General Course Information
1.1 Course details
| Course code: | LLAW6022 / JDOC6022 |
| Course name: | Advanced Research Methodology |
| Programme offered under: | LLM Programme / JD Programme |
| Semester: | First |
| Prerequisites / Co-requisites: | No |
| Credit point value: | 9 credits / 6 credits |
1.2 Course description
This course is designed to guide you through the process of conceptualizing and executing both doctrinal and empirical legal research projects. Whether you are aiming to write an outstanding LLM dissertation or laying the groundwork for a future Ph.D. thesis, this course serves as your intellectual and practical starting point.
We organize our journey into three key phases:
Understanding the Foundations: First, you will explore the general logic, rationale, logistics, and philosophy of legal research. This phase builds a strong conceptual foundation, helping you understand why we approach legal questions the way we do.
Mastering the Methods: Second, you will learn a diverse suite of research methodologies. We will cover doctrinal and textual analysis, delve into qualitative methods, and touch on quantitative approaches to give you a well-rounded toolkit.
Applying Your Skills: Lastly, you will put theory into practice. Through a hands-on practicum, you will apply your skills to develop your own formal research proposal and execute a pilot study.
1.3 Course teachers
| Name | E-mail address | Office | Consultation | |
| Course convenor | Tami Ren | xren9@hku.hk | CCT 508 | By email |
1.4 Course outline (for elective course)
| Please click the link here for the course outline (HKU Portal login required). |
Learning Outcomes
2.1 Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) for this course
CLO 1 Navigate diverse legal research methodologies with confidence, building a strong working familiarity with various methodological approaches.
CLO 2 Formulate sophisticated, scholarly research questions about how law functions in society, seamlessly integrating legal doctrine, social science frameworks, and empirical data.
CLO 3 Design and write a rigorous research proposal, complete with a comprehensive literature review and a clearly defined methodological blueprint.
CLO 4 Execute a hands-on pilot study based on your proposal, gaining the practical experience needed to test, troubleshoot, and refine your research design before launching into your full thesis or dissertation.
2.2 LLM and JD Programme Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Please refer to the following link:
LLM – https://course.law.hku.hk/llm-plo/
JD – https://course.law.hku.hk/jd-plo/
2.3 Programme Learning Outcomes to be achieved in this course
| PLO A | PLO B | PLO C | PLO D | PLO E | PLO F | |
| CLO 1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 3 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 4 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Assessment(s)
3.1 Assessment Summary
| Assessment task | Weighting | Feedback method* | Course learning outcomes |
| Attendance and participation | 10% | 1, 2, 3, 4 | |
| In-class quizzes | 20% | 1, 2, 3, 4 | |
| Mid-phase research reports | 20% | 1, 2, 3, 4 | |
| Final paper | 50% | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| *Feedback method (to be determined by course teacher) | |
| 1 | A general course report to be disseminated through Moodle |
| 2 | Individual feedback to be disseminated by email / through Moodle |
| 3 | Individual review meeting upon appointment |
| 4 | Group review meeting |
| 5 | In-class verbal feedback |
3.2 Assessment Detail
To be advised by course convenor(s). See also Course Outline above.
3.3 Grading Criteria
Please refer to the following link: https://www.law.hku.hk/_files/law_programme_grade_descriptors.pdf
Learning Activities
4.1 Learning Activity Plan
| Seminar: | 3 hours / week for 12 teaching weeks |
| Private study time: | 9.5 hours / week for 12 teaching weeks |
Remarks: the normative student study load per credit unit is 25 ± 5 hours (ie. 150 ± 30 hours for a 6-credit course), which includes all learning activities and experiences within and outside of classroom, and any assessment task and examinations and associated preparations.
4.2 Details of Learning Activities
To be advised by course convenor(s).
Learning Resources
5.1 Resources
| Reading materials: | Reading materials are posted on Moodle |
| Core reading list: | TBA |
| Recommended reading list: | TBA |
5.2 Links
Please refer to the following link: http://www.law.hku.hk/course/learning-resources/