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Module Specifications..

Current Academic Year 2023 - 2024

Please note that this information is subject to change.

Module Title Research & Methods in EU Law & Policy
Module Code LG5036
School School of Law & Government
Module Co-ordinatorSemester 1: Christy Petit
Semester 2: Christy Petit
Autumn: Christy Petit
Module TeachersChristy Petit
NFQ level 9 Credit Rating 10
Pre-requisite None
Co-requisite None
Compatibles None
Incompatibles None
Coursework Only
Description

The module serves as a methodology module for the Masters in European Law and Policy. It covers the main methodological approaches to law and to policy. The module will first and foremost provide students with the methodological and theoretical tools to approach the study of EU law and policy, outlining the main approaches to European integration in general and in the field of banking and finance in particular. Several schools of thought and strands of research are relevant from theories of integration in Political Science and economic integration, to the diverse approaches of ‘Law and…’, such as Law and Governance, Law and Economics, Law and Technology, to name a few. All in all, the students will integrate legal analysis in public policy design and public policy questions into legal analysis through a multidisciplinary approach. Moreover, this sets the foundations for an informed law ‘in context’ approach that gives credit to contemporary developments and is instrumental for reflection upon practical solutions when facing legal and policy issues.

Learning Outcomes

1. Acquire knowledge about academic legal research and the diverse approaches towards legal investigation and analysis including comparative, socio-legal, law and economics, and critical legal approaches
2. Locate and access legal data, particularly EU legal databases and resources
3. Critically evaluate in writing and orally methodologies employed in legal and public policy research
4. Adopt and adapt a particular methodology or combination of methodologies to both small and large research projects in the fields of law and public policy
5. Be able to integrate legal analysis in public policy design and public policy questions into legal analysis through an inter-disciplinary approach



Workload Full-time hours per semester
Type Hours Description
Lecture22Interactive lectures, covering a variety of legal and policy research methodologies
Class Presentation20Preparation and delivery of a presentation based on a research plan to the class
Assignment Completion70Development of a dissertation proposal in the field of EU law and/or policy
Independent Study138Reading assigned texts and conducting independent research
Total Workload: 250

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Introduction: Theory, Methods and Interdisciplinarity
A general overview of the role of theory and methods in social sciences in general and in relation to law and public policy in particular. General guidelines on how (not) to formulate a research question.

Law and Economics
An overview of the law and economics school and its approach to law and regulation.

Socio-Legal Studies and Comparative Law
An overview of the questions explored by socio-legal studies and comparative law, including their relationship to social theory.

Methodology and EU Law
A session dedicated to the specific questions raised by EU law and EU legal scholarship including methodological aspects and shifts.

Law and Governance
A session exploring the ways in which law can be approached as part of various forms and techniques of transnational governance, including European sites of governance.

Methodologies in Policy Research: Quantitative Approaches
A session introducing students to the application of social scientific inquiry to public policy analysis with a particular emphasis on quantitative approaches.

Qualitative Approaches and Critical Policy Studies
A session introducing students to qualitative approaches to policy research, including interpretation, and examining the ways in which questions are framed in critical policy studies.

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment100% Examination Weight0%
Course Work Breakdown
TypeDescription% of totalAssessment Date
AssignmentStudents will be required to draft a research plan and dissertation proposal in either EU law or public policy to be presented in class and discussed.100%n/a
Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories;
1 = A resit is available for all components of the module
2 = No resit is available for 100% continuous assessment module
3 = No resit is available for the continuous assessment component
This module is category 1
Indicative Reading List

    Other Resources

    None
    Programme or List of Programmes
    LGPDPhD
    LGPMMA
    LGPTPhD-track
    LLMLLM
    MELPMaster of Arts in European Law & Policy
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