Demonstrate a critical understanding of methodologies and theoretical approaches relevant to international relations.

Final Assessment Brief

Module Name: Research Methods

Module Code: LJMU-7501-IRUIC

Assessment Task: Research project Plan

Word Count: 5,000 words

Weighting: 100%

Submission deadline: Please consult the VLE

Submission procedure: Please submit via the submission link on VLE

Submission Record

Extenuating circumstances

Ensure you are familiar with the process for submitting a claim for extenuating circumstances. If you experience any extenuating circumstances that may have affected your ability to attempt or submit the present assignment, please follow the relevant instructions on the VLE in order to submit your claim for extenuating circumstance prior to your submission deadline.

Academic misconduct including plagiarism

Ensure that you are familiar with the relevant regulations regarding academic misconduct. By submitting the present assignment, you declare that it is your own work and that the material and sources of information used, including internet sources, have been fully identified and properly acknowledged. In addition, you confirm that the presented work has not been submitted for any other assessment. You also acknowledge that the faculty reserves the right to investigate allegations of plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct which, if proven and dependent on the severity level of the offence, will result in a penalty that may affect your progress.

Late submissions

Please submit your module summative assessment(s) by 11:59 pm (23:59 hours) VLE (UTC) time on the due date at the latest. Any summative assessment submitted up to 5 days late, will be accepted but the mark will be capped at 50%. Any work submitted more than 5 days late after the submission deadline will be recorded as 0%. Where illness or other verifiable cause prevents timely submission of the summative assessment, you are required to contact the Unicaf Extenuating Circumstances team in the first instance, via extenuating.circumstances@unicaf.org, for further information on how to make an appropriate request for consideration of your circumstances. It is important to note that any request must be made to the mentioned team in advance of the originally stipulated deadlines, otherwise shall be considered as late and will not be reviewed further unless valid independent evidence exists to support that you could not have reasonably gotten in touch any sooner.

It is important to keep in mind that if you do not make a claim, or if the claim is not upheld, and you have not submitted by the original deadline, the module shall be failed as a result of no submission of the summative assessment.

By submitting your work, you acknowledge that you have read and agree with the above statement

General Guidance

Your assignment should be word processed (handwritten assignments are not accepted), using time new roman size 12 font, double spaced, with numbered pages and your student number printed as a footer on every page.

The word limits stated for this assignment excludes the reference list at the end of the assignment but includes all text in the main body of the assignment (including direct quotations, in-text citations, footnotes, tables, diagrams and graphs).

Please be aware that exceeding the word count limit will affect the academic judgement of the piece of work and may result in the award of a lower mark.

Appendices are not considered a supplement, and thus, will not be assessed as part of the content of the assignment. As such, they will not contribute to the grade awarded; however it may be appropriate to use an Appendices section for any material which is a useful reference for the reader. Please note that appendices are not included in the word count.

The majority of references should come from primary sources (e.g., journal articles, conference papers, reports, etc.) although you can also utilise area specific textbooks. You must ensure that you use the Liverpool John Moores’ University Harvard style of referencing.

Please indicate the word count length at the end of your assignment.

Marking and assessment

This assignment will be marked out of 100%

This assignment contributes 100% of the total module marks.

Learning Outcomes assessed

• Demonstrate a critical understanding of methodologies and theoretical approaches relevant to international relations.
• Critically evaluate and identify appropriate resources in order to undertake research in international relations.
• Critically plan and implement research tasks and communicate an understanding of the research process.

Assessment Guidelines

You are required to produce this report individually.

• The report should first outline a clear research question which is valid and worth answering. You should explain in detail why you set the particular question and why it is important.
• The report should also draw out the contour of a research design which would be feasible in both theory and practice.
• You need to clearly identify the approach (qualitative vs. quantitative) and method(s) (QCA, interviewing, ethnography, archive etc.)
• you plan to deploy for solving your research question, and more importantly,
• You need to justify why your choice of methods and approach is legitimate.
• You are also required to briefly describe how you may operationalise your research design. Last but not least, you should reflect upon potential ethical issues and how you intend to address them
• Your research plan should be properly annotated.

Marking Criteria

Your work should include and cover the following sections/aspects and content (as shown and stated in the table below). The specific percentage marks allocated to each section/aspect of your work is stated below. Please also note that the Level 7 marking criteria (located towards the end of this assessment brief) will also be used to reflect this overall grade. Please remember that achievement and demonstration of both learning outcomes 1, 2 and 3 are being assessed in this assessment.

LJMU Level 7 Grading Criteria

Example of the Assignment

Demonstrate a critical understanding of methodologies and theoretical approaches relevant to international relations.

Title: The Impact of Economic Sanctions on Humanitarian Aid: A Case Study of Iran

Introduction, Aims, and Objectives (20 marks)

Research Question:
How do international economic sanctions affect the delivery of humanitarian aid in Iran?

Introduction:
Economic sanctions have long been used as a political tool to exert pressure on governments. However, there has been growing concern about the unintended consequences of these sanctions, particularly their impact on the most vulnerable populations, such as those relying on humanitarian aid. This research seeks to explore the intersection between economic sanctions and humanitarian operations, focusing on Iran, a country that has faced a range of international sanctions over the past decade. This study will critically assess how sanctions affect the flow of aid into the country and examine the broader implications for international law and human rights.

Aims:
The aim of this research is to understand the extent to which economic sanctions hinder or reshape humanitarian aid operations in Iran, identifying the key challenges faced by NGOs and international organizations in delivering aid under sanctions.

Objectives:

1. To analyze the legal framework governing international sanctions and humanitarian aid.
2. To examine the specific challenges faced by aid organizations operating in Iran.
3. To evaluate the impact of sanctions on the health, food security, and overall well-being of the Iranian population.
4. To propose potential solutions or policy adjustments that could mitigate the negative consequences of sanctions on humanitarian operations.

B. Significance of the Research (20 marks)

Relevance and Originality:
The topic of sanctions and their impact on humanitarian efforts is highly relevant, especially given the increasing use of sanctions in global diplomacy. While there is existing literature on the economic effects of sanctions, limited research addresses their humanitarian impact, particularly in relation to Iran. This study will contribute to a gap in the current body of knowledge by focusing specifically on how sanctions disrupt aid delivery and what mechanisms can be employed to mitigate such disruptions.

Theoretical Framework:
This research will be situated within the framework of constructivist international relations theory, which emphasizes the role of ideas, norms, and identity in shaping international outcomes. The study will explore how international actors frame sanctions not only as a tool for political pressure but also as a humanitarian concern. This perspective will be complemented by human security theory, which broadens the understanding of security to include economic, food, and health security, issues directly impacted by sanctions.

C. Data Analysis/Evaluation (40 marks)

Development of the Thesis:
The research will develop by analyzing both the theoretical underpinnings of sanctions and empirical data on their effects in Iran. The study will begin by reviewing relevant legal frameworks, including United Nations and European Union sanction regimes, and how these regimes explicitly exempt or restrict humanitarian aid.

• Theoretical Investigation:
  The literature review will cover the existing theories on economic sanctions, focusing on their effectiveness and ethical implications. Key works by scholars such as Gary Hufbauer and Kimberly Ann Elliott will be critically examined, alongside newer contributions that question the humanitarian consequences of sanctions.

• Empirical Investigation:
  The empirical component of this research will be conducted using a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data on aid flows to Iran before and after the imposition of sanctions will be analyzed to identify trends. This data will include reports from international bodies like the World Food Programme and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Continued...