Law research students often begin their Ph Ds without having an awareness of methodology or the opportunity to think about the practice of research & its theoretical implications. Law Schools are however increasingly alive to the need to provide training in research methods to their students. They are also alive to the need to develop the research capacities of their early career scholars not least for the Research Excellence Framework exercise. This book offers a structured approach to doing so focusing on issues of methodology
- ie the theoretical elements of research
- within the context of EU & international law. The book can be used alone or could form the basis of a seminar-based course or a departmental or even regional discussion group. At the core of the book are the materials produced for a series of workshops funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Councils Collaborative Doctoral Training Fund on Legal Research Methodologies in EU & international law. These materials consist of a document with readings on main & less mainstream methodological approaches (what we call modern & critical approaches & the law and approaches) to research in EU & international law & a series of questions & exercises which encourage reflection on those readings both in their own terms & in terms of different research agendas. There are also supporting materials giving guidance on practical matters such as how to give a paper or be a discussant at an academic conference. The basic aim of the book is to help scholars in EU & international law reflect on their research: where does it fit within the discipline what kinds of research questions they think interesting how do they pursue them what theoretical perspective best supports their way of thinking their project & so on. The book is aimed both at Ph D students & early career scholars in EU & international law & also at more established scholars who are interested in reflecting on the development of their discipline as well as supervising research projects.