GI499      One Unit
Dissertation - Independent Research Project

This information is for the 2025/26 session.

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The Independent Research Project is a student-led module facilitating learning on how to conduct original research independently, with support to develop research ideas and to achieve research ‘milestones’ during development stages. 
The completion of the Independent Research Project module entails the following:
• Achievement of all ‘milestones’/ development stages of your project throughout the academic year.
• Completion of GI499 Methodologies Series - attendance at 7 compulsory and a minimum of 2 optional classes.
• Submission of a dissertation/independent study project, meeting departmental standards and requirements.
The Independent Research Project and resulting dissertation may be on any approved topic within the field of the MSc programme studied.
The ‘methodologies series’ provides introductory compulsory and optional workshops in the Autumn, Winter and Spring Terms designed to provide support for the conception, development and completion of the Independent Research Project. Students will be introduced to dissertation guidelines, common difficulties, ethical issues, basics in research practice, managing sources, the process of research and writing, and ways of creating research impact. The sessions will consider challenges raised by quantitative and qualitative methods, and include examples from and approaches to policy research, interviewing, discourse analysis, oral histories, archival studies, and visual and media analysis. The workshops may vary and are taught within the Department of Gender Studies according to expertise, and will involve student participation.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Winter Term.

The lecture series involves a combination of compulsory and optional dissertation workshops spread across the AT, WT and ST. 

Additional LSE Life lectures are provided throughout AT and WT to support GI 499 course lectures. 

Students are provided supervision for the Independent Research Project during the WT and ST. Supervisors are assigned after students submit dissertation topic proposals in W5 of WT. 

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of WT. 

Ackely, B. and True, J. (2010) Doing Feminist Research in Political and Social Science, Houndmills, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Badgett, Lee (2016) The Public Professor: How to Use Your Research to Change the World. NY: New York University Press.

Belcher, W. L. (2009) Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success, Chicago, London: Chicago University Press.

Biggam, J. (2017) Succeeding with your Master’s Dissertation: A Step-byStep Handbook, Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Creswell, J. W, Creswell, J. D (2018) Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches, California: Sage.  

Harding, Sandra G. (ed.) (2003) The Feminist Standpoint Theory Reader: Intellectual and Political Controversies. NY: Routledge.

Hart, C (2005) Doing your Masters Dissertation: Realising Your Potential as a Social Scientist, London: Sage. 

Hesse-Biber, S. N., Leavey, P. L. (2007) Feminist Research Practice: A Primer, Thousand Oaks, London: Sage.

Swetnam, D., Swetman, R. (2000) Writing Your Dissertation: How to Plan, Prepare and Present Your Work Successfully, Oxford: How to Books.

Smith, L.T., 2019. Decolonising research: Indigenous storywork as methodology. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Weiss, Robert S. (1995) Learning From Strangers: The Art and Method of Qualitative Interview Studies. NY: The Free Press.

Annotated bibliography (10%)

Dissertation (90%, 10000 words)