TGMSRP: Self-Directed Research Project

Module code: TGMSRP

Module provider: Typography; School of Arts and Comm Design

Credits: 40

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 1 / 2

Module convenor: Professor Gerry Leonidas, email: g.leonidas@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Professor Fiona Ross, email: f.g.e.ross@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 20 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module aims to provide students with experience in investigating, describing, planning, and conducting a research project. This will include formulating a research question, identifying relevant primary and secondary sources, determining the appropriate methodology, and compiling a comprehensive research proposal.  

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Identify research questions emerging from specific areas in typography & graphic communication, or typeface design
2. Determine methods appropriate to these research questions
3. Engage critically with the relevant literature
4. Locate primary archival material and digital artefacts that may support the research
5. Write up and document visually a comprehensive research proposal

Module content

Students will be introduced to a range of research areas, and develop, in consultation with staff, a fully developed research proposal, equivalent to a proposal for PhD admission. The module covers enables students to go with regular feedback through the full process of identifying areas of research, formulating research questions, identifying appropriate methodologies, and engaging with relevant literature. The module also allows students to determine whether and how to include research in primary archival sources, or digital artefacts, in their proposal, and how to assemble a comprehensively documented proposal document.  

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Students develop a research topic in weekly consultation with staff. These discussions explore the range of possible areas of focus, connect to current discourse in typography & graphic communication or typeface design. The sessions investigate how proposed routes of enquiry intersect with technological developments, social and political conditions globally, and emerging discourse on inclusion and diversity in typography and typeface design.  

The consultations may raise areas for research in the Department’s own collections and the University’s Special Collections. Once a research topic has been agreed on, the student develops independently, with weekly feedback meetings, a comprehensive research proposal. The proposal will be developed to include a relevant literature review or preliminary archival work, clear research questions and relevant methodology. and If relevant, a submission for ethical approval will be made.  

Study hours

At least 20 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Tutors provide feedback on interim work by commenting on drafts and/or through discussion in mutually arranged tutorials leading up to the submission of the final work. 

Reassessment

Additional costs