RES6009 Legal Research Project Assessment Brief 2026 | Arden University

RES6009 Assessment Brief

Section A: Introduction to the Module

Overview

Module Leader:  Chloe Haden
Level: 6
Credits: 20
Learning Hours: 200

Aim

Undertaking a legal research project provides you with an opportunity to develop a deep understanding of a legal topic.  This module provides you with the support to complete a substantial piece of legal research. You will work independently, with the support of a supervisor, to develop your ability to make critical and evaluative judgements.  It is expected that this will provide an opportunity to integrate the law degree with practice, developing the skills of an effective reflective practitioner.  By completing a research project, you demonstrate that you can produce work that is relevant in practice and has academic standing at the graduate level. This is your opportunity to apply what you have learned from your degree to an area of interest to you or your workplace.

To achieve the module learning outcomes, you are required to produce:

• A Research Proposal (500-1000 words)
• A Research Project: 4000 – 5000 words, worth 100% of the final overall grade.  Arden University Word Count policy applies. See Section G.

Module Learning Outcomes

After completing the module, you should be able to:

Section B:  Delivery and overview of the module

Planning and writing a research project is an opportunity to demonstrate the skill of working independently.  As discussed later in this Handbook, you are the ‘driver’ of this module.  This means that you will design your own timetable of work, plan how you will research and write (leaving time for your supervisor to provide formative feedback) and ultimately be ready to submit in a timely manner.  You will need to take the initiative, and not expect your supervisor to take charge of your progress.  When students do this well, it is something that can form a very positive part of a job or higher degree reference provided by your supervisor.

However, the module leader does provide support at the beginning of the module as follows:

Blended Learning Students:

You will have access to five Workshops.  These workshops will be pre-recorded and presented by the module leader.

Workshop 01: The Research Process

Workshop 02: Choosing a Topic

Workshop 03: The Research Question and Aim

Workshop 04:  Methods and Ethics

Workshop 05:  Library and Research Skills

The workshops combine academic research and practical advice and will be a valuable resource for you as you make progress towards developing your proposal and completing your project.

The workshops will be complemented by 4 scheduled ‘drop-in’ sessions with the module leader.  This will be the opportunity for you to raise questions about the module material, the research process, and the project itself, including choosing a topic.

Distance Learning Students:

Distance learning students also have access to recorded workshops as above and drop-in sessions as needed.

Section C:  Overview of the Research Process

Step One: Workshops and Lesson Materials

You will spend the first week of the module working through the lessons independently, listening to recordings, and attending workshop drop-in sessions.  These activities are not part of the assessment process for the module, but they will help you develop your understanding of the research process and assist you to develop your ideas.

A wide range of texts and articles are available to you on the EBSCO, EBook Central, Westlaw and Lexis Nexis databases that you can access on iLearn under ‘My Resources’ and the ‘Library Portal.’  You also have access to textbooks via the Bibliu platform.

Step Two: Prepare a Working Title

Once you have worked your way through the lessons you now need to begin thinking about a working title.  You will register on the Arden Ethics platform.

(https://ethics.arden.ac.uk/register) and indicate your proposed working title there.

Instructions on how to access and register on Arden Ethics are available on the module homepage under the My Assessment tab and will also be given in workshops.  The module leader will discuss your working title with you via Arden Ethics and help you to identify a legal issue for research. This process may take some time, and the working title may be returned to you for editing more than once.  Do not be disheartened about this:  it is quite normal and is time well spent.  For more information on how to design a working title see Section D of this Handbook.

Step Three: Supervisor Allocation and Preparing a Research Proposal

Following approval of the working title you will be allocated a supervisor and notified of this on Arden Ethics.  It is your responsibility to contact your supervisor and introduce yourself.  Working with the supervisor, you will complete the Project Proposal on the Arden Ethics site.

Your supervisor will review your proposal and may return it to you for editing.  The proposal should not be rushed, and you should take time to consider the resources and research questions that will underpin your research.  Your supervisor will eventually approve the proposal, followed by the module leader.  See Section D in this Handbook for more detail on the project proposal.

Step Four: Complete Ethics Information

All students must apply for ethical approval before they start researching and writing. You will conduct secondary research, and so the ethical approval process is straightforward, though still requiring careful consideration and application. Ethical approval is sought on the Arden Ethics platform and consists of a range of fields and questions along with the Project Proposal.

Step Five: Formative Feedback

Once your proposal and ethics are fully approved, you may begin your research and writing.  To make sure you are on the right track throughout the writing process you have the opportunity for a one-to-one meeting with your supervisor.  You are also entitled to formative feedback on one draft of the assignment.  Make sure you give your supervisor sufficient time to read the draft and provide feedback.  This should be at least two weeks prior to submission.

Step Six:  Submission

Submission deadlines will be notified on iLearn in the normal manner.

Section D: The Working Title and Research Proposal

Working Title

Developing a working title is an important stage in the research process and should not be rushed. The working title should encapsulate a legal issue and the question you plan to address. As this is a ‘working’ title, it can be amended as your research develops. The module leader can assist you in developing a working title. A good working title helps you to include evaluation in your proposal and final project.  The working title should be submitted on the Arden Ethics platform.

Working titles tend to fall into two categories:  questions and statements.  For example:

Question: Is the Approach to Pre-nuptial Agreements Applied under English Law Fair?

Statement: “Fairness is in the Eye of the Beholder”. A critical analysis of prenuptial agreements in England and Wales.

Some students find it easier to include a question in the title. This is because it can help to identify the overarching question before breaking this down into individual research questions. Some students find that the overarching questions help them to produce an evaluative study.

Please ensure that you listen to the pre-recorded workshop sessions on choosing a working title and attend the drop-in sessions if you have questions.

Research Proposal

When the working title is approved you will be allocated a supervisor.  The next stage is to begin working on the project proposal.  The proposal is made up of your answers to a series of questions and is found and submitted on Arden Ethics.  You should not proceed to work on your project until the proposal has been approved. You will work with your supervisor to complete your proposal. Your proposal should cover the following areas:

1. Aims, Objectives, and Research Question

This should contain an explanation of the problem/issue and justification as to why it is an important topic in the field of legal knowledge. The topic you choose may also raise pressing public issues – but there must be a legal issue at the heart of it.  There should also be a series of precisely written and numbered objectives, to include observable outcomes, that flow from this section.  It is important that your research has a ‘thesis’ or statement of purpose (also known as a statement of topic).

You should also demonstrate your knowledge of relevant literature by identifying key debates to clearly show how this will inform your research.

2. References and resources

Having conducted some preliminary research on your topic, you should be able to indicate at this stage some of the key sources you will rely on for your research.  This might include legislation and case law, but also journal articles and books.  While you do not have to do a full literature review at this stage, it is important for you to have completed some research to be confident that your research is viable.  References should be in OSCOLA style (or Harvard if you are a Joints degree student).

3. Method and Ethics

You will conduct secondary research using sources such as legislation and case law, government source material, books, and journal articles, etc.  You should be able to reflect on the method of research you have undertaken (e.g., doctrinal, or socio-legal research) and why you have chosen this method.

Ethical issues should be explored in this section. You should be able to reflect on whether, for example, you have been an ‘objective researcher.’  Issues of potential researcher bias, accurately transcribing data, honesty and integrity, crediting sources, and avoiding plagiarism should all be discussed.

4. Project Management

A project plan, which outlines the proposed timescale for completion of your research project including significant activities, is included in the proposal.  We understand that the timescales shown in the plan may change but it is important to demonstrate your understanding of the key tasks of the research process, setting out your proposed timescales at this early stage of the process.

Submission of your Proposal

The proposal and ethics information must be completed and submitted to Arden Ethics.  Your supervisor will review the proposal and provide you with feedback.  The proposal may be returned to you for editing.  The proposal must be signed off by your supervisor and one of the module leaders before you commence the next stage.  While the proposal does not form part of the assessment grade, you cannot submit your research project until your proposal has been signed off. 

Section E: The Research Project Structure

The research project should include chapters as outlined below. The chapters are connected to each other by the threads of the research question and should represent a coherent and complete picture of the work undertaken.  The overall length of the project (excluding formatting pages, appendices, footnotes, bibliography, tables, and diagrams) must not exceed 5,000 words.

1. Title page, abstract and declaration

The project should begin with the following:

• Arden University cover sheet
• Title page
• 150-250-word abstract with 5 keywords listed
• Table of Contents (and, where relevant, a list of tables and figures)
• Declaration which includes your signature stating that:

i) The work is your own work.
ii) The work is not confidential.
iii) You agree that Arden University can store and use the work as a reference.

2. Introduction

The purpose of the introduction is to set out and justify the research that you have undertaken. The introduction should start by setting out the topic and move on to presentation of the main research question and aim. The structure of the project should be explained.  Terms should be introduced and defined, and justification provided from different perspectives. If the study is based upon a specific organisation or context then this will require explanation,  and justification will need to be provided for the conducting of the study. The value of the study will also need to be considered.

Make sure that you include a set of research questions and objectives linked to the question or statement of the working title. You should also formulate a ‘thesis’ which articulates the argument you are going to make. A good research project aims to prove something, and this should be established clearly in the introduction.  A common error is not giving the introduction the time required to ensure that it is well referenced and clearly justifies the study.

A typical structure for the introduction would be as follows:

• Background – an overview of the topic and its merit as a research topic
• Rationale – justification for the study (why is the research important)
• Thesis or argument you intend to demonstrate
• Objectives and research questions
• Brief introduction to method
• Research project structure

Expected word count: 500-750 words

3. Legal Framework

In this chapter, you establish the law on your chosen topic in England and Wales. This sets out the legal framework within which the research question is set. The approach here may differ depending on the research undertaken. This section will mostly be an exploration of relevant primary legal sources and legal processes if this is relevant.  This section should include:

• Legislation relied on in England and Wales.
• Relevant case law.
• The context of the legal system if relevant – think about how this relates to the application of the law.
• Analysis of the law – think about your hypothesis.

Expected word count:  1000 words

4. Literature Review 

The purpose of a literature review is to ground your research in the scholarly field.  You should set out scholarly opinion on the topic and show where your research and thesis sit within this range of sources.  This means that you need to consider scholarly work that has been undertaken in areas that are relevant to the topic you are studying.

Example: You are researching the law on assisted suicide, and your thesis is that the law of England and Wales should be reformed.  Your literature review should consider journal articles, books and other sources that have also considered this question.  You should present authors who agree with your thesis, and those who do not, using their arguments to build the strength of your argument.

There is a range of material that can be used in the literature review.  As you are researching a ‘legal issue’, legislation and case law, plus documents such as Law Commission reports, Hansard debates, Government papers etc will likely form key sources.  In addition, books and academic journal articles are important as they present different perspectives and therefore must be included in the literature review. Journal articles are available through Westlaw and Lexis Nexis Library (for family law).  When selecting information sources, it is important to consider the relative value of the source. Peer-reviewed sources such as books and journals are usually much more valuable than organisational websites.  You will be assessed on the range of sources you have selected, as well as whether you have critically selected each source with care.

When sufficient sources have been gathered there are issues to consider. The relevance of each source should be considered. If it is not relevant, abandon it. If there are two sources, one of which is better, then use the better source. Remember that the literature search should look at the proposition from differing perspectives. Once you have gathered sufficient information for a well-referenced, balanced approach, you should conclude your argument. It is easy to become bogged down working on the literature review, so take a tactical approach and know when to say, ‘enough is enough’.

The literature review may be broken down into sub-headings relevant to the legal issue you are researching, for example considering themes that arise in your research.

Example:  you are researching the topic of whether prisoners should have the right to vote.  The literature review might be divided into themes such as:  human rights arguments, the purpose of custodial sentences, and rehabilitation.  For each theme, you would then review what has been written in the scholarly field on this theme.

A typical structure for this chapter would be as follows:

• Introduction – a brief introduction to state what is contained within the chapter
• Topics – the number of titles of these will vary depending on your area of study. Explore the topics from different perspectives.
• Summary – the chapter needs summarising to conclude where your research fits within the existing literature
• Questions – what question(s) you aim to answer or explore in your dissertation

Expected word count: 1000-1500 words

5. Legal Research Method

The purpose of this chapter is to describe and justify the legal research methods you have used.  You should include an analysis of the method or combination of methods chosen and the reasons you have chosen them. These reasons should be linked to the research questions you set out in the Introduction.  The research questions can be used to structure the critique of research methods. The methods used to answer each question should be presented, critiqued, justified and the approach to employing them, analysed. Law students are not permitted to undertake empirical research (due to time restraints), so you must focus on secondary source research. Finally, the chapter should address ethical issues.

A typical structure for this chapter would be as follows:

• Introduction – a brief introduction to state what is contained within this chapter
• Discussion of research methods, research strategy and types of dissertation (e.g., doctrinal or socio-legal)
• Legal research method(s) chosen with justification, including how the method helps you answer the research questions
• Ethics and bias – consideration of relevant ethical issues and any bias that may be inherent within the study or subsequent analysis. Thought should be given to validity and reliability of sources.  Are you showing the characteristics of an objective and unbiased researcher?
• Limitations – discuss any relevant limitations to the methods selected.

Expected Word Count: 500-750 words

6. Discussion

As a law student, you have conducted secondary research only, so this chapter will build on the literature review.  You will draw together themes and conclusions that have become apparent through your reading of the scholarly literature.  These findings should then be analysed according to your research questions and in relationship to your thesis.

Example:  You have researched prenuptial agreements comparing England and Wales with Finland.  Your argument has been that prenuptial agreements should be put into statutory form and treated like any other contract.  You have built your argument by considering a range of academic journal articles, some of which support your argument but many which do not.  In the Discussion chapter you bring those arguments together.  You might consider the strengths of these arguments, which are backed by substantial research, etc.  You begin to move towards a conclusion as to whether your thesis is successfully made out and supported by scholarly opinions, and, if not, why.

A typical structure for this chapter would be as follows:

• Introduction – a brief introduction to state what is contained within the chapter. Signposts to where the research questions are addressed by the research should be included.
• Discussion of what can be concluded following an exploration of the existing literature. Does the scholarly field and (if relevant) statistical and other types of data support the dissertation thesis?  What weaknesses and gaps are there in the scholarly field?  What type of research or data is needed to support the thesis?  Synthesis of literature and other data sources linking to the research question and thesis.
• Discussion of whether legislation is suitable or in need of reform.

Expected Word Count: 1000 words

Presenting the research findings needs to be a priority in this chapter. Considering the research aim, questions, hypothesis, and the research methods needs to be considered carefully. Graphs should only be used where they add value to the work and make a visual impact. Where graphs are included, different graph types must be used correctly for the data being presented and the information presented must be clear.  Any figures need to be numbered, titled, and included in a list of tables and figures.

7. Conclusion

 This chapter is often overlooked and not given enough care. The conclusion is essential in tying together the threads that have been woven throughout the work bridging the literature review with the discussion chapter. It relates directly to the beginning of the project and shows what was found in the process of addressing the objectives and answering the questions that were initially set. This chapter also provides the opportunity to reflect on the process as well as look forward to where the work could be taken next with appropriate insight (e.g. costings for implementation of recommended actions).

Crucially, the research questions that were set in the introduction and discussed again in the method chapter must be addressed directly here to demonstrate how they were answered and what was found. The conclusion chapter is not the opportunity to introduce new things. A typical structure for this chapter would be as below.

A strong set of conclusions should contain all the elements below. The conclusion should justify how this work is independent and developmental – rather than being just a patchwork of established work, thoughts and interpretations of others which is put together by a few threads of your own making. Make sure that you leave sufficient time to give thought to writing the conclusion.

A typical structure for this chapter would be as follows:

• Introduction – A brief introduction to state what is contained within the chapter
• General conclusions – review the key findings and their implications
• Research question conclusions – taking each research question separately clearly demonstrate what has been found (or not) in answering them.
• Recommendations – based upon the findings, recommend courses of action to provide direct benefit. If linked to a specific case study these could be organisational recommendations. If considering a topic in a more abstract way these could be generalised recommendations that have a wider scope. Wider application beyond the confines of the original research focus could also be made here.
• Errors and limitations – A final opportunity to recognise the things that may have limited the work undertaken. These build upon those discussed in the methodology as they may include practical limitations encountered along the way or flaws in approaches that only became apparently later on.
• Recommendations for further study – themes may emerge from the study that warrant further investigation. Outline what these are and how they may be addressed in the future.

Expected Word Count: 500-750 words

8. References and Appendices 

It is presumed that students at Level 6 are now proficient at referencing accurately. For law, you must reference using the OSCOLA system. Joint students may use the Harvard referencing system.

Footnotes should be correctly formatted and placed at the bottom of each page.

A properly formatted bibliography is essential in achieving a good mark. A bibliography is a list of all the sources read (whether referred to or not) in preparation for the project.  Review what you have learned about structuring a bibliography, organising sources for ease of reading.  Primary sources should always be listed separately from secondary sources.

Appendices are opportunities to include supporting documentation such as an abbreviation list or glossary. If appendices are used, they must be referred to in the main body of the work. Marks cannot be awarded for work contained in appendices, but these assist in the understanding of arguments and discussions made within the project.

Section F: Supervision

Writing a research project requires significant thought and preparation. YOU are the driver of this process, initiating activity around the project and reading and investigating your topic independently. This is an activity that is yours and for you alone to progress and be responsible for, with some support from a supervisor.

A supervisor will be assigned to you based on the proposed area of investigation following submission of the working title. Your supervisor will work with you through the proposal stage and until submission.  Your supervisor will provide you with feedback as to the project’s viability and discuss with you any amendments that need to be made before you can proceed.   You should make contact by email with your supervisor within the first week of being appointed a supervisor.

Your supervisor will discuss specific details of how the ‘working relationship’ will be implemented in practice.  This is an ideal time to raise any concerns about the development of the initial proposal and how the project process will work in practice.  Further general guidance on the supervision process is detailed below.

The emphasis of the supervision will be upon:

• Encouraging you to conduct a comprehensive review of relevant literature to support your research and to formulate a proposal and project commensurate with study at Level 6.
• Encouraging you to plan an appropriate method to underpin your research and to articulate your rationale for the method used.
• Encouraging you to keep appropriate records of action and progress.
• Providing general support, direction and guidance as required throughout the research project process.

You will be required to conduct all stages of the project independently but with support and guidance given by your academic supervisor. Your supervisor is an invaluable resource to you and every effort should be made to liaise with your supervisor throughout the entire research process.

It is VERY IMPORTANT that your supervisor has sufficient time for the reading of drafts. You must not expect your supervisor to read your draft instantly when a deadline is near – always bear in mind that your supervisor has a busy schedule. A full draft should be sent no less than TWO WEEKS before the relevant deadline to receive full consideration.  This will also allow time for you to make changes and amendments

The conditions of an Arden Bachelor’s degree require that you complete a substantial piece of independent research. Therefore, the responsibility for the final submission of the proposal and thereafter, the project, is yours and not your supervisor’s. Ultimately, you must be the judge of what the proposal and the final project will contain. It is not the role of the supervisor to provide detailed comments on drafts. While you can expect some feedback on drafts this will be of a general nature and will not be a detailed analysis of your submission. The supervisor will not comment on amendments made in the light of this feedback.

The work is yours and not your supervisor’s.

Section G: Submission

Submission

A submission portal is only available on iLearn when your proposal and ethics have been approved.  If you do not see a submission portal, and you are sure your proposal and ethics have been approved, contact your tutor and the module leader (see the beginning of this Handbook) who will investigate.

Submission Format and Presentation

The project is submitted online.  There is no need to submit a paper copy.

The markers will consider the content of your submission, the research method you have employed, the resources you have relied on, the skill with which you analyse the research question and literature, and presentation, looking at writing skills, structure and referencing.

References must be used as required by the appropriate referencing convention (OSCOLA or Harvard for joint degrees) and spelling and grammatical errors should not be present in the final document.

The project should be presented in the following format following the structure outlined in section E:

• Typed (word-processed) using double spacing.
• Font: recommended font is Arial, size 12 for the main content and appreciating font sizes for sub-headers and headers etc.
• Text should be justified, so that it is straight-edged on both margins.
• Numbered pages: all pages should be numbered.  Page 1 should begin with the Introduction.  All pages before the Introduction should be numbered with Roman numerals (e.g., i, ii, iii, iv, etc)
• Review Section E for what must be included in the final submission.
• Each chapter should begin on a new page.
• Figures and tables should be clearly labelled, referenced sequentially as they appear in the text and produced via software packages. These should be ideally placed on a separate page or within the text but as close to the text to which it is referred. Where appropriate, acknowledgement of the source should be presented on the page beneath the Figure/Table.

Maximum word count:  Max 5000 words.

Please refer to the full word count policy which can be found in the Student Policies section here:  Arden University Regulatory Framework

Re-submissions

If you need to re-submit your project, please see the Arden University Regulatory Framework here.

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