This course is designed to provide an opportunity for students interested in pursuing postgraduate study to complete a major research project.

1. The course aims to increase student research and writing skills, and to deepen their knowledge in a substantive area of law.
2. Students will develop an understanding of the concept of original research, learn how to construct a theme for a research project, and how to refine the theme, develop an outline, and write a major research paper.
3. The course requires students to work alone with minimal supervision. It is an objective of the course to assist students to develop the organisational skills to work alone on a major research project.

There are no required resources for this course.

There are no lectures and seminars for this course. The course coordinator will hold a meeting in the first week of the semester to discuss the course requirements and ensure students have made contact with their supervisors. At this meeting, there will be a discussion of the general expectations for the course.

Being a 6 unit course, students are expected to spend up to 24 hours a week during term time in the preparation of their dissertation.

See 4.1 and 4.2

Assessment Item	% of final mark	Dates	Length
Dissertation	100%	Due:: 2pm Friday, 6th June 2014	12,000 words

Length of Dissertation
The word limit for the dissertation is strictly enforced. In presenting their dissertation candidates are required to incorporate a signed statement as to the length of their dissertation (main text and substantive footnotes are to be included in word length, while bibliography, case list, list of contents, required declarations etc are excluded).

Style 
Citations and footnotes should follow the practice used by the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (3rd Ed, 2010). A copy of the Australian Guide to Legal Citation is available from the reserve desk in the Law library. It is also available on the web at or from Melbourne University Law Review at relatively small cost. Pages of the dissertation should be numbered. If a candidate’s dissertation does not conform to the style set out in these guidelines the candidate will be required to rewrite and resubmit in the style designated in these guidelines.

Presentation
The dissertation must be presented in the following format.

The dissertation should be printed on A4 paper on one side only. The margin on the right hand side of the page should be approximately 2.5cm. The margin on the left hand side of the page should be wider, at least 3cm, to allow for binding.

Any one of the following fonts is acceptable: Times, Times New Roman, or Palatino.

The font size for the main text must be at least 12 pt.

The font size for footnotes must be at least 10pt.

The main body of the text should be double spaced.

For general rules relating to line spacing for quotations follow the Australian Guide to Legal Citation.

Footnotes may be single spaced.

The dissertation should have incorporated in it a signed statement to the effect that to the best of the candidate's knowledge and belief the dissertation contains no material previously published or written by another person except when due reference is made in the text of the dissertation, together with an acknowledgment of any help given or work carried out by another person or organisation. There should also be included a signed statement as to the word length of the dissertation (see 2 above).

Students should submit three (3) copies of their Dissertation, two unbound copies and one bound copy (the General Office will arrange binding for you)

Due Date - Unless the course coordinator grants an extension, dissertations must be completed and submitted by Friday 7th June 2013 at 2.00pm.

Extensions - Submissions to the course coordinator for an extension of time should be based only upon special or unforeseen personal or research circumstances.

Dissertations must be submitted by the due date in hard copy to the Law School Office and in electronic form to Turnitin (link available on MyUni).

Be sure to leave plenty of time to submit electronically, get a receipt and still get your hard copy in by the deadline.

The thesis supervisor and an independent examiner will mark the thesis. Having reached a mark independently, the supervisor and independent examiner will agree a final mark between them. If the supervisor and independent examiner cannot agree on a final mark, a further examiner will be appointed, and a majority position reached.

Courses for which a result of conceded pass has been obtained may not be presented towards the degree requirements for the Bachelor of Laws or the Honours Degree of Bachelor of Laws programs, or any postgraduate law program, nor to satisfy prerequisite requirements within any law course.

The University Writing Centre provides academic learning and language development services and resources for local, international, undergraduate and postgraduate coursework students enrolled at the University of Adelaide.

Practical advice and strategies for students to master reading, writing, note-taking, time management, oral presentation skills, referencing techniques and exam preparation for success at university through seminars, workshops and individual consultations.

For more information please check out the Writing Centre website at http://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/

Further information regarding the Law School Policies and Procedures in relation to Supplementary Assessment, Extensions, and Remarks etc can be found at:

https://unified.adelaide.edu.au/group/law-school/policies-and-procedures

Plagiarism and other forms of cheating

Plagiarism is a serious act of academic misconduct. All students must be familiar with the Adelaide Law School Enrolment Guide 2014, and should note in particular the sections relating to plagiarism, grievance procedures and academic conduct within the Law School and the University.

Plagiarism is a serious matter and is treated as such by the Law School and the University. Please be aware that “academic dishonesty” (which goes beyond plagiarism) can be a ground for a refusal by the Supreme Court of South Australia to refuse to admit a person to practice as a legal practitioner in South Australia.

Academic honesty is an essential aspect of ethical and honest behaviour, which is central to the practice of the law and an understanding of what it is to be a lawyer.