The primary goal of this unit is to develop skills in undertaking a significant piece of legal research at levels of sophistication suitable for examination. At the conclusion of the unit it is anticipated that members of the class will be able to conceptualise the issues to be researched; will be able to locate relevant legal and other materials (using both hard copy and electronic bibliographic aids); will be able to place and sustain an argument (a 'thesis'); and will be able to assess both the quality of that work and to judge the merits of other approaches to planning such research. It is expected that students will become familiar with using comparative materials (both within the federation and international), and will gain a working familiarity with relevant research techniques of other disciplines in the social sciences. The unit aims to encourage debate about the respective merits of different approaches, ethical issues, and the hallmarks of 'quality' research.

The unit will cover the following topics: higher degree by research students, supervisors and the School; refining your thesis - lessons from the strategy; developing/locating your thesis - lessons from the strategy; comparative law techniques; using international law materials; using historical materials/methods; conceptualising and researching the law in action; narratives, interviews, case-studies and other 'selective' forms of analysis; quantitative research methods - common pitfalls; quantitative research methods - forms of presentation and analysis; current problems in research and presentation; current problems II; and overview and review.