 40% plus presentation of research proposal: 40%

Chief examiner(s)

Professor Mark Davison

Contact hours

The SJD seminar will be taught intensively in one or two blocks of time during the year. Students will be required to attend most of the sessions.