LLM Syllabus of Research Methods and Legal Writing
Module I: Introduction to Research
• Definition and Meaning of Research, Objectives, Motivation and Significance of Research
• Scientific Methods of Research: Characteristics of Scientific Method
• Types of Research – Theoretical vs. Empirical, Descriptive vs. Analytical, Fundamental vs. Applied, Quantitative vs. Qualitative and other types like Historical and Action Research
Module II: Understanding Legal Research
• Definition and Meaning of Legal Research – Objectives of Legal Research, Motivation for Legal Research, Significance of Legal Research
• Logic and Research
• Induction and Deduction Method in Scientific Research
Module III: Methods of Legal Research
• Doctrinal or Traditional Research Methods – Meaning of Doctrinal Research, Characteristics of Doctrinal Research, Merits and Demerits of Doctrinal Research in Law
• Non-Doctrinal or Empirical Legal Research – Meaning of Non-Doctrinal Research, Features and Characteristics of Non-Doctrinal Research, Merits and Demerits of NonDoctrinal Research in Law
• Survey Method: Census and Sample Survey
• Case Study Method
• Historical and Ethnographic Methods
Module IV: Major Steps in Legal Research
• Research Problem: Identifying and defining the Research Problem, Steps in Problem Formulation, Significance of Research Problem, Rationale of Study
• Review of Literature and Identification of Research Gaps, Significance of Review of Literature, Steps involved in Review of Literature
• Formulation of Objectives
• Hypothesis: Meaning and Importance of Hypothesis, Formulation of Hypothesis, Types of Hypothesis in Legal Research, Sources of Hypothesis, Characteristics of a Good Hypothesis
• Research Design: Meaning and Significance of Research Design, Working out a Research Design, Types of Research Design
• Data Collection in Doctrinal Research: Meaning of Data, Types of Data, Primary and Secondary Sources of Data; Data Analysis, Data Interpretation and Drawing of inferences
• Data Collection in Non-Doctrinal Research: Primary and Secondary Sources of Data, Meaning of Universe, Population and Sample, Importance of Sampling, Types of Sampling, Difference between sampling method and census method
• Methods of Data Collection in Non-Doctrinal Research: Questionnaires and Schedules, Observation, Interview, Group Discussion, Focused Group Discussion
• Analysis and Interpretation of Data in Non-Doctrinal Research
Module V: Developing a Good Research Proposal
• The Layout of a Research Proposal
• The Feasibility of the Project Proposal
Module VI: Legal Research Report Writing
• Steps in Legal Research Report Writing
• Contents of Good Legal Research Report
• Criteria for a Good Legal Research Report
• The Problem of Plagiarism
• Citation Methods: Footnotes, End Notes, References and Bibliography
• Citation Styles: MLA Handbook Format, Blue Book Citations
