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Supervised individual research on a topic in anthropology.
ANTH 490 is an individual research project on an approved topic under the supervision
of one or more members of staff, culminating in the submission of the dissertation
of no more than 20,000 words (excluding footnotes, appendices and references). Submission
date for dissertations is Friday of the last teaching week in the second semester.
The choosing of your topic is one of the most challenging and rewarding decisions
that you will have to make in the whole exercise. It will depend on the kind of interests
you have developed in Social Anthropology and the availability of supervisors with
appropriate expertise. Please review the list of staff members and areas of interest
on the Social Anthropology website. It is recommended that you consult with appropriate
staff as soon as possible and before the end of your third year. If you have developed
strengths in particular areas of your subject or become closely involved with certain
courses, there would be considerable advantage in continuing with that work for your
dissertation.
One important consideration, and one reason for consulting
closely with staff, is making sure that you select a topic that is practicable within
the time available. The challenge here is selecting something that is going to make
a satisfying and rewarding piece of research, but that will also be of such size and
scope that you will be able to bring it to completion on time.
In social
anthropology, potential topics range from library-based studies based on primary and/or
secondary sources, to research involving fieldwork using one or a number of the many
different methods used in field research (for example, participant observation, formal
interviews, unobtrusive methods). This is usually your first opportunity to carry
out field research, and with the supervision that is provided by the Programme it
will enable you to gain valuable first-hand experience in doing social research. Fieldwork
involving human subjects requires ethical approval from the University Ethics Committee;
your supervisor will advise you about this.
| Paper title | Dissertation |
|---|---|
| Paper code | ANTH490 |
| Subject | Anthropology |
| EFTS | 0.5 |
| Points | 60 points |
| Teaching period | Full Year (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD) | $3,464.00 |
| International Tuition Fees (NZD) | $14,402.50 |
- Restriction
- ANTH 495, ARCH 490
- Limited to
- BA(Hons), PGDipArts
- Contact
- anthropology@otago.ac.nz or individual members of staff
- More information link
Please visit the Programme of Social Anthropology
- Teaching staff
Relevant academic supervisor
- Paper Structure
Writing of a dissertation
- Teaching Arrangements
Weekly meetings with supervisor/s
- Textbooks
Textbooks are not required for this paper but reading relevant to topic is essential.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Lifelong learning, Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Ethics, Research,
Self-motivation.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete this paper will gain
- The ability to conduct independent, high-quality and rigorous research
- The capacity to locate, evaluate and analyse diverse sources, data and information
- Skills in writing a report-length dissertation based on original research
