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 is an introductory course that emphasizes conceptualizing and executing both doctrinal and empirical legal research projects. We will briefly explore the philosophical issues behind such research, along with the practical methods used in actual research. By the end of this course, students should understand a variety of research methods (including comparative, qualitative, and— to a lesser extent—quantitative) and gain a sense of how to approach the research problems that will form the core of a Ph.D. thesis.
The primary intellectual goal is to develop a sophisticated and rigorous understanding of how to formulate and answer scholarly research questions about the functioning of law, using both legal doctrine and social science, along with relevant data.
1.3 Course teachers
| Name | E-mail address | Office | Consultation | |
| Course convenor | Stefano Osella | osella@hku.hk | CCT 504 | By email |
1.4 Course Outline (for elective course)
| Please click the link here for the course outline (HKU Portl login required). |
Learning Outcomes
2.1 Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) for this course
CLO 1 Develop familiarity with different research methods for conducting legal research (comparative, cultural analysis of law, qualitative, quantitative).
CLO 2 Learn how to ask scholarly research questions concerning the workings of law, using both legal doctrine and social science and related data.
CLO 3 Complete a research proposal including a literature review and overview of methodology.
CLO 4 Conduct a pilot study of proposed research.
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 |
| Timely and constant participation | 5% | 1, 5 | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| In-class interactions and exercises (incl. presentation) | 15% | 1, 5 | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Assignment 1 (Research question and literature review) | 10% | 2, 3, 5 | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Assignment 2 (Methodology) | 10% | 2, 3, 5 | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Final paper (research proposal with small feasibility study) | 60% | 1 | 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/