Post on 31-Oct-2014
description
Managing your postgraduate research
Carolyne Jacobs
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Introductions
CJ
Group (one to one then pair to pair)
Moodle PostGrad resources – a quick tour
Vitae setup by Research Councils UK and Career Development Organisation guidance, resources, discussion groups
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Why project manage your postgrad research? What defines a project? Why do you need to project manage
your research?
Because you are probably facing:A research deadlineProfessional and domestic commitmentsResource limitations
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Outline of today’s session(in Project Management speak)
Scoping - anticipated achievements, boundaries, areas ‘in scope’
Business case – underpinning rationale Requirements – essential elements Design – tools and techniques Resources – time, consumables, etc.
+ PM methodology and tools
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Scope
What is your project about? What do you want to achieve?
Business case Why are you doing it? How will it benefit you
professionally/personally)? Analogies (CJ’s examples – UoP
projects, own PhD and research)
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Practical
Take 10 mins (5 mins each person) to explain your research to the person sitting next to you including:
1. What your project is about
2. What you want to achieve
3. Why you are doing it (how will it benefit you professionally/personally)
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Business Case
The overall aim is to achieve your postgrad qualification, but how does it fit into your longer term plan for the next 5 years?
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Identifying requirements
Getting the grasp of key concepts
What is the difference between methodology and methods?
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Requirements
Getting the grasp of key concepts
What is ontology?
What is epistemology?
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Requirements
What is ontology? Your view of the world
What is epistemology?
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Requirements
What is ontology? Your view of the type of world/environment where your research will take place
What is epistemology? How knowledge is acquired
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Requirements
Ontology View of your research world -
Do you think the world exists externally to human beings?
or.....
Do you think that people contribute to, and have an impact on, the environment where your research is taking place?
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Requirements
Epistemology How do I think knowledge is acquired?
By gathering data and seeking out rules/patterns or cause/effect (positivist)?
Or interpreting and taking into account context, experience and views (interpretivist)?
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Requirements
Why is this important?
The type of research environment that your research takes place in and how you will acquire knowledge (gather data) influences how you plan your research
Examples: Effect of volcanic activity on rocks
objectivist?? research design??
Impact of social networking on integration constructivist?? research design??
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Requirements
Does your research topic: Exist outside the influence of human beings?
or Do humans influence your area of research?
Will you: Gather data, seek out patterns and/or cause and effect?
or Look for context and interpretation? Are you: ‘viewing
events and social world through the eyes of the people being studied?’ (Bryman, 2008)
Bryman 4th edition 2012
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Methodological approach
QuantitativeExperiment, historical, correlational (using
reports, logs, data)
QualitativeEthnographic research, action research,
survey, case study.
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Design
The tools and techniques you use depend on your approach
….examples from CJ
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Identifying your methodology
Is your research: Scientific/positivist or interpretivist?
Why?
Will you use a: Quantitative or qualitative approachWhy?
What tools and techniques will you use?
(Discuss in group for 10 mins)
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Managing your research (video)
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Break
10 minutes
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Requirements 2
After determining your approach, what next??
What distinguishes doctoral research from other research?
How do you find out if your research is unique?
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Requirements 2
Which literature resources are available for your research?
How can you find out about other sources?
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Design
How will you undertake your research?
How will you identify literature resources? What approach will you use?
experiment? case study? ethnographic research? survey?
Who or what is the population/data source? How will you choose the sample? (How do you know it is
representative and not bias?) How will you gather the data? (interviews, online
questionnaires, etc.)
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Milestone(completion deadline) Gaps in the literature Identifying your research questions
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Recap
We have considered: Your approach/methodology
Literature review
Research design (population, sample, tools and techniques)
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Discovery15-20 mins - discuss in groups of 4 the your thoughts on the following relating to your research:
Methodology – which methodological approach will you take? Why?
Literature review – which resources will you investigate? Where can you access?
Population, sample, tools and techniques-what/who will you focus on? How will you gain access/acquire data? What tools will you use to gather data?
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Other areas to consider
How will you analyse your data? How will you report your findings? How will you disseminate your findings?
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Resources
How much time will your research take?
How much time have you got?
(longer than you expect!)
(less than you expect!)
Will you need to spend any money? What resources will you need? (printing,
postage, s/w, web-based resources)
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Managing your time effectively
Prioritise Recognise strengths and weaknesses Be realistic Plan ahead, take all your activities into
account and building in some flexibility Create weekly or monthly plans, plus a
‘to do’ list Be generous with your timings.
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Reflecting on your PhD/research experiences to date
The good and bad points (30 mins in total)Individually (5 mins):
○ write down 3 good things (each on a separate yellow sticky note)
○ write down 3 things bad -or not so good (each on a separate green sticky note)
Together (20 -25 mins):○ Look for common themes ○ Sort on large sheets of paper○ Discuss and note how
to resolve the bad points How good points can be used in future research/ practice
Group discussion
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Project Management methodology
TraditionalStructured with clear project tasks,
timescales and milestones Agile
Flexible system with short deadlines for tasks, self-organisation. Include frequent meetings and visible tracking
For your research you are likely to take the relevant elements and manage in your own way.
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Planning tools
MsProject Gantter Excel Paper
It doesn’t really matter. It is the thinking and organising in your mind that is important….
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Planning
Demo using Gantter.com
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Practical
Identify:The key stages of your projectLikely timescalesMilestones (key completion dates)
Use one of the project tools to create an outline project plan
But remember this is a working document and will change – frequently!
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Ending with…
New ideas and thoughts about how you will approach your research
Comments?
Questions?
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
Thank you
Dr Carolyne Jacobs,
Department of Curriculum and Quality Enhancement
University of Portsmouth
Carolyne.jacobs@port.ac.uk
www.moodle.port.ac.uk/
Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
SMART Specific: in both meaning and focus. Measurable: so that you know when you are achieving
progress and can declare success. Advantageous: what's in this for you? If you can see no
personal advantages, don't waste your time; you won't be seriously motivated towards success.
Realistic: make sure that you are being realistic: you can get feedback to help you do this. Setting learning targets in this way will, through experience, gradually improve your ability to manage your own self-development and learning.
Time limited: set deadlines and 'milestones', times when you will sit down and reflect on and review your progress
(Ref: www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers/1221/Setting%20objectives.html )
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Wednesday 12th February 2014
Managing your postgrad research
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