PRM3762 Research Methodology

Instructions for answering all assignments:

1. Include a source list.

2. You must submit your own work, and may not discuss your assessment with anyone in
the time between receipt of the assignment and submission of your script.

3. Your submission must be accompanied by a plagiarism declaration. The university’s

rules in respect of plagiarism apply equally to this assignment.

4. Your answers must be printed in 12 Arial, 1.5 space.

5. Follow the instructions of each question carefully, specifically heeding any prescribed
word limits. The word limits include footnotes.

6. References should be provided in the footnote convention and according to the UNAM
-prescribed style for Law Students.

7. You will be penalised if you do not follow the above or any other instructions in this
assignment.

Makeup / Compensatory Assessment 1:

Behavioural studies of lawyers and judges, therefore, become necessary to appreciate the
realities of judicial process. Similarly, it becomes necessary to methodologically scrutinize
the materials used by them in the decision-making process and the theoretical, social and
philosophical premises used therefor. Ideally, judicial decision requires three types of
research inputs, the conceptual or ideological, the doctrinal, and the empirical. Such a study
would demystify the judicial process and thereby would build up greater legitimacy of the
judicial processes and strengthen peoples’ respect for the courts as justice institutions. If
social audit of judicial performance is desirable, legal research becomes unavoidable.

Explain and briefly discuss the following legal research concepts:

a) Doctrinal Research (12.5)

b) Research in theory (12.5)
c) Empirical investigations (12.5)
d) Reform oriented research (12.5)

Word limit (3000 words)

[50 Marks]
Makeup / Compensatory Assessment 2:

A hypothesis or a set of hypotheses may originate from a variety of sources. The source of
hypothesis, however, has an important bearing on the nature of contribution in the existing
body of knowledge.

Identify and discuss the prominent sources of hypotheses (strictly 3000 words).

[50 Marks]