Becoming a Researcher:
Secret identities, Superpowers &
Comics? Dr Katy Vigurs
Staffordshire University@drkatyvigurs
TALK10
MinsShow & Tell
15 Mins
TALK10
Mins
TALK10
Mins
YOU
YOU
YOU
15 minutes Q&A at the
end
60
minutes
Let’s start with time travel: Dr Who?
2001 2002
Present day
IsolationStop-start
study What does the literature say about common experiences of part-time doctoral study?
At a distance
Outsideof research
cultures
Juggling job & study
Balancing family life
Nervous writers
• Participation in social practices is a necessary condition for learning. (Lave & Wenger, 1991)
• Part-time PGR students at risk of remaining on periphery of research communities.
The doctoral shadow.Pay attention to it.
What does yours look like?
Thesis
Everything behind the thesis
Shaping your doctoral shadow: Let’s turn our
thoughts to the development of research
superpowers.
SUPERPOWER #1Turning your doctoral
experience (thus far) into a haiku. Yes… a haiku.
A haiku is a 3 line poem.5 – 7 – 5
Syllables per line.
By monitor glowA conference paper dueThe grad student naps
Jorge Cham ‘A PhD Haiku’
Superhero Metaphor in Research
What superpowers
do researchers need?
List some!
Superhero Researcher Quiz1. What is your main purpose? What are
you trying to achieve?2. What are your superpowers/abilities?3. Are you using any specialist
gadgets/technology?4. Where did your superpowers stem
from?5. Do you have a secret identity or alter
ego?6. Do you work alone?
KV’s Superhero Responses1. What is my main purpose? What
am I trying to achieve?2. What superpowers/abilities
have I since developed?3. Any specialist
gadgets/technology?4. Do I still have an alter ego?5. Do I work alone?
Alter Egos & New Identities
How do you create scholarly social ties?
Networked Scholarship: A sort of
‘academic web-slinging’?
“Community development processes set out to create the context within which meaningful relationships can be formed and through which people have the space to grow and change and fulfill their potential.” (Flecknoe & McLellan, 1994: 7)
“The creation of networks is significant for knowledge acquisition, knowledge generation, knowledge transfer and professional development.” (Pataraia et al., 2015)
‘Connexity’ in learning is where a culture of community is promoted through activities which enable individuals and groups to join together in social networks. These create occasions and spaces for informal learning.(Chauhan, 2009)
Networks are the webs of informal relationships in & around formal structures.
“I lack the confidence to write my own tweets.”
“I’m concerned how others might respond.”
“I don’t want to appear foolish or stupid. What if
I’m ridiculed?”
SUPERPOWER #2Turning the subject matter of
your doctoral thesis into a single tweet.
A tweet is a sentence of up to 140 characters
(includes spaces & punctuation)
Check out the #TweetMyThesis hashtag on
Twitter.
Want to know more? This just out.Research paper published June 2016Using Twitter to Tackle Peripherality? Scan QR code to access paper
Learn more about using Twitter in university research, teaching & impact activities
User-friendly guide published by Mollet, Moran and Dunleavy
Scan QR code to access paper
Things to reflect on…Diverse methods for communicating your
research(creative is good)
Audiences
Networks & scholarly conversations
Achieving your doctorate is not only about completing
your thesis.
Think about the ‘research superpowers’ that you have developed (or will
develop).
Don’t be afraid to show your examiners your researcher alter-ego!
(Cape and mask optional)
Ten research blogs I STRONGLY recommend subscribing to:• Dr Naomi Barnes https://courtingtheacademy.wordpress.com/ • Prof Pat Thomson (Patter) https://patthomson.net/ • Dr Inger Mewburn https://thesiswhisperer.com/ • The Research Whisperer https://theresearchwhisperer.wordpress.com/ • Dr Helen Kara (independent researcher) https://helenkara.com/blog/
• BERA Blog https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog • Dr Rachael Cayley https://explorationsofstyle.com/ • Dr Nathan Ryder http://viva-survivors.com/ • Dr Nick Hopwood https://nickhop.wordpress.com/• Doctoral Writing https://doctoralwriting.wordpress.com/
Get new posts
direct by email!!
These blogs can become part of your
scholarly networks
So what have comics got to do with research?
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