researcher's learning needs
DESCRIPTION
Research Support presentation. Moira Bent. Sconul Conference 2008TRANSCRIPT
SCONUL Conference June 2008
Researchers? Who are they and what are their learning needs?
Moira Bent
Newcastle University
SCONUL Conference June 2008
What is research? Researchers said ..
Research is Theory-led; Data-led; Scholarship Grounded in disciplines; multi / inter /
trans disciplinary Investigation; interpretation; gathering
evidence A holistic activity; a set of transferable
skills Collaborative / solo activity Related to self Validated by peer group Made meaningful by an external
audience
SCONUL Conference June 2008
What are researchers? Researchers said..
Researchers are: Usually recognised within organization and… people who find out new things, reflect and take action at different levels and career stages working in different disciplines obliged to share what they find – to put knowledge into the
public domain ready to be challenged making connections passionate ambitious
SCONUL Conference June 2008
The seven ages of research
Masters students Doctoral students Contract researchers Early career researchers Established academic staff Senior researchers Experts
New Review of Information Networking (2007) 13 (2) : 81-99
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SCONUL Conference June 2008
Early
Apprenticeship - influenced by supervisors / tutors / mentors
Skills and competences are defined (also funded and monitored)
Different levels of control Transition from structured learning to self-organization Interaction between personal life / prior experiences Managing different roles e.g. other jobs, developing
teaching skills Information consumer, objective is production
SCONUL Conference June 2008
Early
I consider myself to be at the start of my research career, although I have been doing research for about 4 years. [Recent PhD graduate, South Africa]
I don’t think I was a good researcher for my PhD. You need to have a mentor to show you the ropes and the pitfalls. You can train for some things. The best is to work alongside someone successful and learn from them. [Dean of Research, UK]
I reckon I spent nearly all my first year reading journal articles. [Computing Sciences Final year PhD]
SCONUL Conference June 2008
Mid
Moving field / moving role / learning a different landscape Balancing teaching and research support / info guiding work management in different
circumstances situating yourself / making your name / establishing
credentials locally (e.g. in department) wider research community
Need to be adaptable / avoiding isolation Starting to supervise other researchers Starting role in management / administration Information production and consumption Shift from systematic to pragmatic information retrieval
SCONUL Conference June 2008
Mid
I hardly ever use databases, probably because I’m not usually starting from a position of knowing nothing. I tend to start with a few key papers and then follow up their references. [Senior lecturer in Biology]
I used to be focused in my approach to finding mainstream resources, now I’m less so, more explorative. I guess looking for inspiration for my more mainstream ideas. [Senior Research Fellow in creative technologies] p.158
SCONUL Conference June 2008
Late / Senior
• Developing into/ having a significant role in research leadership and administration
• Leading research teams / research centres / research projects / mainstream management
• Supervising and examining theses• Teaching research methods• Plenary conference speaker• Editorial board of journals etc.• Refereeing / peer reviewer / specialist assessor• Disseminating research practice or defining their field
• Different IL skillsets for range of activities
SCONUL Conference June 2008
Late
I have 5 years to retirement but research is becoming more important in my career. I still have one, even though retirement is looming [South African researcher]
If I couldn’t find it myself on the Internet, then I’d ask my students first, my RAs, then I’d come to the library. The RAs live and die finding info. [Professor of Industrial Statistics, UK]
These days all my papers are invited plenaries and similar tertiary reviews. [Retired Professor of Chemistry, UK]
As a researcher, the difference is that I know how to do research and I am connected into all the networks. [Dean of Research, Humanities, UK]
SCONUL Conference June 2008
What are researchers’ learning needs? Librarians said…
Research methodology - how to do it
Updating skills for older/ experienced researchers
Awareness of needing to know
Understanding scholarly communication issues
Effective use of sources, inc people
Supervisors & librarians - skills assessment
Access to resources Separate study spaces
SCONUL Conference June 2008
Researchers said..The Library is good for my research
because… Access - hours/ open access Electronic resources Time saving Friendly professionals / advice
Speed of service Research library atmosphere/‘Wow’ factor Escape from phone/ colleagues Browsing/ serendipity Library as university “icon” – to be proud of
SCONUL Conference June 2008
Researchers saidI have concerns about
No full text access Missing / unavailable material English as language of scholarship Access issues Noisy study spaces Management of data REF, measuring my impact Repositories, keeping track of my publications
accurately, organising information Time wasting, quantity of information “E” limits research to what is easy
SCONUL Conference June 2008
How is research changing?Researchers said…
More accountability / Fewer blue sky opportunities
More targeted outcomes More collaboration (UK, overseas, across
different types of organisation) Multidisciplinary research areas Data archives – data mining, data storage E science / grid Repositories / Open access mandates Harder to know all that is happening,
especially in China, India etc
SCONUL Conference June 2008
What I like to do most of all is spend all day in the library and
then go home for tea
Bill Bryson (Centre for Life 2001)