Research Connect Web Prospectus

7/25/2019 Research Connect Web Prospectus

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR RESEARCHERS

A

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTFOR RESEARCHERS

www.britishcouncil.org


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RESEARCHER CONNECT

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THE SUCCESS AND REPUTATION OFRESEARCHERS AND THE INSTITUTIONSTHEY REPRESENT IS IMPACTED BY THEIRABILITY TO WORK AT AN INTERNATIONALLEVEL. RESEARCHER CONNECT DEVELOPS

THE PROFESSIONAL SKILLS REQUIREDFOR RESEARCHERS TO SUCCEEDINTERNATIONALLY.

www.britishcouncil.org


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CONTENTS

Challenges of the internationalresearch environment 02

Researcher Connect 03

Why choose Researcher Connect 04

The British Council 06

Running a workshop 07

Researcher Connect modules 08

Know your audience 08

Abstracts 09

Effective emails 11

Better presentations 12

Professional proposals 13

Writing for publication basics 15Writing for publication: getting published 16


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CHALLENGES OF THE INTERNATIONAL

RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT

In an increasingly competitive and global market,researchers and the institutions they representneed to communicate their research to aninternational audience.

Without the skills to do this, researchersand research institutions can findthemselves at a competitivedisadvantage, affecting grant income,international presence and reputation.

Researchers need the communicationskills to:

publish in international journals

present at conferences

apply for funding from nationaland international bodies

communicate with the wider public andpolicy makers

build international collaborationsto further their research.

In recognition of this need, and buildingon our vision for prosperity for allthrough internationalised education,the British Council has developed theResearcher Connect professionaldevelopment course.


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RESEARCHER CONNECT

Researcher Connect is a professionaldevelopment course that focuses on thedevelopment of excellent communicationskills for international, multicultural contexts.

It provides participants with the insights,understanding and tools to communicate

effectively, whatever the situation orcontext. Its secondary function is thedevelopment of critical thinking,reflective and critiquing skills.

Researcher Connect contributes to theresearchers professional development inkey areas outlined by the Vitae ResearchDevelopment Framework (see Whychoose Researcher Connect section).

Researcher Connect is offered asa series of modules delivered in

workshop format by experienced andquality-assured trainers. In addition,we are building an online learnercommunity with related activities andresources, and have partnered withEpigeum to provide online courses (seeResearcher Connect modules section).


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WHY CHOOSE RESEARCHER CONNECT

Researcher Connect uses a unique methodologyand approach that is introduced in the foundationmodule Know your Audienceand applied throughoutall the other modules in situations, along withexamples tailored to the participating researchers.

The delivery of all of the modules followsan experiential learning philosophy andpractice. The learning experience isbenefited by participant input andreflection generated through activities,feedback and review.

The Researcher Connect approachwas formed by our expert developmentteam after many years analysis andpractice of effective communicationin multiple cultures around the world.It was created in collaboration with

leading academics and piloted inover eight countries worldwide.

We are confident that the ResearcherConnect approach and resourcesprovide the means for researcherscareer development.

UK culture of research excellenceand the Researcher DevelopmentFramework

The UK recognises, through theConcordat to Support the CareerDevelopment of Researchers 1, thatresearcher training and developmentis essential to maintaining its status as aworld leader in research. In response tothis, Vitae produced the ResearcherDevelopment Framework (RDF) 2incollaboration with the higher education

sector and other stakeholders.Researcher Connect has been developedwith consideration to the RDF, to deliverskills training that will help researchersprogress in their career and function atan international level.

1The Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers is an agreement between funders and employers of research staff to

improve the employment and support for researchers and research careers in UK higher education. It sets out clear standards that research

staff can expect from the institution employing them, as well as their responsibilities as researchers. For more information, please visit:

www.vitae.ac.uk/policy/vitae-concordat-vitae-2011.pdf

2The Researcher Development Framework (RDF), developed by Vitae and endorsed by QAA, is an important part of research career

development in the UK. It identifies attributes and behaviours of successful researchers and helps develop these throughout the research

community, to allow researchers to get the most out of their careers. For more information on the RDF, please visit:

www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers-professional-development/about-the-vitae-researcher-development-framework


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Researcher Connect is a professionaldevelopment course with a focus oncommunication skills. It can contributedirectly to Domain D of the RDF(Engagement, influence and impact),predominantly D2: communication anddissemination.

The various Researcher Connect modulescan also indirectly help researchersdevelopment in ten of the other 11 keyskills areas highlighted in the RDF:Working with others (D1); Engagementand impact (D3); Knowledge base (A1);Cognitive abilities (A2); Creativity (A3);

Personal qualities (B1); Professional andcareer management (B3); Finance,funding and resources (C3); ResearchManagement (C2); and Professionalconduct (C1).

Researcher Connect trainers

Researcher Connect is delivered by

trainers with a wealth of experience ofacademic engagement and up-to-the-minute knowledge of current researchpublication, conferencing trendsand issues.

All of the trainers undergo a trainingworkshop and evaluation to ensurethat they meet the high level of qualityrequired by Researcher Connect.

Flexible course options

One of the strengths of Researcher

Connect is its flexibility. The courseis offered as a series of modules (seeResearcher Connect modules section)that can be chosen according to theneeds of the participants. ResearcherConnect also offers a platform forinterdisciplinary learning; the courseexperience is enriched by havingresearchers from many fields sharingideas and knowledge.

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THE BRITISH COUNCIL

With a presence in over 100 countries, and decadesof experience in supporting researcher developmentglobally, the British Council understands thedemands researchers face when working inan international environment.

As the UKs cultural relations organisation,we encourage scientific, technological,cultural and educational co-operationbetween the UK and other countries.We believe science and innovation areintegral to culture, and the sharing ofscientific knowledge to be an excellentway of building trust, understanding andopportunities internationally.

We have a long history of connectingresearchers globally to both encouragecollaboration and support the

development of research capacityin the UK and partner countries.

We do this by linking key organisationsin the UK research sector, such as thefunding councils, universities andresearch institutions, with theircounterparts overseas.

Researcher Connect was developedin recognition of the fact thatcommunication skills are indispensableto the free flow of knowledge and ideasacross cultures, and are integral toresearchers and research institutionsfunctioning at the international level.


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RUNNING A WORKSHOP

We can help you tailor a Researcher Connectworkshop to your requirements.

If you are interested in runninga workshop, please email:[email protected]

Module selection

Researcher Connect workshops areflexible, and you can choose to runthe modules you feel would be mostbeneficial to the participants. Somemodules complement each other morethan others and you may considertheming a course around writing skills,for example. The course Know yourAudienceis the foundation for allother courses and is mandatory.

Research Connect workshops generallylast three to five days depending on thenumber of modules run. It is recommendedthat longer workshops are run withpauses so that participants can makethe most of their learning experience.

We can help you tailor your courseso that the module selection andcourse intensity fully meet the needsof the researchers.

ParticipantsWorkshops are for up to 20 researchersfrom any of the fields. The ResearcherConnect course is not an Englishlanguage course, and participantsshould have B2-level English already.

Certification

A certificate of completion will begiven to each participant in orderto demonstrate their attendanceon the course.


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RESEARCHER CONNECT MODULES

Researcher Connect:Know your audience

A 23-hour module

Many of us may have had the experienceof feeling weve given a brilliant, upliftingpresentation, of writing an in-depthand perceptive paper or an abstractthat ticks all the boxes, essentiallybelieving we have communicated well.

Yet, to our surprise, we then find thatthe audience were unresponsive, theeditorial board rejected the paper orthe abstract failed to generate views.Our communication failed in some wayto achieve what we wanted.

The Know your Audience moduleprovides participants with the insights,understanding and tactics to avoidsuch situations, and to communicateeffectively whatever the situationor context. It also serves as thefoundation for the subsequentResearcher Connect modules.

The unique approach delivered inKnow your Audience is the culminationof many years study, analysis andpractice of effective communicationin multiple cultures around the worldby our expert team.

This module offers a simple butchallenging toolkit for effectivecommunication, and serves as the

foundation for all Researcher Connectmodules. Its secondary function is thedevelopment of critical thinking andcritiquing skills.

Learning outcomes:

Develop a toolkit of skills andtechniques, plus the confidenceto use these to effectively analyseand understand audiences and theirspecific needs.

Be able to communicate in appropriatelanguage, at a level and with a messagethat is relevant to the audience.

Be able to confidently and concisely

define internal objectives forcommunicating with a particularaudience and understand how thesewill affect audience attitude,understanding or behaviour.

Be able to confidently identify thecritical difference the communicationwill make to the audience.

Who is this module for?

Researchers from any discipline

should benefit from this module.

Best taken in combination with:

Know your Audience is anessential foundation modulefor Researcher Connect.

Links with the Vitae ResearchDevelopment Framework (RDF).

This module helps develop skills relevantto the following areas identified in the RDF:

Primary

D2: Communication and dissemination.

Secondary

A1: Cognitive abilities.

B1: Personal qualities.


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Researcher Connect:Abstracts

A half-day module

Abstracts are critical, not just as concisesummaries of academic papers andpresentations, but as roads to furtherpublication opportunities and access towider audiences. Written well they canopen doors to publication in peer-reviewed journals, to acceptance ofpapers in conferences and introduce yourwork to stakeholders from many areas.

The Researcher Connect Abstractsmodule enables participants to becomeboth critical readers and writers ofabstracts through review, specific skillsdevelopment activities and practice.

It applies the unique ResearcherConnect approach to excellentcommunication, enabling participants

to adapt and apply generic models,strategies and techniques to their ownparticular abstract writing needs.Researchers identify and finesse their

particular abstract writing style, andalso understand how to develop theirtechnique to write for different audiencessuch as corporate R&D, the public or forcross-disciplinary research projects.

The module is applicable to participantsfrom any research field creating abstractsfor any platform, from submission ofconference presentations to journalpublications and online profiles.

Module content:

The first units cover the essentialstructural elements of abstracts and howthese can be re-ordered, used or notused to meet the different requirementsof different audiences and differentplatforms. There follows a brief reviewof some basic good writing qualities toadopt and practise, and an enquiry intoabstract styles commonly demandedby different fields. From these units

participants create a personalisedchecklist of best practice criteria thatthey can apply to their own and to otherswriting during their research careers.


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Learning outcomes:

Be able to create effective abstractsfor different audiences.

Have a good understanding of thefunctions of abstracts.

Have met and become aware of thedifferent styles of abstracts in differentfields and different publications.

Have met and practised a range

of tools and approaches forabstract creation.

Be able to make well-informeddecisions on how to structureabstracts and select appropriatecontent and style.


Early-career researchers fromany discipline should benefitfrom this module.


Abstracts is best taken in combinationwith: Know your Audience (mandatory);Writing for Publication: Basics; andWriting for Publication: Getting Published;or Better Presentations.

It links well to the online ResearcherConnectEpigeum modules GettingPublished in the Arts and GettingPublished in the Sciences.



Primary


Secondary

A1: Knowledge base.

D3: Engagement and impact.


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Researcher Connect:Effective emails

A two to three-hour module

Many of us email every day of our lives;however, miscommunication, missedinformation and occasionally personaloffence from poorly thought-throughemails can still cause many problems.This is particularly true when it comesto working across multiple cultures oncomplex subject areas, and can be evenmore pertinent when emailing in asecond language such as English.

The Effective Emails module enablesparticipants to understand how theiremails are being read, and to be awareof common errors. It builds a toolkitfor clear, accurate and successfulcommunication.

Module content:Participants first look at the function orpurpose of specific professional emailsand review common structures andstandard phrases. Having familiarisedthemselves with these protocols theypractise using them in a series ofdifficult communication scenarios andthen give and receive direct feedbackon the emails effectiveness and impacts.Where time allows, or if demanded, themodule also looks at email etiquette; forexample, around Out of Office, storageand tracking.

Learning outcomes:

Be able to format emails effectively.

Be able to write in a range of stylesappropriate to their readers.

Be confident users of standard phrasescommonly found in emails.

Be able to write difficult emailssuch as large requests, complaintsand persuasion.

Have practised emailing singlepartners and multiple partnersin challenging scenarios.

Be able to interpret and, whereneeded, ask for clarification ofrequests embedded in indirectquestions and complex phrases.

Feel confident about understandingpoorly written emails and havea strategy for clarifying these.


Researchers, academic managers andsupervisors from any discipline shouldbenefit from this module.


Effective Emails is best taken in

combination with: Know Your Audience(mandatory) and any of the ResearcherConnect modules.



Primary


Secondary

D1: Working with others.



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Researcher Connect:Better presentations

A one to 1.5-day module

Better Presentations focuses on theskills, confidence and know-how topresent at international conferences.Participants work on creating andgiving clear, effective and relevant(to the audience) presentationsabout aspects of their research.

As with all the Researcher Connectmodules, Better Presentations ishighly experiential with participantsdeveloping, delivering and critiquinga brief presentation through a seriesof step-by-step activities.

Better Presentations also includes ashort add-on module to refine posterpresentation skills.

Learning outcomes:

Be able to clearly articulate to theaudience the key message(s) of andpurpose for the presentation.

Have confidence in their ability topresent clearly and effectively.

Have experience of using a genericpresentation structure and feelconfident to adapt this to theiraudiences needs.

Have an awareness of and had

practice with the non-verbal, vocaland linguistic skills, aids andtechniques for effective presenting.

Have had exposure to several differentpresenting styles and be able tocritique these.

Have developed and practised usinga framework for self-critiquing anddevelopment.

Have started to develop an appropriatestyle and technique for presenting.

Module content:

Better Presentations starts with ananalysis of what makes a presentation

effective or not, thus identifying thekey components the group needs toconcentrate on during the course.Participants consider helpful presentationstructures, then start to work on theirown output using a model process.The module considers effective waysto generate content that meets theaudiences needs, how to create animpactful key message and to open andclose in a memorable, effective manner.Throughout the module the participantsplay and practise a range of non-verbal

and vocal skills and techniques. Finally,consideration is given to how to work withnotes efficiently and the range of visualaids available to us. The module endswith a presentation from each participantcritically reviewed by the group.

Poster Presentations considers thefundamentals of poster creation, designand delivery. Participants critiquemultiple examples and embed theirlearning by building, introducing andcritiquing their own posters.


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RESEARCHER CONNECT


Researchers, managers and supervisorsfrom any discipline should benefit fromthis module.


Better Presentations is best takenin combination with: Know Your Audience(mandatory); Abstracts. This module alsobalances well with any of the writing skills

Researcher Connect courses.

It links well to the online ResearcherConnectEpigeum courses Presentingat Conferences.



Primary


Secondary



Researcher Connect:Professional proposals

A one-day module

It is becoming increasingly necessary inthe professional research environmentfor researchers, even at a fairly early-career stage, to seek external fundingfrom sponsors, granting agencies orgovernments. Researchers may also seeksupport in the form of resources orpartnerships and access a myriad ofother services from industry, the widerresearch community and other bodies.In some fields it is often essential to gainauthorisation to progress with a researchprogramme from an ethics board or otherstatutory body.

In all these and many more cases,the researcher will likely be requiredto submit a proposal. ResearcherConnect Professional Proposalsenables researchers to write successfulproposals; those that are clear, conciseand achieve what they are asking for.


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The insight and techniques gainedin Professional Proposals are highlytransferable to other professionalsituations such as pitching to investors,networking and even for interviews.

Learning outcomes:

Be clear about what proposals areand why we write them.

Have an understanding of what

qualities make a proposal effective.

Be familiar with generic internationalproposal structure (the parts ofa proposal).

Understand and have practised theprocess of proposal development.

Be able to profile the proposal readersand meet their expectations.

Be able to create clear and logicallyconnected goals, outcomes, outputsand inputs.

Be comfortable adapting theirlanguage to the reader (clarity,effective simplicity).

Be able to work with the proposalformula set by the reader organisation.

Module content:

The module starts with an overview ofhow proposals differ from other forms ofprofessional writing. It looks at commonstructural elements and the qualities

of successful proposals by analysingsamples. Participants will look at why oneproposal may differ from another and thedecision-making process behind this. Thenext section develops project planningknowledge and skills. Finally, participantswork in teams to create a proposal andcompete to submit a winning bid.

There is an additional unit on the skillsof paragraph writing for those requiringa refresher of this essential skill.


Researchers, managers and supervisorsfrom any discipline should benefit fromthis module.


Professional Proposals is best taken incombination with: Know Your Audience(mandatory); Better Presentations andEffective Emails. It complements theacademic writing skills in WfP: Basics.



Primary


C3: Finance, funding and resources.

Secondary

B3: Professional and careerdevelopment.


A1: Knowledge base..


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Researcher Connect:Writing for publication basics

A one-day module

Writing for Publication: Basics is anintroductory module to the principlesand techniques of adapting youracademic writing to become excellentpublication material. We considerpublication in multiple formats, notjust peer-reviewed journals.

WfP: Basics is suitable for early-careerresearchers and anyone who wishesto refresh their academic writing skillsand bring them up to date with a modernapproach to publication. It is anticipatedthat participants in this module will havebeen writing academic-style piecesfor some time, whether for theses,dissertations or for external readerships,

but may be less adept at building papersspecifically for wider audiences.

During the course participants will workon an outline paper about a specificarea of their own research that theywish to publish on. They will end with anannotated structure and a completed,reviewed Introduction section.

Learning outcomes:

Be able to clearly distinguish excellentinternational academic writing, its

qualities and voice.

Be aware of the adaptations needed todevelop academic writing for variouspublication audiences and havetechniques with which to achieve this.

Be able to write with clear purposeand from a strong ethical base.

Be able to write persuasively usingsolid argumentation.

Be able to use the voices of othersethically, correctly and appropriatelyin their own work.

Have developed reflexive skills forprofessional development in this area.

Module content:

The module begins with an analysis ofthe characteristics of good academic

writing, including common features,styles and voice, and then focuses onthe specific identifiers of writing fora publication audience. Next, themodule will incorporate the principlesencountered in Know your Audiencein order to begin work on a skeletonpublication paper. The final foundationsare formed with a refresher on thefundamentals of academic argument,originality and the very practicalconsideration of publication timelines.From here the participants will spend

time developing the unique structureand review the Introduction they createdprior to the course, in light of their newlearning. The next units focus on specifictechniques common to academic writing.These are practised in individual tasksbefore the participants re-visit their ownwritten work to critique, edit and improveusing the newly developed techniquesappropriately. The following sectionchanges focus to bring in the voices ofothers ethically and using correct

protocols. Finally, the module will skimthrough some key know-how and tacticsfor reviewing the draft piece.


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Early-career-stage researchers from anydiscipline should benefit from this course.


Writing for Publication: Basics isbest taken in combination with: KnowYour Audience (mandatory); Writing forPublication: Getting Published; Abstracts.WfP: Basics balances well with Better

Presentations.



Primary


A1: Knowledge base.

Secondary

A3: Creativity.

C1: Professional conduct.


Researcher Connect:Writing for publication:getting published

A one-day module

While many academics and researcherspossess the writing skills to create a goodpublication, the art of getting publishedby the right platform at the right timerequires strategy and know-how that gofar beyond writing. Researcher ConnectsWriting for Publication: Getting Publishedmodule provides an opportunity todevelop these; to form a long-term viewof their desired publishing career andset some goals; to consider the range ofopportunities available to the connectedresearchers in getting themselves andtheir work known and talked about; togrowing an understanding of thepublications industry and its key players;and to developing the tactics to work with

these people and platforms successfully.

Writing for Publication: Getting Publishedis a practical course supporting thedevelopment of tactics and a strategic


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approach to international publishing inmultiple formats. It contains know-howon getting through and understandingthe publishing process and the authorsrole in this.

This one-day module is largely discussionand activity based.

Learning outcomes:

Be able to make well-informed,strategic decisions about theirpublishing career.

Be able to confidently use appropriatepublishing jargon.

Understand and use metricsappropriately to assess impact.

Be able to make clear choices aboutpublishing formats form the wide rangeof options available.

Have a strategic approach to choosingjournals for publication.

Have clear understanding of thereviewer process and their placein this.

Have an understanding of and personalposition on the ethics of publishing.

Be able to make choices regarding thelevel of access to their published work.

Understand and have tried variousself-promotion techniques includingsocial media.

Have a plan to move their publishing

careers forward.

A self-critiquing process will run inparallel to the activities and concludewith a self- and peer-developedanalysis with next steps to work on.

Module contents:

The module begins with a briefphilosophical look at the reasons forpublishing before moving into thepracticalities of publishing terminology

and the range of platforms and formatsopen to the modern internationalresearcher. The module then considersthe range of metrics that can be helpfulfor measuring our own success and thatof the platforms, specifically journals,we publish in. Recognising that at somestage publishing in peer-reviewedjournals is a must, the module will takea strategic look at selecting a journaland understanding the reviewing processthat follows. Theres time to considersome ethical issues and the hot topic oftoday open access. Finally, participantswill review the options open to them inpromoting their work and then finish offa personal strategic plan by naming theirnext steps.


Early-career-stage researchers andresearch supervisors from any disciplineshould benefit from this course.


Writing for Publication: Getting Publishedis best taken in combination with: KnowYour Audience (mandatory); Writing forPublication: Basics; Abstracts. It alsobalances well with Better Presentations.


This module helps develop skills relevant

to the following areas identified in the RDF:Primary


A1: Knowledge base.

Secondary

C1: Research management.

A3: Creativity.

C1: Professional conduct.



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Images Mat Wright

British Council 2014 / E355

Research Connect Web Prospectus

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