| Unit name | Research Skills for Musicians |
|---|---|
| Unit code | MUSIM0035 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. Farwell |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of Music |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
This unit equips you for successful study at postgraduate level, focused on research skills for arts subjects in general and methodologies that are particularly relevant to musicians: handling library collections and archives, musical scores, recorded media and other sources, and developing skills to evaluate your sources critically and reference them properly; understanding how and how not to use AI tools; oral presentation skills using appropriate technical tools; making and suitably presenting a focused study of a particular work. The unit will be taught in a mixture of Music Department-based classes, and more general skills training offered by the Centre for Academic Language and Development.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
The unit provides foundational skills, building on your previous study at undergraduate level. Taken in the first teaching block, Research Skills for Musicians is complemented by the Readings and Repertoires units 1 and 2, in TB1 and TB2 respectively, and by Source Study (TB1), or Composers and Performers (TB2). It helps you engage fully in the mandatory units, in your option choices, and in your dissertation or equivalent recital or composition portfolio.
An overview of content
This unit develops the core skills for research in music. You will discover a wide range of primary and secondary sources, from archival material to physical and digital library holdings and score repositories, to online streaming media and more, and learn how to evaluate these sources critically and in relationship to each other. You’ll learn about the ethical and appropriate use of tools such as AI in music research. You will study what goes into making a good oral presentation, and practise these skills. You will gain experience in how to make an in-depth analysis or critique of work by other authors, performers or composers. The unit explores common methods, and also has different emphases according to pathway.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
You will recognise the wide scope of sources for musical study, and know the types of resource most relevant to your pathway and your particular interests as musicologist, performer or composer. You will appreciate the varied and sometimes contested or contradictory perspectives in your sources and in their existing interpretations. You will have skills to find, interrogate, and correctly use and cite varied sources; synthesize ideas; and present your findings orally and in writing.
Learning Outcomes
A successful student will be able to:
You will learn through a combination of seminars and workshops on particular topics and methods; library visits; in-class exercises and discussion; and structured study tasks and independent study in your own time. The teaching team bring expert perspectives for the different pathways. You will learn from each other, through hearing and giving constructive responses to student presentations. Tutorial and written feedback will help you prepare for and build on the summative tasks.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. MUSIM0035).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
