project managing your postgrad research october 2012

Project managing your postgraduate researchCarolyne Jacobs

Wednesday 10th October 2012

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anaging your postgrad research

Introductions

Moodle PhD resources – a quick tour

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Project manage your PhD/research?

What defines a project? Why do you need to project manage

your research?

Because you are probably facing:A research deadlineProfessional and domestic commitmentsResource limitations

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anaging your postgrad researchOutline (in Project Management speak)

Scoping - overview of what you are hoping to achieve

Business case – underpinning rationale Requirements – essential elements Design – tools and techniques Resources – time, consumables, etc.

+ PM methodology and tools

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What is your project about? What do you want to achieve?

Business case Why are you doing it? How will it benefit you

professionally/personally)? Analogies (CJ’s examples – UoP

projects, own PhD and research)

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Practical (10 mins in total)

Take 5 mins each to explain your research to the person sitting next to you including:

1. What your project is about

2. What you want to achieve

3. Why you are doing it (how will it benefit you professionally/personally)

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Business Case

The overall aim is to achieve your postgrad qualification, but how does it fit into your longer term plan for the next 5 years?

Consider your 5 yr objectives for 5 mins: What are they? Are they achievable? Realistic? Are they

SMART? What will stop you achieving your objectives? What will help you achieve them?

Project managing your postgrad research

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Identifying requirements

Getting the grasp of key concepts

What is the difference between methodology and methods?

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Requirements

Getting the grasp of key concepts

What is ontology?

What is epistemology?

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Requirements

What is ontology? Your view of the world

What is epistemology?

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Requirements

What is ontology? Your view of the world

What is epistemology? How knowledge is acquired

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Requirements

Ontology View of the world

Do you think the world exists externally to human beings?

or.....

Do you think that people contribute to a constantly changing world?

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Requirements

Epistemology How do I think knowledge is acquired?

By gathering data and seeking out rules/patterns or cause/effect (positivist)?

Or interpreting and taking into account context, experience and views (interpretivist)?

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Requirements

Why is this important?

Your view of the world and how you consider knowledge is acquired impacts on your research.

Examples: Effect of volcanic activity on rocks

objectivist?? research design??

Impact of social networking on integration constructivist?? research design??

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Requirements

Does your research topic exist outside the influence of human beings?

or Do humans influence your area of research?

Will you: Gather data, seek out patterns and/or cause and

effect

or Discuss your ontological and epistemological

approach (groups of 4 for15 mins in total)

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10 minutes

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Requirements 2

After determining your approach, what next??

What distinguishes doctoral research from other research?

How do you find out if your research is unique?

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Requirements 2

Which literature resources are available for your research?

How can you find out about other sources?

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DesignHow will you undertake your research?

How will you identify literature resources? What approach will you use?

experiment? case study? ethnographic research? survey?

Who or what is the population/data source? How will you choose the sample? (How do you know it is

representative and not bias?) How will you gather the data? (interviews, online questionnaires,

Thinking time (5 mins)

Sharing your thoughts and ideas (10 mins)

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anaging your postgrad researchMilestone(completion deadline) Gaps in the literature Identifying your research questions

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We have considered: Your approach/methodology

Literature review

Research design (population, sample, tools and techniques)

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Other areas to consider

How will you analyse your data? How will you report your findings? How will you disseminate your findings?

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Resources

How much time will your research take?

How much time can you allocate?

(longer than you expect!)

(less than you expect!)

Will you need to spend any money? What resources will you need?

(Printing, postage, online s/w)

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anaging your postgrad researchReflecting on your PhD/research experiences to date

The highs and lows (30 mins in total)Individually (5 mins):

○ write down 3 of your highs and lows (use yellow sitcky notes for highs and green for lows)

Together (20 mins):○ Look for common themes ○ Sort on large sheets of paper○ Discuss and note how

to resolve the lows (small green notes)highs can be used in future research or your practice

(small orange notes)

Group discussion

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Project Management methodology

AgileFlexible system with short deadlines for

tasks, self-organisation. Include frequent meetings and visible tracking

Waterfall methodMore structured with clear project stagesPrince 2 methodology for technical projects

For your research you are likely to take the relevant elements and manage in your own way.

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Planning tools MsProject Gantter Smartsheet Excel Paper

It doesn’t really matter. It is the thinking and organising in your mind that is important….

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Practical (30 + mins)

Identify:The key stages of your projectLikely timescalesMilestones (key completion dates)

Use one of the project tools to create an outline project plan

But remember this is a working document and will change – frequently!

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Ending with…

New ideas and thoughts about how you will approach your research

Comments?

Questions?

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Thank you

Carolyne Jacobs,

Department of Curriculum and Quality Enhancement

University of Portsmouth

Carolyne.jacobs@port.ac.uk

www.port.ac.uk/victory

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SMART Specific: in both meaning and focus. Measurable: so that you know when you are achieving

progress and can declare success. Advantageous: what's in this for you? If you can see no

personal advantages, don't waste your time; you won't be seriously motivated towards success.

Realistic: make sure that you are being realistic: you can get feedback to help you do this. Setting learning targets in this way will, through experience, gradually improve your ability to manage your own self-development and learning.

Time limited: set deadlines and 'milestones', times when you will sit down and reflect on and review your progress

(Ref: www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers/1221/Setting%20objectives.html )

Go back

project managing your postgrad research october 2012

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