Professional Writing and Presentation Skills

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• the construction, description and use of musical materials
• procedures for generating material for a research area new to you
• the research tools appropriate to the field of music

Subject Specific Practical Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• identify the appropriate methodologies for your new research area
• use online music bibliographical and discographical aids
• use printed music bibliographical aids to locate sources and generate bibliography

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• summarise source material for annotated bibliography
• compile source material (primary and secondary) for a research project using appropriate tools and methods
• evaluate bibliographical tools and their uses for musical study
• critique musical editions, recordings, performances, and studies with an awareness of source issues they raise

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• develop presentation and advocacy skills
• use online bibliographical tools and bibliographical software
• present word-processed bibliographies in a standard humanities format
• read and annotate texts critically

The range of topics that may be covered in this module includes:

• describing and formulating a critique of a performance
• generating research questions
• professional writing skills including abstracts, CVs, grant applications
• exploring methodological approaches to diverse musical practices
• Active note taking and summarising
• Presentation skills
• preparing a bibliography

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching methods include

• seminars
• presentation
• individual tutorials

Learning activities include

• individual study, including take-away tasks from weekly seminars
• seminar discussion
• accessing online resources

Resources & Reading list

General Resources

The Chicago Manual of Style: For Authors, Editors and Copywriters, 17th edition.

Music in Words: A Guide to Researching and Writing about Music. Author(s): Herbert, Trevor Year of Publication: 2001 Publisher: Oxford University Press

Internet Resources

Chicago Manual of Style.

Assessment strategy

• An annotated bibliography (1500 words) will provide you with the necessary knowledge to conduct your own research and generate material for research in an area new to you
• A concert review (600 words) will ask you to critique a performance, reflecting on the appropriateness of venue, repertoires, etc.
• An oral presentation will train you in presenting on your given topic concisely and effectively to a variety of audiences
• An abstract (250 words) will give you an opportunity to summarise source material and read texts critically

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External