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RESEARCH SKILLS MASTER PROGRAMME:‘TRANSFERABLE SKILLS’ PORTFOLIO

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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION TO THE RESEARCH SKILLS MASTER PROGRAMME: ‘TRANSFERABLE SKILLS’ PORTFOLIO 3

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IN THE RESEARCH CONTEXT 6

GETTING PUBLISHED IN THE ARTS 24

GETTING PUBLISHED IN THE SCIENCES 43

MANAGING YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT 59

CAREER PLANNING IN THE ARTS, HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES 92

CAREER PLANNING IN THE SCIENCES 106

WORKING WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR 120

SELECTING A CONFERENCE, PRESENTING AND NETWORKING 130


INTRODUCTION TO THE ‘TRANSFERABLE SKILLS’ PORTFOLIO


RESEARCH SKILLS MASTER PROGRAMME: Introduction to the ‘Transferable skills’ portfolio

What is the ‘Transferable skills’ portfolio?Welcome to the ‘Transferable skills’ portfolio. This document accompanies the eight ‘Transferable skills’ courses in the Research Skills Master programme.

What is the ‘Transferable skills’ portfolio?

This portfolio is intended to supplement and enhance your learning as you progress through the Research Skills programme in the following ways:

The portfolio draws together all of the documents and supplementary materials available to download throughout the main course, so that they are easily accessible from a single location.

Throughout the main course, you will be invited to undertake various reflective and supplementary activities (called ‘Portfolio activities’). These are accompanied by the portfolio icon, above. The portfolio provides a space for you to record your thoughts for each of these activities. You may like to return to these notes and extend or refine them as you progress through the programme.

Your portfolio should continue to prove an invaluable tool once you have completed the Research Skills programme, with summary sheets, templates, and your own notes and reflections providing a useful reference manual for the duration of your research career.


RESEARCH SKILLS MASTER PROGRAMME: Introduction to the ‘Transferable skills’ portfolio

Your ‘Transferable skills’ portfolio: How to use this documentHow do I use my portfolio?

Save a copy of this document on your computer. Keep the portfolio open as you work through the Research Skills programme.Each time you undertake a ‘Portfolio activity’, or are asked to keep a note of the results of an in-course activity, you will find a corresponding page in this document for you to complete. (See ‘How do I navigate my portfolio?’ below for more details.)Refer to, or complete, each portfolio document as instructed in the corresponding section of the main course.

How do I navigate my portfolio?

To navigate your portfolio easily, ensure that you have the ‘Document Map’ or ‘Navigation Pane’ feature in Microsoft Word enabled. To do this, go to ‘View’ and tick ‘Document Map’.On the left-hand side of your screen you will see each of the three ’Entrepreneurship’ courses listed, followed by its accompanying portfolio documents, in order of appearance in the programme.The titles in the ‘Document Map’ correspond with the course screen titles to enable you to easily locate the desired document. The course and module are also displayed at the top of each portfolio document for ease of use.Click on a course title or a document name to jump to that section of the portfolio. Where a section in the main course has more than one portfolio document associated with it, the documents are numbered in brackets in order of appearance in the corresponding section of the main course.


INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IN THE RESEARCH CONTEXT


IP IN THE RESEARCH CONTEXT: Orientation

Learning outcomes

Before you begin this course, take a moment to reflect on the learning outcomes presented in this section, and your current awareness and understanding of IP, particularly in relation to academic research.

How confident are you in your knowledge of intellectual property rights?Are you aware of current debates on, and attitudes towards, IP in relation to research and knowledge?How aware are you of how IPRs might relate to your own research?What would you like to learn or improve as a result of taking this course?

You may wish to make a note of your thoughts in the space below.


IP IN THE RESEARCH CONTEXT: An introduction to IP

What is IP in the research context? (1)Sui generis intellectual property rights

Apart from the main types of IP discussed in this course, there are a number of other types of IP. The most important of these are what are known as sui generis – designed to protect matter which cannot be covered by any of the main types of IP due to unique characteristics. Examples include the following:

Plant breeders’ rightsThese are granted to breeders for new, distinct, uniform, and stable plant varieties. Apart from national legislation, the International Convention for the protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) was adopted in 1961 and came into force in 1968. See www.upov.org for more information.

Database protectionIn most countries, databases qualify for IP protection through copyright. However, this is limited. Under the EU sui generis system, the database creators have the right to prevent extraction of the contents of the database for a period of 15 years, although this can be increased when substantial changes are made (e.g. more data is added). The EC Directive 96/9/EC on the legal protection of databases has been implemented in the UK under the Copyright and Rights in Databases Regulations 1997. The types of databases intended to be covered by the directive are:

‘a collection of independent works, data or other materials arranged in a systematic or methodical way and individually accessible by electronic or other means.'

The protection of a database therefore has two elements: first, databases can be protected by copyright; and second, where copyright protection is not available by a specific database right.

Biotechnology inventionsPatent protection is available for inventions involving biological material in many countries. However, because of the difficulties involved in patenting biological material, which can include living matter, and the different approaches taken by many European countries, Directive 98/44/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 1998 on the legal protection of biotechnological inventions was passed in 1998. It provides for the patenting of biological material, which meets the standards of a patentable invention – in fact the standards are a little higher than for other patentable inventions.


http://www.upov.org/


What is IP in the research context? (2)Thinking about IP in your researchThink about your research.

What have you authored or invented?Which intellectual property rights (IPRs) might be appropriate to the work that you do? Remember, these rights are not always mutually exclusive.

As you progress through this course, we will look in more detail at the major types of IP and you will have the opportunity to reflect further on the IPRs which apply to your research.

Estimated duration: 45 minutes

Write your notes below:



Attitudes to IP in the research context (1)The effect of IP in academia

Read the following extracts taken from the Royal Society report, ‘Keeping science open: The effect of intellectual property policy on the conduct of science’. The report aimed to appraise the impact of IP in public sector areas such as education.

IP policy should be formulated to minimise any negative effects on education and the scientific endeavour whether in industry, PSREs or universities. We recommend that organisations involved in research assess the extent to which attention to IP directly or indirectly inhibits the free flow of information internally and externally.Academe should encourage an environment where IP is exploited appropriately and benefits are shared equitably, rather than focusing on who owns the IPRs. Appropriate ownership may depend on the form of IPR, the conditions and location under which it was generated, and the optimal method of exploitation.The encouragement and funding of research in universities and PSREs should depend on quality rather than on its potential to generate IPRs.

http://royalsociety.org/policy/publications/2003/keeping-science-open

Do you agree with the recommendations in the extract?How do you think the recommendations could be implemented?




http://royalsociety.org/policy/publications/2003/keeping-science-open


Attitudes to IP in the research context (2)IP in relation to your work

Consider your own attitude towards and awareness of IP. Complete the table below to record your thoughts.


Do you understand the basic rights described by the experts in the activity in the corresponding section of the main course? Do you understand how they relate to your research?

Do you know who owns the intellectual property for any outputs you produce as a result of your research?

Are you interested in protecting and/or exploiting the IPRs for your work? Why/why not?

Has the information presented in this section encouraged you to think more seriously and/or more favourably about IP in relation to your research?


IP IN THE RESEARCH CONTEXT: Patents

Alternatives to patentsPatents in relation to your work

Consider your work in the light of the information in this module of the main course.

Would any elements of your work be eligible for a patent application?Have you collaborated with others on your project?Have you used patented materials or processes for your own project?Have you kept/are you keeping a log book to help prove that you are the originator of the work?Have you made an appointment with your technology transfer department to discuss your potential patent application? (Don’t discuss your application with anyone else until you have visited your TTO – this may invalidate your patent).What would be your main motivation for patenting your work (e.g. making money, encouraging innovation, etc.)?

You might wish to record your thoughts in the table below.



Notes

Would any elements of your work be eligible for a patent application?

Have you collaborated with others on your project?

Have you used patented materials or processes for your own project?

Have you kept/are you keeping a log book to help prove that you are the originator of the work?

Have you made an appointment with your technology transfer department to discuss your potential patent application?

What would be your main motivation for patenting your work (e.g. making money, encouraging innovation, etc.?)


IP IN THE RESEARCH CONTEXT: Trade marks

Registering trade marksPatents vs. trade marks

“My patents cause me aggravation. My trade marks sit quietly earning me royalties” (Mandy Haberman, inventor of the anywayupcup®).

What do you think Mandy Haberman means by this comment?

Consider the lifespan of trade marks in comparison with patentsConsider the potential for trade marks to be applied to new ventures: how does this compare with patents?Consider competitors’ attitudes to trade marks and patents: which are they more likely to challenge?

If you are considering commercialising an aspect of your research, do you think a trade mark might be more effective than a patent in protecting and exploiting your IP? You may wish to discuss this with an expert at your institution’s TTO.



Notes from discussion at TTO:

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IP IN THE RESEARCH CONTEXT: Copyright

Copyright protection and infringementCopyright in relation to your workConsider all the different written or visual outputs of your work as a researcher, for example, journal publications, books, compositions, software, etc.

Which of these outputs are covered by copyright?

For each output, investigate who owns the copyright to the work.

Have you taken steps to assert and protect the copyright on your work, to prevent others from unfairly copying, plagiarising or exploiting it? If not, what could you do?



Written or visual outputs Covered by copyright? Who owns the copyright to the work?

How will you assert and protect your copyright?


IP IN THE RESEARCH CONTEXT: Design rights

Comparing design rights with other types of IPDesign rights in relation to your workConsider your own research.

Could any elements of it be protected or exploited via a design right?Which design right would be most appropriate?Think back to the comparison of design rights, copyright and trade marks in this section. Would copyright or

a trade mark be an effective supplement or alternative to a design right in the case of your research?


Elements of my research which could be protected or exploited by a design right

Which design right would be most appropriate? Why?

Would copyright or a trade mark be an effective supplement or alternative to a design right in the case of your research? Why?


IP IN THE RESEARCH CONTEXT: Confidentiality, ownership and exploitation

Introduction to confidentialityMaintaining confidentiality in your researchConsider your own research in the light of the information in this section on confidentiality in the main course.

If aspects of it could be misused or exploited by others, what steps have you taken/can you take to ensure that it remains confidential or that your IPRs are not invalidated?

Complete the checklist below taken from the University of Manchester’s ‘Confidentiality Guide’ (www.praxisunico.org.uk/uploads/IP and Confidentiality Guide Aug10.pdf) which will help you to determine what details of your research should remain confidential and how to keep them that way.


Confidentiality checklist

With whom am I meeting or speaking?

Are they members of my team, my research organisation or employed by my employer?

What information am I disclosing?

Is this information sensitive or otherwise valuable – could it be misused by the recipient?

Is this information potentially patentable or registrable as a design?

Am I or is my employer under any obligation of confidentiality not to disclose this information?


http://www.praxisunico.org.uk/uploads/IP%20and%20Confidentiality%20Guide%20Aug10.pdf

Have I asked the other person to sign a CDA?

Have I marked any of the information as ‘Confidential’?

Have I taken notes of the meeting/conversation from which it can be seen what I have discussed and what has been said?

Source: This checklist is part of ‘Intellectual Property & Confidentiality: A Researcher’s Guide’, originally commissioned and created by Mr Clive Rowland, CEO, The University of Manchester I3 Limited and Ms Janet

Knowles, Partner, Eversheds LLP. © The University of Manchester I3 Limited and Eversheds LLP [2004-2010]. All rights reserved.

Reproduced with kind permission of The University of Manchester I3 Limited and Eversheds LLP.


IP IN THE RESEARCH CONTEXT: Confidentiality, ownership and exploitation

Introduction to ownershipOwnership in relation to your researchConsider all the elements of your research which might be protected by one or more types of intellectual property right (look back at the previous portfolio activities you have completed: ‘Thinking about IP in your research’, ’Patents in relation to your work’, ‘Copyright in relation to your work’, and ‘Design rights in relation to your work’.)

Who might own the IP for the different elements of your research? Discuss any queries you have regarding the ownership of the IPRs for your research with your supervisor and your technology transfer office.


Elements of your research which might be protected by one or more types of intellectual property right

Who might own the IP for the different elements of your research?

Do you receive funding for your research, and who from?

Have you used your institution’s property or resources?

Are there any conditions in your terms of acceptance as a student or your employment contract?


Write your notes from your discussion with your supervisor below:

Write your notes from your discussion with your technology transfer office below:


IP IN THE RESEARCH CONTEXT: Scenario

Scenario: Part 3An IP strategyIn his conversation with David and Akiko, the professor outlines a useful summary of the strategy that researchers should bear in mind when considering IP in relation to their research.

If you have undertaken the portfolio activities throughout this course, you should have already addressed many of these steps. Take a moment now to reflect on the points below. Are there any steps you haven’t taken?


Further action required?

Recognise the need for intellectual property

Identify the aspects that need protection

Know what can and cannot be protected

Identify the intellectual property rights you may be able to enjoy

Determine what it is you may own

Know what your goals are, and whether you have the intellectual property to exploit them

Recognise and avoid infringing other people’s intellectual property

Identify the means by which you can exploit your intellectual property

Keep your intellectual property up to date


IP IN THE RESEARCH CONTEXT: Scenario

The professor advises David and Akiko to keep their intellectual property up to date. How will you maintain any forms of IP relating to your research? You may wish to discuss this with an expert at your TTO.

Make a note of the outcomes of your discussion below:


IP IN THE RESEARCH CONTEXT: Learning assessment

Course summary/Learning evaluation1

Take a moment to consider the reflective piece you wrote before undertaking this course.

Think about the questions you answered and the goals you outlined at the start of the course. To what extent do you feel you have met the course learning outcomes, and your own learning needs? Do you feel you have developed your awareness and understanding of intellectual property in the research context? Do you feel better able to apply your knowledge to your own research?


1 This reflective activity will appear on either the ‘Course summary’ screen in the Closing section OR the ‘Learning evaluation’ screen in the Learning assessment section, depending on how your institution has chosen to implement the Research Skills programme.


GETTING PUBLISHED IN THE ARTS


GETTING PUBLISHED IN THE ARTS: Orientation

Learning outcomes

Before you begin this course, take a moment to reflect on the learning outcomes presented in this section, and your current awareness and understanding of the process of publishing your research.

Have you thought about why you might need a publication strategy, and how to go about developing one?How much do you know about the different kinds of publication available to researchers in the arts and humanities?Would you feel confident in selecting the right journal or book publisher for your work?What would you like to learn or improve as a result of taking this course?



GETTING PUBLISHED IN THE ARTS: The publishing landscape

A publishing strategyDeveloping a realistic publication planThink about your own publication strategy. For each of the main types of academic publication mentioned in this section of the main course, think about:

Possible topics you might develop from your research that would be suitable for that type of publication How long you think it might take to prepare the publication Any action(s) you need to take to begin preparing for publication Any factors you think might influence the development of the publication.



Possible topics to develop from research Preparation needed Approximate time

frame Influencing factors Other comments

Conference proceeding

Article in journal

Monograph


GETTING PUBLISHED IN THE ARTS: Academic journals: An overview

The open access movementYour views on open accessThe open access movement has proved to be highly controversial.

Find out about the open access debate: there are numerous articles on The Guardian and Times Higher Education websites, in addition to other web sources.


What are the perceived benefits and disadvantages of open access journals?

Benefits:

Disadvantages:

Who stands to gain and lose from open access to research publications?

Do you think that the open access movement is a positive or negative development?



Choosing a subjectPlanning an academic journal articleThink back to the publication strategy you developed in the portfolio activity, ‘Developing a realistic publication plan’, in the previous module, or take a moment now to identify a subject from your own research which might be suitable for a journal article.

Use the table below to help you to evaluate the topic’s suitability for a journal article, and a strategy for preparing and writing your article.


Identify a subject from your own research which might be suitable for a journal article

Summarise what is good about the topic

Can you make a convincing argument within the average word limit for a journal article?

Identify what further research you would need to do

How long might it take you to write the article?

How would writing this article fit in with your overall research timetable?



Targeting a journalSelecting a suitable journal for your articleThink about the journals you would like to target to publish your paper. The following pointers may help you to create a shortlist of journals to approach.


Can you identify some journals that broadly address your disciplinary field?

Can you find some examples of more specialised and focused journals suitable for the subject of your paper?

Are any of these among the ‘top’ journals in your field? How do you know they are the best ones?

Are there any less prestigious journals which would be just as, or more, suitable for your paper?


GETTING PUBLISHED IN THE ARTS: Writing an academic journal article

Writing titlesPlanning the title of your articleThink about the title for your journal article.

Look through existing articles in the journal(s) you are thinking about targeting – what is the style of their titles?What key words will you need to use to ensure that your paper can be located via an internet search or in a library catalogue?What words could you use to convey your aims, approach and the originality of your piece?

You may wish to record your thoughts in the spaces provided below.


Name of journal Style of journal titles



Keywords for your article:

Words to convey your aims, approach and originality:



Structure and writing styleAnalysing your own writing

Find the introduction to an article in your field, and look at the writing style. Does it avoid the pitfalls identified in this section? For example, is the language concise? Is the meaning clear? Does it have an authoritative tone, and how is it conveyed?

Now look at an example of your own writing, and ask the same questions. Are there things you need to improve? How will you do this?

You may wish to record your thoughts in the table below.


Paste the introduction to an article in your field below:

Paste the introduction from your own writing below:

What can be improved?


Does it avoid the pitfalls identified in this section of the main course?

Is the meaning clear?

Does it have an authoritative tone?

How is it conveyed?

Could it be improved? If so, how?

Journal article introduction

Your article introduction


GETTING PUBLISHED IN THE ARTS: Submitting a journal article

Dealing with referee reportsGetting used to peer reviewPractise receiving, and acting on, constructive criticism of your academic writing.

Prepare a short mock submission, thinking about the validity and originality of your subject, in addition to the structure and writing style of the article. Make sure your article is well presented and clear. Specify which journal you would submit the article to if it were a real submission.

Ask some of your fellow students to do the same, and arrange to act as one another's peer reviewers. Be critical of their submission, and expect them to be equally critical of yours. Distribute copies of the ‘Peer review feedback form’ below to record each other’s comments.

Review your peers' comments and think about how you could improve the article. Use the space provided below to make a note of your thoughts. You can use your peers' feedback and your notes to help improve future, real submissions to journals.



Peer review feedback form

Please use the following template to record your comments on your peer’s mock article submission. This is meant to guide your feedback, but you should feel free to comment on any other aspects of the article you think would be appropriate.

Target journal

Overall comments

Was the overall subject of the article original?Was the article well researched (was there evidence of a thorough literature review?)Was the argument well developed and thought provoking?Did the subject of the article seem appropriate for the target journal?

Structure

Was the title of the article intriguing?Did the title make the aim, scope and approach of the article obvious?Did the introduction clearly outline the aims, methodology and structure of the article?Did the conclusion address the article’s aims and findings?Did the conclusion provoke further thought/questions?

Writing style

Was the writing clear and concise?Was the language accessible?Was the style of the article appropriate for the journal’s audience?


Other comments

Your thoughts on your ‘review’ comments

Consider the comments you have received from your peers. Make a note of the ways you could improve the article that was reviewed. What aspects of the feedback could you apply to future articles?

Make a note of your thoughts here:


GETTING PUBLISHED IN THE ARTS: Publishing books

Publishing an academic book: An introductionThe importance of monographsMonographs remain the ‘gold standard’ of academic achievement in the arts and humanities.

What is the academic value of monographs that makes them so important?What skills and qualities does an author demonstrate by producing a monograph?





Targeting a book publisher (1)Selecting academic book publishersWho are the leading book publishers in your field?

Talk to your supervisor or your peers for their recommendations, or investigate the publishers of existing books in your research field. Are there any specific series dedicated to your area of research?

You may wish to record your notes in the table below.


Leading book publishers in your field

Publishers of existing books in your research field

Specific series dedicated to your area of research

Supervisor’s recommendations

Peer’s recommendations

Your own findings



Targeting a book publisher (2)Approaching a book publisherIn the main activity in the corresponding section of the main course, which methods of contact between an author and an academic book publisher did you identify as most appropriate for your content?

Based on your choices in that activity, draw up a plan of action for preparing to make contact with potential publishers for your book. You might like to use the table below, which has a few ideas to start you off. You can use the table on the next page to keep a record of publishers’ contact details and the results of your approach.


Done? (Y/N) Notes

Find out when the next conference in my research area will be held

Organise a meeting with a peer who has had a book published in my research area


Make a list of potential publishers and their contact details. Keep a note of those you have contacted and any feedback you have received.

Publisher name Contact details Contacted? (Y/N) Any feedback



The book proposalPreparing for submission to a publisherThink about the publishers you identified in the portfolio activity, ‘Approaching a book publisher’, in the previous section of the main course.

Choose any one of these publishers and find their guidelines for authors, then consider the following questions:

What do they ask authors to send in?What would you have to do to be ready to make a submission to this publisher? (Bear in mind the advice given in this section.)How long do you think it would take you to do this?


Paste the publisher author guidelines below:

What do they ask authors to send in?

What would you have to do to be ready to make a submission to this publisher?

How long do you think it would take you to do this?


GETTING PUBLISHED IN THE ARTS: Learning assessment



Think about the questions you answered and the goals you outlined at the start of the course. To what extent do you feel you have met the course learning outcomes, and your own learning needs? Do you feel better able to apply your knowledge to your own research?




GETTING PUBLISHED IN THE SCIENCES


GETTING PUBLISHED IN THE SCIENCES: Orientation

Learning outcomes

Before you begin this course, take a moment to reflect on the learning outcomes presented in this section, and your current awareness and understanding of the process of publishing your research.

How much do you know about the different kinds of publication available to researchers in the sciences?How much do you know about the processes involved in getting your work published?Have you thought about why you might need a publication strategy, and how to go about developing one?Would you feel confident in selecting the right academic journal for your work?What would you like to learn or improve as a result of taking this course?



GETTING PUBLISHED IN THE SCIENCES: The publishing landscape

Why publish?Considering your motivation

Reflect on the reasons why you would like to publish your research. What will motivate your scientific writing?





A publishing strategyDeveloping a realistic publication plan

Think about your own publication strategy. For each of the main types of academic publication mentioned in this section of the main course, think about: Possible topics you might develop from your research that would be suitable for that type of publication Any action(s) you need to take to begin preparing for publication How long you think it might take to prepare the publication Any factors you think might influence the development of the publication.You may wish to record your thoughts in the table below.


Possible topics to develop from research

Preparation needed Approximate time frame Influencing factors Other comments

Conference proceeding

‘Methods’ paper

Original journal article



Scientific journals: An overviewThe open access movement

1. Do some further research on the impact of the open access debate: there are numerous articles on The Guardian and Times Higher Education websites, in addition to other web sources. Do you think that the open access movement is a positive or negative development?

2. Think about three influential journals in your research area. Visit their websites, and for each journal try to find out:

Whether it is an open access journalWho owns and/or runs the journalsWho is on the editorial board.

You may wish to use the space and the table below to record your notes.


Your responses:


Journal title Is it an open access journal? Who owns and/or runs the journal? Who is on the editorial board?



Journal selection (1)Altmetrics: Your thoughts

Find out more about altmetrics using the following link: http://altmetrics.org/manifesto

Do you think altmetrics are a good idea?Will scientific rigour be maintained?

Record your thoughts in the space below.



http://altmetrics.org/manifesto


Journal selection (2)Identifying a suitable journal for your paper

Develop a shortlist of the most suitable journals for the publication of your scientific paper.

Check whether you are required to publish in an open access journal, and any other criteria imposed by your institution or funding bodyWith these criteria in mind, use the tips in this section of the main course to identify journals specialising in your area of researchEvaluate the reputations of the journals you have foundDiscuss your shortlist with your research supervisor(s).

You may wish to record your thoughts in the space below.


Journal Suitability Reputation Discussion notes


GETTING PUBLISHED IN THE SCIENCES: Getting ready to publish

The format of a scientific paperDeconstructing a journal paper

Practise the ideas from the activity on deconstructing a journal paper in the corresponding section of the main course.

Using the shortlist of journals you developed in the previous portfolio activity, ‘Identifying a suitable journal for your paper’, analyse a selection of papers similar to the article you would like to publish.

Make a note of:

The number of authors of the paperThe style of the titleThe structure of the paperThe quantity and style of the references.

You may wish to record your notes in the table below.


Journal title Number of authors on the paper Style of the title Structure of the paper Quantity and style of

references



Organising and writing your paper (1)Approaching your scientific paper

Talk to your supervisor and your peers about the order in which they approach their scientific papers.

What ideas or tips do they have which might help you tackle your paper?





Organising and writing your paper (2)Focusing your research message

Try to write the key message from your research in a single, short sentence. This will help to focus your thoughts and your writing.




GETTING PUBLISHED IN THE SCIENCES: The editorial process

What happens to my paper now? (1)The peer review system

There is some debate as to the effectiveness of the peer review system. Some academics believe it to be integral to maintaining the quality of published research; others perceive it as outdated.

What do you think? Do some research on the peer review debate (for example, try searching for articles on The Guardian or Times Higher Education websites).



Source Arguments in favour of peer review Arguments against peer review

Your thoughts on the peer review system:


GETTING PUBLISHED IN THE SCIENCES: The editorial process

What happens to my paper now? (2)Getting used to peer reviewPractise receiving, and acting on, constructive criticism of your academic writing.

Prepare a short mock submission, thinking about the validity and originality of the data on which the paper is based, in addition to the structure and writing style of the paper. Make sure your paper is well presented and clear. Specify which journal you would submit the paper to if it were a real submission.

Ask some of your fellow students to do the same, and arrange to act as one another's peer reviewers. Be critical of their submission, and expect them to be equally critical of yours. Distribute copies of the ‘Peer review feedback form’ below to record each other’s comments.

Review your peers' comments and think about how you could improve the article. Use the space provided below to make a note of your thoughts. You can use your peers' feedback and your notes to help improve future, real submissions to journals.



Peer review feedback form

Please use the following template to record your comments on your peer’s mock paper submission. This is meant to guide your feedback, but you should feel free to comment on any other aspects of the paper you think would be appropriate.

Target journal

Overall comments

Do you feel that the data on which this paper is based is real, repeatable and original?Do you think the experimental design used to collect data for this paper was effective?Does the paper clearly set out the data used to support its argument?Do you think the paper is well written and well researched? Does it explain what the author did, how they did it, why they did it, and the implications of their findings (the ‘so what?’)?Does the subject of the paper seem appropriate for the target journal?Is the paper well structured and well presented, with figures clearly labelled and clear/comprehensive references?

Introductory sections

Is the title of the article punchy and informative?Is the abstract concise and informative? Does it summarise the findings of the paper effectively?Does the introduction sufficiently explain why the author chose their particular research question, and the methodology they used to answer it? Does it provide enough background information on the research topic?


Methods and results sections

Are procedures explained sufficiently clearly to enable others to repeat them?Are results presented clearly and accessibly, using tables, graphs and other clearly-labelled figures where appropriate?Do you feel the author has interpreted his/her results realistically?Has the author made an attempt to explain any anomalies?Did the ‘discussion’ section answer the question, ‘So what?’ and does it adequately conclude, and put the paper’s research into context?

Discussion/conclusion

Does the closing section of the paper effectively summarise and evaluate the author’s findings?Does the author effectively explain the implications of their findings?Does the author set these implications within the context of other research in this field?Does the author suggest other potential lines of enquiry which might help to develop their findings?

Other comments

Your thoughts on your review comments:

Consider the comments you have received from your peers. Make a note of the ways you could improve the paper that was reviewed. What aspects of the feedback could you apply to future papers?


GETTING PUBLISHED IN THE SCIENCES: Learning assessment







MANAGING YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT


MANAGING YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT: Orientation

Learning outcomes

Before you begin this course, take a moment to reflect on the learning outcomes presented in this section, and your current awareness of, and attitude towards, the idea of project management in the research context.

How familiar are you with basic project management techniques and terminology?Do you think they will help you to manage your PhD or other research project?Are you aware of all the different stages in your project?What would you like to learn or improve as a result of taking this course?



MANAGING YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT: Introduction to managing your research project

What and why? (1)Potential difficulties in your research projectThink about your strengths and weaknesses as a researcher. Are there any particular aspects of managing your research project that you think you might struggle with?

Draw on your previous experience – what difficulties have you experienced in your undergraduate and masters’ degrees?Have the example students in this section mentioned any difficult tasks or responsibilities which might apply to your own context?

Write your notes in the space below. Refer to your notes as you complete this course to help you to focus on the project management approaches most beneficial to you and your research project.




What and why? (2)The difference between small and large projects

In a large project, no one person has the technical expertise (or the time) to oversee every detail: it becomes absolutely vital to have a clearly defined set of goals, project roles, and decision-making strategies from the outset, so people can trust each other to get on with their work. This type of planning and teamwork is exactly what traditional ‘project management’ strategies address.

A successful project manager will be able to keep an eye on timelines, and budgets, and will make sure meetings run smoothly – but the real secret is in maintaining clear and open communication across the project.

From a management perspective, the main difference between a small project and a large one is people. Getting a team of individuals to pull in the same direction, so all aspects of the work can come together in the right ways at the right time, is nearly always the major challenge. If people are working at different sites, communication is not easy and it’s hard to build a team spirit (just imagine: how many times have you sent an email which the recipient ignored or took entirely the wrong way?).

This can be even more complicated when the work is interdisciplinary, because people may be using basic terminology differently without realising it, or may have unrealistic assumptions about other disciplines. The project planning, execution and assessment steps in this course can help establish a clear framework for a larger project to maintain forward momentum.



The project triangleTime, cost and scope in your projectUsing a triangle like the diagram in this section of the main course, or just a three-column table, think about all the time, cost and scope restrictions that might affect your research project.

How do they interact with each other?Are any of them likely to change throughout the project, and what impact will this have?Based on your answers to the first two questions, what might you need to plan or organise early on in your project?

You may wish to record your thoughts in the table or space below.


Time Cost Scope

Your notes:



The lifecycle of a research projectProject management jargonThese are ‘management’ words you’re likely to come across, particularly if you start writing grants, or writing reports for departmental authorities. There is no need to splash this jargon around, but you should at least be familiar with the vocabulary.

Term Definition ExampleTranslation/translational impact/translational potential

The relevance of your work to other fields, and your ability to “translate” from one field to another

Research on mice which may be applicable to humans

Synergy The cooperation or interaction of different elements, to create an effect not obtainable with any one element in isolation

Interdisciplinary research combining archaeology with manuscript analysis and computer models to give a fuller picture of life in an ancient building

Work Package A sub-section of a project which can be assigned to a specific group or individual

The collection and pH testing of water samples, in a project to analyse a pond ecosystem

Critical Path The minimum sequence of activities necessary to accomplish your project (without which the project will fail)

In making a ham sandwich: obtaining sliced bread and sliced ham, and putting the ham between slices of bread

Impact A slightly nebulous concept, with definitions varying by context: some a combination of popularity and prestige, also taking into account the number of citations of scientific communications

The eventual influence of a person’s research, usually within their field but occasionally beyond it

Critical Success Factor An element that is necessary for your project to achieve its mission

In an archive-based research project: access to the archive and ability to locate the materials

Dependency a link between a project's elements or sub-projects, with a logical or a sequential implication (if X, then Y)

In building a house, the relationship between laying the foundation and beginning to build the walls

Intellectual Property (Rights) A legal concept that enables the intangible creations of one’s mind to be treated as ‘property’, giving the owner rights to develop or trade in it

The copyright on a publication or a patent on an invention


MANAGING YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT: People, roles and responsibilities

Project stakeholdersAnticipating the involvement of stakeholders in your projectMake a list of all the stakeholders who might be involved in your project.

Think through the different stages of a project, which were outlined in the previous module of the course, ‘Introduction to managing your research project’Which people, groups or organisations might be involved at each stage of your project? (You may have stakeholders not listed in our example – make sure your list is correct for your project)Do they have an interest in, or influence over, your project?

Use the table below to record your ideas.


Stage of project People, groups or organisations involved

Interest in/influence over your project?



Key project rolesMotivating project members: The ‘Three Es’The project manager generally does not enjoy the motivational advantage of the project leader. A cynical interpretation would be: ‘all of the responsibility, none of the power.’ But a project manager’s role is more nuanced than that, and there are ways in which project managers can lead and motivate their team(s) to achieve project success.

Sharon Lloyd, of the University of Oxford, uses the concept of the ‘Three Es’ when discussing this. A project manager can lead by:

Engagement: Being involved and interested in the project’s successEnthusiasm: Energetically pursuing the project’s goals, and being seen to do soEmbarrassment: Politely, but publicly, exposing others’ failure to do their part.

Examples of effective 'embarrassment' techniques might include:Circulating a progress update to all members of the project, with a conspicuous blank next to the under-performing person's nameAsking to give a verbal update on their progress at a project meeting (this could be a formal meeting, or just during a joint coffee break with your supervisor)Setting up a recurring progress update meeting for them to talk to their supervisor (usually it's best if you get the supervisor to directly request this, rather than telling the under-performer to report to their boss).

To the ‘Three Es’, you might wish to add:

The nuclear option: Complain to the project leader or their supervisor. This could entail the threat of reducing non-performing person’s access to resources, or removing him or her from the project team. This should be an absolute last resort… but it does exist, should you need it.

An inexperienced project manager might resort to complaining to their project leader (or supervisor) if someone isn't doing what they want, but it would be more effective to try each the ‘Three Es’ before the 'nuclear option'.

To get people to do what is necessary for the success of the project, a project manager should seek to convince others of the benefits of participation: doing things ‘my way’ will lead to publications, new collaborations, access to new resources, further funding, or other incentives for the people involved. If you cannot think of any real benefits for your participants, you need to rethink your project.

Source: Adapted from Lloyd, S. (n.d.). Used with permission.



Roles and responsibilitiesUnderstanding project roles in your research projectWho is filling each of the project roles (project leader, project manager, advisors, reviewers) in your own research project?

Do some people have multiple roles in this project? Do you think the degree of overlap is useful?Can you think of times when roles may be in conflict with each other?Do you think the project members are aware of their roles and responsibilities?Do project members have accurate impressions of their roles (e.g. might someone think they are the leader when they are in fact an advisor, or vice versa)?

Use the table below to record your ideas.


Name of project member Project role(s) Potential for conflict

with other roles?Aware of role and

responsibility?Accurate impression

of own role?


MANAGING YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT: Early preparation for your research project

Preliminary planning for your research project (1)Developing an early planning strategyWhat sort of early planning do you need to undertake for your research project?

Use the table below to prompt your thoughts and develop an action plan for any early-stage preparation you might need to carry out, including appointments you might need to make, costs you might need to work out, paperwork you might need to complete and when you need to have done all these things by.


Notes and actions to take

Have you researched current scholarship in your field to help you to develop an appropriate research question or hypothesis?

Will you need access to any special equipment?

Will you need any special training or extra help to assist you in undertaking your research?

Have you thought about all the costs involved in your project?

Do you need to produce any preliminary reports or applications before your project gets underway?

Are there any other early planning considerations?



Preliminary planning for your research project (2)Unexpected difficulties

Examples of unexpected difficulties might include:

You would like access to private papers of living individuals, or people whose estates might not want to release their old papers for study

Your research involves psychological studies on children, with complicated ethical clearance requirements

You need access to equipment or expertise which is in high demand, and the only timeslot available to you may not be compatible with your research timeline

You plan to draw heavily on one source for primary data, but nobody has been able to cross-check or verify that source

Your hypothesis requires newly developed techniques – you aren’t entirely sure they’re going to work as planned

Your funder requires that everything be published open access, but you want to patent and sell your work at the end of your project (or, conversely, your supervisor wants to you to patent your joint work and create a spin-off company, but you’d rather make it freely available).

None of these would necessarily halt your project, but you would need to carefully think through your response to the challenges. (We will look at the process of gaining any necessary formal approval for your project in the next section of this module of the main course.)



Getting approvalPreparing for the approval processMake a list of any individuals or organisations/committees you might need formal approval from in order to carry out your research project (you may wish to discuss this with your supervisor).

Make a note of any applications you will need to complete or meetings you might need to set up or attend. Think about the schedule for your research: will you get the necessary approval in time?

You may wish to make a note of your thoughts in the table below.


Name of organisation or committee

Applications to complete? Meetings to set up? Deadlines and timings?


MANAGING YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT: Detailed project planning

Results and progress: Establishing ‘deliverables’ and ‘milestones’Measuring your results and progressWhat are the ‘deliverables’ and ‘milestones’ – the tangible results and measures of progress towards them – for your research project?

You should consult:

Your supervisorDepartmental/institutional guidelinesYour funding body (if applicable)Any committees or organisations you might have encountered at the ‘approval’ stage.



Deliverables Milestones

Set or suggested by supervisor

Departmental or institutional guidelines

Set by funding body (if applicable)

Set by committees or organisations from ‘approval’ stage

If you are working closely with others on your research project, do you need to ensure that they are aware of the outputs needed for the project, and the ‘milestones’ you need to reach?Do you think that milestones will be useful in making decisions along the way?



Managing people: Establishing project rolesManaging people in a ‘large’ project

In addition to obvious challenges of scale (managing a larger team and a larger budget), multidisciplinary, multi-institutional projects come with a special set of considerations. You may need to integrate:

Academic and industrial research cultures (their approaches to deadlines, confidentiality, usability, and accounting standards may vary hugely)

Researchers from different disciplines – with varied enthusiasm for explaining their techniques to ‘outsiders’

Linguistic differences related to training (e.g. a physiologist, an engineer, and a computer scientist will have very different understandings of the word ‘model’)

Different requirements for ‘certainty’ or ‘reliability’ of evidence between disciplines, or even research groups

Ordinary (but nonetheless annoying) challenges of working in different countries: language difficulties, crackly telephone connections, inconvenient national holidays, visas for staff exchange, unworkable time zone differences…

A dedicated project manager will help to integrate these teams and ensure the right people are communicating; but a shared understanding of the project’s goals, timelines and division of labour is indispensable in letting individual teams work autonomously. It would be impossible to issue detailed instructions and follow up the work of every person.



Communicating with project members (1)Stakeholders: Power–interest mappingThink about all the stakeholders for your project, and assign each person or group on your list to a quadrant of the power–interest mapping diagram below.

What level and frequency of communication do you need with each stakeholder?

Options could include: give access to a group calendar, send deliverable reports, email at least once a month, schedule a weekly catch-up meeting, etc.



High power/low interest(These stakeholders should be kept informed of key developments, but not overloaded with project information)

High power/high interest(The project team should make the greatest efforts to satisfy these stakeholders, to keep them fully engaged with and informed about the project implementation process)

Low power/low interest(This group should be informed of key developments and be able to receive information on the project on request)

Low power/high interest(These stakeholders should be regularly informed on project progress)


Communicating with project members (2)Developing a communications planCreate a communications plan for your project:

1. List all of the stakeholders, reviewers and contributors for your project.2. Work out a strategy for communicating with each individual or group involved in your project: How often will you communicate with them, and by what

means?

Before implementing your communication plan, remember to:

Think about useful communication techniquesFind out project members’ communication preferencesTake into account your power–interest diagram with regard to key stakeholders.

You may wish to use the table below to record your thoughts.


Stakeholder, reviewer or contributor Type of communication necessary Communication preference How often will you communicate?



Time and effort planningBuilding a Gantt chart for your research projectWatch the YouTube tutorial on building a Gantt chart, suggested in the ‘Useful links’ pod in this section of the course. Now try to build a Gantt chart for your own research project.


Task Start date Duration Dependent on

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I


Does your chart highlight any potential problems? (For example, is an individual or piece of equipment unavailable at a time when a particular task needs to be carried out? Do you need to submit a draft of your thesis before you can access information in a particular archive?)How will any potential clashes impact on your project, and what can you do to resolve the problem(s)?Do you find the Gantt chart useful for planning your project schedule, or would a different method be more suitable for your work?




Sample risk tablesBelow are two examples of risk management plans for both PhD and larger research projects. Have a look over the tables and think about how they relate to your research project:

What do they do well?How do they relate to your research?What can you learn from them?



Example 1

The following risk table has been modified from a three-year cyber-security project, involving three universities and multiple threads of inquiry (interviews/studies with businesses and criminals; development of a conceptual model of threats; development of software).

The eventual output of the projects is a piece of software that will help businesses identify threats from ‘insiders’ (employees and other trusted colleagues) before they turn into attacks, as well as Executive Awareness courses to educate companies about how to identify and deal with this sort of risk.

Item Could impact Mitigation

Psychological distress

Focus groups, interviews, surveys and studies

If no action:Likelihood: 2Gravity: 2

Follow British Psychological Society guidelines Provide contacts for counselling Use volunteers Secure informed consent Participants may leave Data anonymised

New likelihood: 1New gravity: 2

Loss of partner trust

Surveys, studies, outreach, tool development, eventual adoption


Our skill and experience in building relationships


Delayed or denied ethics clearance

All early-stage work: access to data, etc.


Liaison with Ethics Committees General best practice Computer firewalls Anonymity of data



Loss of person leading one of the strands of research

Everything


Reasonable expectation for PIs to remain for first 12 months

Long notice will enable transfer of skills after first 12 months

PIs may take this project with them to a new post


Insufficient data/inability to obtain data

Model creation and validation


Multiple partners have offered access to data More relationships to be established


Delayed recruitment

Everything


PIs plan to do extra work October 2012 – March 2013 (while awaiting new post-holders)

Short-term cover possible using current RAs Recruitment to begin immediately after kickoff


Partner-institution contracts

Everything


Project Manager liaising with university contracts teams

Contract format to be agreed at kickoff meeting



Poor communication/Integration

Everything – many dependencies between and within sub-projects


Staff must independently consult relevant project members

Communication strategy to be agreed at kickoff.

Website, shared data server and email lists to be established to facilitate communication

Project manager to maintain informal contact with all project members, to help identify sticking points


Studies inconclusive/not useful (insufficient volunteers; selection bias; biased surveys/interviews)

Surveys, focus groups, longitudinal study


Follow best practice guidelines for statistical power

Spend time establishing relationships with study participants

Follow best practice guidelines for study design and interview technique

Draw volunteers from many pools


‘Privy’ information not what we expected (survey responses not helpful or run counter to our hypothesis)

Survey, case studies

If no action:Likelihood: unknownGravity: 2

Conduct thorough literature review and carefully construct studies

Leave sufficient time to revise and test hypotheses during the project’s lifetime

Periodic progress reviews to flag unexpected results

New likelihood: unknownNew gravity: 1

Computer science difficulties (licensing problems, staff expertise not applicable)

Models and software development

If no action:Likelihood: 2

Carefully advertise and interview for new posts Conduct thorough code reviews early in project

to avoid surprises later Develop suite of potential tools, with final


Gravity: 4 selection late in the project


Software user interface difficulties (unexpected features required, or does not appeal to users)

Demonstrators, training, adoption


Early implementation of iterative development process (develop-test-feedback-develop)

Involve target users as early as possible via focus-group/outreach discussions

Careful expectation management for users


Outreach difficulties (cannot get through to target audience, or overwhelmed with interest)

Demonstrators, training, adoption


Create very thorough, clear user documentation of software (builds user confidence and enables users to try software without our direct input)

Build relationships with potential users throughout the project, to gauge user requirements and interest


Nobody adopts or carries on this work when the project ends

Adoption and impact

If no action:Likelihood: 4

Good outreach, building on well-developed relationships with potential users.

Make it easy for users to adopt, and developers to extend the software.

Possible approaches (to be evaluated at periodic project meetings):

Permissive licensing User documentation Issue tracker for software development Developer documentation Apply for follow-on funding within this research

group.



Gravity: 4

Software not accessible to users with disabilities (e.g. users of non-standard interfaces including screen-reader, with/without mouse, with/without keyboard, etc)

Adoption


This may not be fully addressable, since the eventual software will probably rely heavily on visual analytics, but we will work with accessibility experts at the university to incorporate best practice where possible.

Make sure licensing is suitably permissive to allow firms to adopt code further for accessibility requirements.



Example 2

Below is a real risk table for a software development project. The funder required the project to submit this risk table within one month of the project’s official start. Here is some background on the project:

Criteria for success:

Deliverables: two pieces of softwareSoftware 1: To be used by individual research groups for local data management (the software must have several key features)Software 2: A long-term repository for archiving and publishing research data, suitable for use by the university library (the software requires a different set of features)

The two pieces of software must be able to interoperate (software 1 must be able to pass data to software 2), and both pieces of software must also work smoothly with other types of data management softwareBoth pieces of software must be able to run locally (e.g. on a server in your office) and on the cloud (e.g. using a central university data hosting facility, or servers run by an outside company)Outputs must be open-source (no copyright restrictions on any part of the code), and freely available to anyone in the worldOutputs must be reasonably secure (no obvious holes for hackers to exploit)Outputs must be ‘sustainable’ (adopted by a community of people who will carry on using and improving the software)The project must be completed on time, and within budget – the project is only 11 months longThe project involves a large team of part-time workers (most members of the project are partly employed by other projects) so coordination of schedules will be very important.

Risk descriptionProbability (P)1–5 (low to high)

Severity (S)1–5 (low to high)

Risk Score(PxS)

Detail of action to be taken(mitigation / reduction / transfer / acceptance)

Loss of staff during the project.

One staff member will take six weeks’ maternity leave at the end of August; unexpected timing/ complications possible.

2 5 10 Mitigation: The enthusiasm shown by project members so far alleviates our fears of staff leaving the project.

In the event of staff loss: good communication across the team, use of code repository and daily builds under continuous integration framework will lock in acquired knowledge, so no work is left in limbo. Daily messages, weekly Skype contact with software development


manager and two-monthly development team meetings will ensure good communication.

Departmental HR admin aware of the possibility of new recruitment to fill vacant posts.

Dissipation of effort: large team, many of whom working on multiple projects

3 4 12 Mitigation: Experienced project manager and software development manager to coordinate efforts across project.

Good project communication as detailed above.

Proposed hosting for the software may not be available, or may not be cost-effective

1 4 4 Mitigation: We will ensure that [project software] can be deployed locally or on a variety of cloud environments.

The [project] software may not meet needs of real users

1 5 5 Mitigation: PI and many staff members have backgrounds in academic research.

Project embedded in a research department close to real test users.

We have a specific work package dedicated to engagement of users across a range of disciplines.

Support from accessibility specialist to ensure that software accommodates differently-abled users where possible.

Need to keep sensitive data secure

5 2 10 Mitigation: [The person in charge of the server] must guarantee data security.

[Project] services can be deployed on institutional resources if desired. In the final resort, this is a problem for the institutions deploying the [project] software, not for the developers.

Failure to create sufficiently robust services 1 5 5 Mitigation: Use test-led continuous integration (i.e.


constantly test new features, to make sure they do not break previously functional software).

Hire the best people – the technical lead on [another relevant project], the person whose data packaging methodology is used by [software 2], and staff from [community development] and [computing cloud] projects.

Partner with [a company who can offer special expertise on Linux, the operating system that will run all of our new software].

Later in the project, a security consultant will regularly test the system for weaknesses.

[Project] software and services will not be supported after the end of the project

3 3 9 Mitigation: Full-time involvement of [community-development experts] to build user and developer communities, and to provide limited continuation support after project end.

[Important communication protocol necessary for transferring data between software 1 and software 2, which is being developed outside of this project] may not be ready for use in time to incorporate into project

2 2 4 Mitigation: Concentrate effort on other aspects of project until [new communication protocol] is ready.

Use [previous standard] if necessary.

Upload speeds make data transfer to cloud instances unappealing for researchers

3 2 6 Mitigation: [Software 1 and software 2] can be installed on a local system, limited only by local institutional bandwidth.



Risk managementIdentifying the critical path for your research projectBuilding on what you have learnt so far:

What is the critical path for your project?How many steps are there in that critical path, and what are the ‘optional extras’?What are the dependencies, and where might delays cause most trouble?

You may find it useful to write a Gantt chart, flowchart or line diagram explaining how tasks are related.





Assessment and reviewPlanning for your assessmentPlan for the assessment and/or review of your research project using the steps in the first activity in this section of the main course. The questions in the second activity in this section of the main course may help to prompt your thoughts.

Make a note of your thoughts and run them by your supervisor – is there anything you have missed? Can you check any correspondence with your reviewers to find out what their requirements are?


How will you be assessed, and by whom?

When will your progress or results be reviewed?

When will you begin to prepare for each different type of assessment?

Write your notes from your discussion with your supervisor:



Closing a project 2: IP and data archivingThinking about your requirementsWhat will be the ‘closing’ requirements for your research project?

Think through all the questions posed in this section and the last to help prompt you. These include:

Who will own the results of your project?What will happen to your results?Will you want to build on the results of your project?Do you understand the issues surrounding intellectual property rights in the research context?Do you want (or are you required) to copyright or patent your work?Do you need to pass intellectual property rights to your funders or host institution?Where can you archive your research data?How much data will there be, and do you need to add notes to make your research intelligible to outsiders?Do you need to safely store or destroy sensitive material?Do you need to care about archival?

Are all project members aware of the different requirements?

Find out if your university provides support or training for any of the processes or activities you might need to undertake.




MANAGING YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT: Carrying out your research project

Documenting your projectPlanning the documentation of your projectRefer back to the activity in the corresponding section of the main course, in which you identified the most useful methods and means of documenting your research project. Can you think of any methods that weren’t listed in the activity which might be useful?

Draw up an action plan for tools you may need to download, set up and/or share with others, such as a wiki or reference manager.

You may wish to record your ideas below.


Useful tool Action to take


MANAGING YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT: Carrying out your research project

Balancing ‘extra-curricular’ activitiesManaging your spare timeTalk to your supervisor, PhD veterans and other colleagues to establish a list of likely ‘extra-curricular’ demands on your time.

How will you fit them in?Are there ways to turn them to your advantage (e.g. supervising undergraduate projects whose results could feed your thesis)?Can you schedule them during natural lulls in your own project (e.g. attending conferences during a period where field work is impossible)?

If you have created a Gantt chart for your project, add streams for these activities into your chart to see how your work might fit together.

You may wish to record your ideas below.


Extra-curricular activity How will you fit it in?


MANAGING YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT: Learning assessment



Think about the questions you answered and the goals you outlined at the start of the course. To what extent do you feel you have met the course learning outcomes, and your own learning needs? Do you feel you have developed your awareness and understanding of project management techniques? Do you feel better able to apply your knowledge to your own research project, and do you think it will help you to carry out your project as successfully as possible?




CAREER PLANNING IN THE ARTS, HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES


CAREER PLANNING IN THE HUMANITIES: Orientation

Learning outcomesBefore you begin this course, take a moment to reflect on the learning outcomes presented in this section, in addition to your current awareness of the value of career planning and knowledge of career planning techniques.

Have you already started thinking about your future career?Are you able to identify the qualities, values and personal circumstances that might direct your career path?How confident are you in your ability to take steps to develop new skills and abilities, or existing areas you think could benefit from improvement?Do you know where to look for inspiration for career options, both academic and non-academic?Do you know how to maximise your skills and qualities in applications for jobs and job interviews?How confident are you in your ability to recognise when to accept, reject or negotiate a job offer?What would you like to learn or improve as a result of taking this course?



CAREER PLANNING IN THE HUMANITIES: Understanding your values and motivations

Motivations and constraintsConsidering job satisfaction values and why they matter

Put together a list of values that are important to you. Then prioritise them to give yourself a list of values you would not compromise under any circumstances, and another list of those that are negotiable.



List of job values that are important to you:

1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.

Values you would not compromise on Negotiable values


CAREER PLANNING IN THE HUMANITIES: Your skills toolkit

Analyse your skillsIdentifying your skills

Think of the tasks that you carry out in your work or leisure activities, for example, preparing a presentation for a conference, supervising a student or helping to run a club.

Write down how you go about doing this – the ‘actions’ – including as many steps as you canConsider which skills you are using to carry out each step and how good you are at them; to do this, identify what you achieved using a measurable outcome.

For example, was your presentation well received? Evaluate the number and quality of the comments it generated. Was your student well trained? Did they get a good grade for their report? You might like to discuss this with a critical colleague whose opinion you value to find out how good they think you are.You will find a worked example on the next page, followed by a blank template for you to complete for your own task(s).



Worked example

Task: Preparing a presentation for a conference

Actions involved in this task Skills used to carry out each step How good you are at each skill Measurable outcome for each skill

Plan time to ensure delivery – milestones, deadlines

Time management Good All milestones and deadlines met

Consider audience, range of knowledge or specialist Communication skills Fair

Some difficulty in anticipating the level of understanding of the audience, so tailored presentation to cover as much ground as possible

Consider time for presentation Time management and planning Good Presentation practised and timed to ensure no under- or overrunning

Create slides, taking into account audience, time available, appropriate content, aim of presentation

Creativity, IT skills (could be more IT than PowerPoint), analytical skills, communication skills Fair

All data clearly presented although could have been more creative with my design and layout to make it more visually interesting

Practise presentation Communication and planning skills FairPresentation very well practised but concerned about my speed/level/tone of speech

Prepare for questions – read literature Research skills, planning skills Good Read around the subject and questions were all well anticipated

Practise presentation in front of colleagues Teamworking, dealing with criticism, self-development Fair

Difficulty in fighting nerves and remaining calm in a public speaking situation initially, but with lots of practise and feedback from peers, the presentation went well


Now complete the blank table below based on your own experience.

Actions involved in this task Skills used to carry out each step How good you are at each skill Measurable outcome for each skill



Why might employers choose not to recruit researchers with a PhD?Enhance your commercial awareness

Spend some time investigating the options available at your institution and/or opportunities through companies to enhance your commercial awareness.

Are there any that would be suitable for you? You might want to start by thinking about how much time you have to devote to gaining this awareness. Once you have investigated any opportunities open to you, make an action plan for using them to explore the commercial world.

You might wish to record your thoughts in the space below.

Estimated duration: 40 minutes for research, up to 10 hours for activity

Opportunities available at your institution:

Opportunities available through companies:

Would any of these opportunities be suitable for you?

How much time do you have to devote to gaining this awareness?


Your action plan:



The importance of networking and gaining experienceNetworking

Think strategically about what you are looking for, whether simply information or longer-lasting connections, and find an approach that works for you.

Have a look at the following video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj24B8actUs.

What ideas about strategy did you pick up from the video?

Devise a networking strategy for yourself in the space below. Make your goals SMART.


What are you aiming to achieve from your networking?

What questions could you ask that will give you the answers you need?

What kind of people could give you useful answers?

How will you reach them?

Will you be able to find the answers to your questions quickly or will you need to build a relationship with these people first?

What do you have that you could offer them? Remember, networking is a two-way street.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj24B8actUs

CAREER PLANNING IN THE HUMANITIES: Choosing your career path

Your career objectivesGetting career inspiration

For some useful leaflets on generating ideas and other helpful activities go to Careers Tagged.

Take a look at the leaflet entitled ‘Getting Career Inspiration’, produced by The Careers Group, University of London, and try out some of the suggested approaches.


Estimated duration: 15 minutes to view resources; up to 30 hours for subsequent careers searching

Approach Notes Results

AGCAS Options series

Destination of Leavers of Higher Education

University societies and institutions

Using online career planning tools

Examining job ads

Searching for jobs online

Talking to recruitment consultants

Looking around you

Talking to other people with a similar background


http://www.careerstagged.co.uk/resources/the%20careers%20group~career%20choice/all/popular/1

CAREER PLANNING IN THE HUMANITIES: Job offers: accepting, rejecting and negotiating

Saying ‘No’ diplomaticallyWorking out your requirementsWhat would you need in your next job to be successful? Consider salary, facilities, resources, staff, colleagues, location, benefits and any other factors that will influence how much you enjoy the role. To what level would you need these? What would put you off taking a job?

Work out your lowest denominators, e.g. what is the minimum salary you would consider? What working environment would be detrimental to your enjoyment of the job?

Create a list for each that you can compare with jobs you are considering. Ideally you should ensure before you apply that your requirements are met and that there is nothing in this role that matches your negative criteria. This will make it easier for you to work out if this is the right role for you.

Review your lists before the interview so that you remember what to look out for and question when you have the opportunity. This will also impress the recruiter as they will be able to see that you have given a lot of thought to the role.

On the next page you will find a worked example, followed by a blank template for you to complete with your own thoughts.



Worked example

Positive criteria

Same or higher salary than in current job

Commute of no more than 45 minutes

Flexibility to work from home

Opportunities for professional development

Opportunities for early promotion Ask at interview

Small, friendly team

Pleasant offices and working environment

Manageable workload Ask at interview

Negative criteria

Long commute

No flexibility to work from home

Big, corporate company

Long hours Ask at interview

No room for professional development

Repetitive, boring tasks

Emphasis on working alone a lot of the time


Now consider your own positive and negative criteria using the blank tables below, and compare them with any jobs you are currently considering.

Positive criteria

Negative criteria


CAREER PLANNING IN THE HUMANITIES: Learning assessment







CAREER PLANNING IN THE SCIENCES


CAREER PLANNING IN THE SCIENCES: Orientation

Learning outcomes

Before you begin this course, take a moment to reflect on the learning outcomes presented in this section, in addition to your current awareness of the value of career planning and knowledge of career planning techniques.

Have you already started thinking about your future career?Are you able to identify the qualities, values and personal circumstances that might direct your career path?How confident are you in your ability to take steps to develop new skills and abilities, or existing areas you think could benefit from improvement?Do you know where to look for inspiration for career options, both academic and non-academic?Do you know how to maximise your skills and qualities in applications for jobs and job interviews?What would you like to learn or improve as a result of taking this course?



CAREER PLANNING IN THE SCIENCES: Understanding your motivations and constraints

Motivations and constraintsConsidering job satisfaction values and why they matter

Put together a list of values that are important to you. Then prioritise them to give yourself a list of values you would not compromise under any circumstances, and another list of those that are negotiable.



List of job values that are important to you:

11.12.13.14.15.16.17.18.19.20.

Values you would not compromise on Negotiable values


CAREER PLANNING IN THE SCIENCES: Your skills toolkit

Identifying skillsReflecting on your skills

Think of the tasks that you carry out in your work or leisure activities, for example, preparing a presentation for a conference, supervising a student or helping to run a club.

Write down how you go about doing this – the ‘actions’ – including as many steps as you canConsider which skills you are using to carry out each step and how good you are at them; to do this, identify what you achieved using a measurable outcome.

For example, was your presentation well received? Evaluate the number and quality of the comments it generated. Was your student well trained? Did they get a good grade for their report? You might like to discuss this with a critical colleague whose opinion you value to find out how good they think you are.You will find a worked example on the next page, followed by a blank template for you to complete for your own task(s).



Worked example

Task: Preparing a presentation for a conference

Actions involved in this task Skills used to carry out each step How good are you at each skill? (Good, fair, poor) Measurable outcome for each skill

Plan time to ensure delivery – milestones, deadlines

Time management Good All milestones and deadlines met

Plan experiments Time management, research skills Good All experiments carried out on time, efficiently, with no mistakes or delays

Carry out experiments and collect data Research skills, time management, IT skills

Good All data collected was accurate, useful and well presented

Collect data from colleagues – negotiate what they are happy for you to use

Negotiation, teamworking, communication, relationship building/management

Fair Some difficulty in communicating which data was needed, but eventually all necessary data was collected from colleagues

Interpret data Analytical skills Good Data easily interpreted and clearly communicated on presentation slides

Consider audience, range of knowledge or specialist

Communication skills Fair Some difficulty in anticipating the level of understanding of the audience, so tailored presentation to cover as much ground as possible

Consider time for presentation Time management and planning Good Presentation practised and timed to ensure no under- or overrunning

Create slides, taking into account audience, time available, appropriate content, aim of presentation

Creativity, IT skills (could be more IT than powerpoint), analytical skills, communication skills

Fair All data clearly presented although could have been more creative with my design and layout to make it more visually interesting

Practise presentation Communication and planning skills Fair Presentation very well practised but concerned about my speed/level/tone of speech


Prepare for questions – read literature Research skills, planning skills Good Read around the subject and questions were all well anticipated

Practise presentation in front of colleagues Teamworking, dealing with criticism, self-development

Fair Difficulty in fighting nerves and remaining calm in a public speaking situation initially, but with lots of practise and feedback from peers, the presentation went well


Now complete the blank table below based on your own experience.

Actions involved in this task Skills used to carry out each step How good are you at each skill? (Good, fair, poor) Measurable outcome for each skill


CAREER PLANNING IN THE SCIENCES: Your skills toolkit

What is commercial awareness and does it only apply to business careers?Enhance your commercial awareness

Think about how much time you have to devote to developing your commercial awareness; the amount of time you have will dictate the opportunities you can consider.

Which of the opportunities for improving your commercial experience outlined in the activity in this section might be open to you? Investigate what projects and internships might be available at your institution or through funding bodies.

Can you think of any other ways of gaining more commercial experience related to your research or potential career path?




CAREER PLANNING IN THE SCIENCES: Identify your career path

Career ideas for scientistsGenerating career ideas

For some useful leaflets on generating ideas and other helpful activities go to Careers Tagged.

Take a look at the leaflet entitled ‘Getting Career Inspiration’, produced by The Careers Group, University of London, and try out some of the suggested approaches.


Estimated duration: 15 minutes to view resources; up to 30 hours for subsequent careers searching

Approach Notes Results

AGCAS Options series

Destination of Leavers of Higher Education

University societies and institutions

Using online career planning tools

Examining job ads

Searching for jobs online

Talking to recruitment consultants

Looking around you

Talking to other people with a similar background


http://www.careerstagged.co.uk/resources/the%20careers%20group~career%20choice/all/popular/1

CAREER PLANNING IN THE SCIENCES: Develop your action plan

Career planningDeveloping your own career planThink about the questions and processes outlined in the activity in the corresponding section of the main course. By addressing these questions, you can start to shape your own career plan.

Make a note of your thoughts about each of the steps and/or questions from the activity. This will form a solid foundation for planning what you want to do, who can help you to do it and how you will reach your goals.



Where you want to be

How will you decide where this is? What do you need to take into account?

Identify who can helpIf you have found in the first section that you have questions without answers, who could you ask to answer those questions?

Set your goals

Make them SMART. What goals do you have?

Recognise obstaclesWhat is stopping you from achieving your goals? This could be a lack of expertise, insufficient time to develop new expertise, financial considerations, etc.

Look for opportunities

Where would you find opportunities? Could this be from other people? What other sources could you be monitoring?

Record your progressHow can you do this effectively? Look for resources that already exist, e.g. Vitae’s Researcher Development Framework, if you want to do this comprehensively.


CAREER PLANNING IN THE SCIENCES: Develop your action plan

The hidden job marketNetworking

Think strategically about what you are looking for, whether simply information or longer-lasting connections, and find an approach that works for you.

Have a look at the following video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj24B8actUs.

What ideas about strategy did you pick up from the video?

Devise a networking strategy for yourself in the space below. Make your goals SMART.


What are you aiming to achieve from your networking?

What questions could you ask that will give you the answers you need?

What kind of people could give you useful answers?

How will you reach them?

Will you be able to find the answers to your questions quickly or will you need to build a relationship with these people first?

What do you have that you could offer them? Remember, networking is a two-way street.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj24B8actUs

CAREER PLANNING IN THE SCIENCES: Top tips for getting that job

How to use STAR qualitySTAR quality

Imagine you are being asked to respond to an interview question: “Tell me about a time when you worked with someone with whom you didn’t get along. How did you deal with it?”

What might the interviewer be trying to find out? Most likely they want to know how you build effective professional relationshipsConstruct a response that uses STAR as a framework, keeping it as positive as possibleAim for something that is at a level of professionalism similar to the job for which you are applying.

You may wish to ask a peer or colleague to evaluate your STAR answer and give you some feedback on it.


Situation:

Task:

Action:

Result:

Feedback from peer or colleague:


CAREER PLANNING IN THE SCIENCES: Learning assessment







WORKING WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR


WORKING WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR: Orientation

Learning outcomesBefore you begin this course, take a moment to reflect on the learning outcomes presented in this section, and your current awareness and understanding of the process of publishing your research.

Have you thought about the expectations you and your supervisor or principal investigator have of each other? How realistic do you think they are?How effective do you think your meetings with your supervisor or principal investigator are? Do you know how you could improve them?Are you happy with the feedback provided by your supervisor? Do you know what practical steps you can take to improve the feedback you receive?Do you know how you would resolve a difficult situation with your supervisor, or where else you might turn for support?What would you like to learn or improve as a result of taking this course?



WORKING WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR: Getting started

You and your supervisorFamiliarising yourself with your supervisor’s research

Read some of your supervisor’s articles and other published works.


What are the particular interests of their research?

Do they have any preferred approaches and theories?

How does their research work relate to yours?


WORKING WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR: Getting started

What you can expect from your supervisorYour institution’s code of practice

Download your institution’s code of practice for postgraduates (available on their website or from your supervisor) and answer the following questions:


What is expected of you as a student?

What is expected of your supervisor?

Is the code of practice what you had imagined, or are there any surprises?


WORKING WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR: Getting to know your supervisor

Styles of supervisionYour working relationship with your supervisor

What is the supervision style of your supervisor?What, if anything, would you change about their supervision style?What can you do to ensure a smooth working relationship with your supervisor?

You might like to use the table below to record your thoughts.


Supervision style

What you would change

What you can do to ensure a smooth working relationship


WORKING WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR: Meetings and communications

Before the meetingMeetings with your supervisor

Think of an instance, academic or otherwise, in which a meeting you were part of did not go to plan.


Why did this happen?

What could have been done to avoid it?

What can you do to make meetings with your supervisor go smoothly? Think of at least three specific actions you will take.


WORKING WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR: Feedback and advice

Asking a supervisor for feedback or adviceFeedback from your supervisor

Think about the advice given in this section, then consider your own context.

What can you do to get better feedback from your supervisor?


Think of at least three specific actions you will take:


WORKING WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR: Closing

Course summaryYour continuing professional developmentA good supervisor will support your professional development.

Write a list of realistic professional development targets that you wish to achieve by the end of your doctoral programme. This could include supervising other students, organising a conference, getting published, or editing a collection.Discuss this list with your supervisor and make a note of any contacts or recommendations they have for you.Based on your discussions with your supervisor, create an action plan for achieving your professional development goals.

You might like to use the tables below to record your thoughts.


Professional development goals Discussion notes


Your professional development action plan

Development goal Action to be taken Notes


WORKING WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR: Learning assessment







SELECTING A CONFERENCE, PRESENTING AND NETWORKING


CONFERENCES, PRESENTING AND NETWORKING: Orientation

Learning outcomes

Before you begin this course, take a moment to reflect on the learning outcomes presented in this section, and your current awareness and understanding of academic conferences, presentations and networking.

How important do you think attending/presenting at conferences and seminars is for your research and your academic career?How confident are you in your ability to prepare and present an academic paper at a conference or seminar?How confident are you in your ability to network with other academics in your field? Do you think this is important? Why?Have you considered organising your own conference? Do you think you have the knowledge and skills to do this?What would you like to learn or improve as a result of taking this course?



CONFERENCES, PRESENTING AND NETWORKING: Selecting a conference

Submitting a proposal (1)Conferences and symposia in your fieldMake a list of all the major associations and regular research seminars in your field and check their websites for details of forthcoming conferences and symposia over the next three years.

You may wish to use the table below to keep a record of your findings.


Major association/regular research seminar Details of event Dates



Submitting a proposal (2)Writing abstracts for conference papersWith reference to the table you completed for the previous ‘Portfolio activity’, ‘Submitting a proposal: Conferences and symposia in your field’, practise writing an abstract targeted towards each conference or symposia you have found. The abstracts can be taken from different chapters of your thesis.

Remember the advice provided in the activity in this section of the main course:

Plan in advanceEnsure that your abstract speaks specifically to the conference themeSummarise briefly the topic of your proposed paperIndicate your key focusDo not exceed the word limit.

You may wish to use the table below.


Major association/regular research seminar Abstract text Notes from supervisor



Conference costsPlanning your conference costsReturning to the list of events you created in the first ‘Portfolio activity’ for this course, ‘Submitting a proposal: Conferences and symposia in your field’, cost out your attendance for each conference, including all flights and transfers, four nights of accommodation, registration fee and a sensible allowance for meals and local public transport if necessary.

Are you surprised by the costs?


Major association/regular research seminar

Dates Flights/transfers Accommodation Registration fee Meals Public transport Total


CONFERENCES, PRESENTING & NETWORKING: Presenting

Preparing to give a presentationConstructing a public talkThink how you might develop a short public talk out of a chapter of your doctoral thesis:

What aspects of your material will you need to change?What should you leave out?What might you add in to make your talk more interesting and attractive to a lay audience?




CONFERENCES, PRESENTING AND NETWORKING: Presenting

Delivering your presentationGiving and receiving feedback on presentation skills

The Oxford Learning Institute has designed a useful feedback form for evaluating presentation skills: www.learning.ox.ac.uk/supervision/stages/presenting

Practise giving a mock presentation with one or more of your fellow doctoral students. Ask them to fill in the feedback form based on your performance, and then do the same for them.

Make a note below of the areas that need improvement and create an ‘action plan’ for how you will improve them – it may help to discuss this with your peer(s) and/or supervisor.


Area of presentation that needs improvement How can it be improved?


http://www.learning.ox.ac.uk/supervision/stages/presenting

CONFERENCES, PRESENTING AND NETWORKING: Networking

Networking survival guideThinking about networkingThink about how you might introduce yourself to an eminent professor in your field who is going to be giving a plenary at the conference you are going to present at, and whose work is in a similar area to your own.

Write a mock email to them, perhaps summarising your abstract and asking if they might find your paper of interest, or mentioning a paper of theirs that you have read and would like to ask them some questions about.


Write your mock email below:


CONFERENCES, PRESENTING AND NETWORKING: Networking

Virtual networkingVirtual networks in your research areaExplore some of the academic networking sites available on the web (you may even wish to join!). See in particular:

www.academia.edu www.linkedin.com

You could also search social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter for relevant pages, groups or accounts in your research field.

You may wish to record your findings in the table below.


Name of site Details (functionality, usefulness, pros, cons, etc.)


http://www.linkedin.com/

http://www.academia.edu/

CONFERENCES, PRESENTING AND NETWORKING: Organising a conference

Conference organisation survival guide: PreparationTimeline and task checklistUse the following checklist when you come to organise your own conference. It provides you with a general timeline to cover as well as the key points to consider during the preparation stage.

Timeline and tasks Notes

Pre-CFP

- Agree your conference team and their roles

- Set up dedicated conference website and email account

- Decide on nature, duration, location, and date

- Secure venue(s)

- Consider postgraduate bursaries

- Approach and confirm (at least some) keynote speakers

- Itemise key expenses that conference budget will cover

- Secure funding source(s) – additional to attendance fees

- Book venue (ensuring that the required number and size of rooms, and other facilities, are available)


- Set up online registration and payment process

- Set up a schedule for the remaining jobs to be done up to and including the conference

CFP

- Set proposal deadline

- Set notification of acceptance deadline

- Write and publicise CFP

- Re-publicise CFP every 2–3 months

- Organise acceptance panel

- Send email of acceptance/rejection to proposing applicants

Ongoing pre-conference

- Book venue (if not already done)

- Obtain as much funding as possible from outside sources

- Secure discounted hotel rates for delegates

- Prepare conference programme and schedule, and post on website

- Prepare travel/accommodation details for delegates and post on website


- Once delegate numbers are confirmed organise catering and social events

- If the conference is a year or more away, then maintain a quarterly contact with delegates

- Ensure you have a note of the technical requirements for all sessions/papers

- Arrange staff for welcome/registration table

- Contact publishers for bookstand

- See if publishers willing to pay to insert publicity into conference packs

One week before

- Send a final welcome to delegates

- Prepare delegate name tags and welcome packs

- Confirm final programme

- Confirm final catering figures

- Confirm technical equipment and back-up support

- Confirm staff help on the day

- Prepare signposting for venue if required


CONFERENCES, PRESENTING AND NETWORKING: Learning assessment



Think about the questions you answered and the goals you outlined at the start of the course. To what extent do you feel you have met the course learning outcomes, and your own learning needs? Have your perceptions of the importance of attending conferences and seminars changed as a result of taking this course? Do you feel you have developed your ability to successfully attend and organise academic conferences? Do you feel more confident in your ability to network with other academics in your field?




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