Assignment workshop: research, planning and referencing

This week’s topics

Assignment workshop: research, planning and referencing

1. Unpacking the assignment brief and criteria
2. Finding and evaluating sources
3. Planning and referencing
4. Planning your Research Project 2025

What you will be able to do

• 1.1 Identify the criteria required to conduct legal research.
• 1.2 Define key issues in the proposed research.
• 1.3 Assess the diversity of research methods used in socio-legal studies.
• 1.4 Evaluate ethical dimensions of socio-legal approaches.
• 1.5 Analyse features of the blackletter approach to doctrinal legal research.
• 2.1 Choose a relevant legal research project topic.
• 2.2 Create appropriate research aims and objectives with justification.
• 2.3 Formulate a detailed plan for the research project.
• 3.1 Critically analyse different theoretical approaches to a legal research problem.
• 3.2 Create a structured and thorough critical literature review.
• 4.1 Critically evaluate relevant research methodologies that can be applied to your chosen research topic.
• 4.2 Justify the methodology selected in terms of the research.
• 4.3 Propose suitable techniques to use with quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis.
• 5.1 Plan a legal research project and present this as a written proposal.
• 5.2 Critically evaluate own skills and knowledge, with reference to the intended outcome of the research project.

Activity

Start with this week’s video, then: Plan the unit assignment against every criterion; source and reference the evidence.

Study materials

Videos

• Planning your Research Project 2025 · YouTube · University of Staffordshire Student Life · 21 min · for registered students

Further resources

• Writing for Success, ch. 8.1–8.3: Prewriting, outlining and drafting · PDF · Saylor Academy, textbook chapter; pp. 281–318 · for registered students
• Harvard Referencing quick guide 2025 (York St John University) · PDF · Other, report · for registered students
• Evaluating Information: Applying the CRAAP Test · PDF · Other, report · for registered students