MRes Historical Research
University of Stirling
Key Information
Campus location
Stirling, United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
12 - 24 months
Pace
Full time, Part time
Tuition fees
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Application deadline
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Earliest start date
Sep 2024
* For up to date fee information, please see website
Introduction
The Master of Research in Historical Research is a one-year research preparation Masters intended to prepare postgraduate for a research-based career and enable specialisation in particular historical topics.
The MRes is designed to:
- train historians
- demonstrate your ability to undertake research to doctoral level at Stirling or other universities in Britain and overseas
- provide a foundation for applications to research councils (AHRC, ESRC) and doctoral training partnerships (including SGSAH) that fund PhD research
- pyou for a research-based career
- enhance career prospects and career development
These aims are achieved through the completion of independent study modules and skills training conducted under supervision. You’ll be allocated an individual supervisor to direct your study and plan the curriculum to reflect your interests and requirements.
Our course prepares you for further research by:
- undertaking project design, identifying research questions, and presenting research findings
- enabling qualitative and quantitative data analysis
- practical experience in applying research methods to interrogate primary sources
- skills development in applying bibliographical software and database management
- developing written and verbal critical analysis
Top reasons to study with us
#1 You can tailor the course to your interests, needs and aspirations
#2 Enhance continuing professional development and prepare you for a research-based career, particuarly in academic research, teaching, journalism, marketing, government, and heritage management
#3 Recognised by the UK research funding councils
Curriculum
The course is split into four sections:
Historiography
You’ll undertake independent study of the literature of a chosen historical field. Coursework comprises a 10,000-word paper that critically reviews historians' works, and identifies a topic suitable for original research in a dissertation. There are no classes. One-to-one supervisory sessions are scheduled at mutually convenient times.
Research Skills Training
You’ll plan a personal itinerary, with direction, of specific activities to support your research project. Activities cover generic skills, employability skills, breadth of knowledge, and subject skills. These can entail attendance at workshops on dissertation planning and research design, preparing a research bibliography, learning a research method, building a database, undertaking archival research, document analysis, and engaging with personal development. Additionally, there are opportunities for workshops in historical research methodology and classes in Latin and palaeography. Alternatively, students can enrol in taught social research modules covering qualitative and quantitative methods.
Sources and Methods
You’ll discuss with your supervisor how to apply your research skills to historical evidence. You will examine a body of sources related to your research topic and practice the methods you have been learning.
Coursework comprises a 5,000-word paper explaining the research 'value' and significance of the selected sources and setting out the appropriate concepts, theories and methods to be used in analysis and interpretation. There’s also a skills test to ascertain competency in source analysis and try out methods before applying in the dissertation.
Dissertation
Having researched the existing secondary literature and the primary sources, and having received training in appropriate research skills, you will then go on to complete a dissertation of up to 20,000 words.