Running alongside the seminars on Renaissance Culture and Society are classes which emphasise the development of research, bibliographical, and palaeographical skills, with the option of specialising in English or Italian Palaeography. These sessions, which this year will be team-taught by English department and CSR colleagues, are mandatory for Centre students. You will take this module alongside other English PG students, who are taking EN100 (formally EN947). You will meet as a seminar group during the even-numbered weeks of terms 1 and 2, on Wednesdays at either 1pm or 2pm, depending on which fits best into your timetable. You will choose one or the other time, not both.

For term 3, there will be extra, informal workshops to help with your dissertation writing and preparation. These term 3 workshops will not be compulsory but are recommended. In addition to seminar meetings, you will also be placed into small working groups throughout the year that meet around twice a term. In these working groups, you will conduct peer-review activities, gain a deeper understanding of each other’s research interests, and establish a collaborative study network. These groups can meet in person or remotely, through the TEAMs channels set up for you. Writing at postgraduate level can seem very daunting, but we will work together to ensure that each of you feel supported

Term 1

Week 2: Introduction to Research Methods

In this introduction to our module, we will go through the outline of the Research Methods syllabus, lay out the assignments for this module, as well as introduce the structure of dissertation proposal. We will also discuss plagiarism avoidance and citation practices.

Week 3: Small group project 1 (that builds into week 4)

Meet small groups during week 3 to 1) gather a list of current search databases you already use; and 2) look up the English (or relevant) databases available through the Warwick library website and pick one that you think might be useful to add to your list.

Week 4: “How do you approach research?”

This Library-based workshop will equip students with the tools for navigating library resources as they begin to craft their research. Led by Sarah Akhtaruzzamen, the session will guide you through the various databases the library has to offer, how to use them, as well as introduce you to the various different sources available to them for research. Sarah will highlight the Research Methods assignment more clearly.

Week 6: “How do you manage your sources?” + “What is a dissertation proposal?”

This is another library-based session where you are invited to assess thoroughly what resources are appropriate for your research topic. In this session, you will also examine how to use these sources to help formulate crucial research questions that will build into you dissertation proposals. Nancy Jiang will highlight Dissertation Proposal more clearly.

Week 7: Small group project 2 (that feeds into week 8)

By the end of this week, send to your small working group a very rough draft of your dissertation proposal for them to read in preparation for next session.

Week 8: “How do you construct a dissertation proposal?” + “How do you enter a scholarly debate?”

Before this session, you will be asked to produce a rough draft of your dissertation proposal and read the dissertation proposals in your small working group. In this session, you will peer-review your group’s proposals through a series of exercises. There will also be an opportunity to think about framing your voice in the larger scholarly debate. Your assignments for Research Methods are also due in during this session.

Week 10: “How do you manage writing stress?”

In this session, we will examine strategies for managing writing stress as we face our assignments next year. We will think about maximizing writing output.

Term 2

Week 2: “How do you argue and how do you structure your assignments?”

This session will consider the definition of “argument” and how to make a convincing claim when writing an assignment. The session will also consider the different structural approaches that can be taken in postgraduate assignments.

Week 3: Small group project 3 (that builds on week 2)

Using the peer-review worksheet, meet together to peer-review one of the introductions you’ve written for your assignments so far.

Week 4: “What are the first steps after the dissertation proposal?”

This is the first of two dissertation workshops that guides you through the steps of starting the dissertation after the proposal. In this session, we will consider the difference between the dissertation and the essay, how to track dissertation research, best practice for working with your dissertation supervisor, and how to establish dissertation working groups with peers.

Week 6: “How do you navigate historical databases?”

This is a library-based session that will helps you navigate historical databases.

Week 8: “How do you plan a dissertation?”

This is the second of two dissertation workshops that guides you through the steps of starting the dissertation after the proposal. In this session, Teresa Grant will talk us through the process of planning the dissertation.

Week 9: Small group project 4 (that builds into week 10)

You should meet together in their small working groups and share with each other the feedback you received from one of you assignments. In your groups, you will discuss how one might use feedback to improve upon writing.

Week 10: “How do you respond to feedback on writing?”

This session will enable you to consider the feedback you received from your MA tutors. We will think about how to engage with feedback and written criticism, and how to use that criticism to improve our writing.

Term 3

Week 3: Dissertation trouble-shooting clinic

This is an optional session, run by Teresa Grant, about managing revisions to your dissertation.

Week 5: Dissertation drop-in session

This is an optional session for those wishing to work through any dissertation worries they have in a group.

Week 7: Dissertation drop-in session

This is an optional session for those wishing to work through any dissertation worries they have in a group.

Week 9: Dissertation drop-in session

This is an optional session for those wishing to work through any dissertation worries they have in a group.