Research with E-Resources Week: w/b Monday 7th December

The ILS Research and Academic Liaison Teams have organised a week of workshops for staff and research students, starting on Monday 7^th December. Please book a place at the following workshops if you’re interested in:

Updating or refreshing your research skills

Advising students about key resources and services provided by ILS

Carrying out in-depth research

To book a place at any of the sessions, please email Su Fagg: s.fagg@worc.ac.uk. Refreshments will be provided.

Mon 7th Dec, 9.30 – 11.00am, EEG 023:  Widening Your Searches – Make sure you’re not missing anything.  Find out how to use resources such as the Web of Knowledge effectively.

Mon 7th Dec, 2.15 – 3.45pm, EE 1021: Spreading Your Net – Locating information from a wide range of sources including theses, research repositories and Open Access sources.

Tues 8th Dec, 10.15 – 11.45am, EE 1021: Exploring Resources in your Subject Area

Tues 8th Dec, 2.15 – 3.45pm, EE 1021: Keeping Up To Date - Use clever web tools (e.g. Google Reader, Delicious) to manage the information you really want to receive, store and share.

Weds 9th Dec, 9.30 – 11.00am, EEG 023: Open Session – What do you want to know?  Drop in with questions or for a refresher on anything already covered.

Weds 9th Dec, 2.15 – 3.45pm, PL 1002: RefWorks – Discover how to store and manage your references.

Thurs 10th Dec, 9.30 – 11.00am, EE 1021: WRap It Up – Find out how to upload your research outputs and make them visible to all researchers via the web.  Find and use Open Access sources.

Thurs 10th Dec, 2.15 – 3.45pm, EE 1021: Exploring Resources In Your Subject Area

Fri 11th Dec, 9.30 – 11.00am, PL 1002: Open Session – What do you want to know?  Drop in with questions or for a refresher on anything already covered.

Researcher development framework – consultation exercise

Vitae is developing a framework which will be a tool for planning, promoting and supporting the personal, professional and career development of researchers. It will describe knowledge, skills, behaviours and personal qualities acquired by researchers and will encourage researchers to aspire to excellence through development to a high level.

The proposed framework is an evolution of the 2001 Joint Skills Statement (JSS); whilst the JSS took a snapshot of the skills we would expect a researcher to have acquired by the end of a doctoral degree, the researcher development framework covers a longer period of the research career and broadens the range of descriptors to include skills, knowledge, behaviours, qualities and attitudes.

 The intention is that the framework will be aspirational yet realistic, offering descriptors of good researchers and identifying how an individual might progress to the next level in a given area. 

Vitae is now seeking consultation on this framework from research students, research assistants, research supervisors, research managers, Principal Investigators, and others involved in research.

Details of the framework and an opportunity to provide feedback can be found at:  http://www.vitae.ac.uk/policy-practice/165001/Researcher-development-framework-consultation.html

SRA Training Course: Introduction to Qualitative Data Analysis, tutored By Lis Spencer – 9 December 2009

Summary:	Qualitative data analysis is a conceptually challenging but rewarding part of the qualitative research process. This highly practical and interactive course will introduce participants to some of the key principles involved, provide a road map of the main stages in the analytical process, and provide opportunities for participants to practise the art of analysis themselves.
Objectives:	By the end of the workshop, delegates will: be familiar with key principles of good analytical practice understand the objectives and procedures used in different analytical approaches have both theoretical and practical knowledge of the key stages of data management and generation of findings discover for themselves what rigorous and transparent analysis involves

For more information, please visit 

http://www.the-sra.org.uk/training/training09122009.htm

SRA Training Course: Developing a Knowledge Transfer Strategy (Bill Solesbury and Annette Boaz) – 2 December 2009

Summary:

Researchers are increasingly under pressure – from their employers or from research funders – to communicate their research to practitioners who might benefit from its application to their work, a process now known as knowledge transfer. Sometimes this requirement applies to the whole body of research of a research agency, research centreor research programme. These organisations then need to develop a strategy for knowledge transfer which can guide a range of communication activities by colleagues.This Advanced course focuses on the development of such a strategy.

Objectives:

By the end of the workshop, delegates will: understand the concept of knowledge transfer develop a framework for a knowledge transfer strategy for their organisation acquire tools and techniques for expressing the messages of research, identifying potential audiences and communicating effectively with them learn approaches for assessing the impact of their organisation’s research

For more information, please visit http://www.the-sra.org.uk/training/training02122009.htm

SRA Training Course: Mixed Methods, tutored by Shirley Dex – 25-26 November 2009

Objectives:

By the end of the workshop, delegates will: be introduced to research which combines qualitative and quantitative approaches in a single study and the various forms and applications of mixed methods research in social research; be aware of the risks and benefits involved; understand the process of carrying out a mixed methods project from research questions, to design, data collection, data analysis and integration; understand the role of mixed methods research in evidence based policy and evaluations; be able to evaluate/assess mixed methods studies; have an awareness of potential existing sources of data that can be used for mixed methods research; be aware of possible ways of integrating data and presenting mixed methods research.

For more information, please visit http://www.the-sra.org.uk/training/training2526112009.htm

SRA Training Course: Quality in Social Research (Pam Campanelli and Liz Spencer) – 18-19 November 2009

Summary:

Promoting and assessing ‘quality’ in social research is now a major growth area, with a number of ‘how to’ textbooks, the development of evidence-based policy and practice, and the increasing use of systematic reviews. Despite these developments, assessing quality in social research remains a difficult and contentious area. Not only do many different approaches and criteria exist, but questions about the desirability, feasibility, status, scope and application of quality standards remain unresolved. This course offers insight into how to deal with the “quality issue” for both qualitative and quantitative research.

Objectives:

During the two-day course, participants will become familiar with key debates and issues learn about a range of quality assessment tools perform quality assessments by applying quality criteria to examples of social research proposals and reports develop the confidence to critically appraise the value of different criteria and approaches to quality assessment

For more information, please visit http://www.the-sra.org.uk/training/training1819112009.htm

SRA Training Course: Introduction to Social Research Ethics, tutored by Ron Iphofen – 29 October 2009

An Introduction to Social Research Ethics
Summary:	This course will cover most of the basic principles of research ethics with the aim of stimulating and sustaining ethical awareness in social researchers. It will draw upon the experiences of researchers and issues brought to the workshop for discussion. Ethical dilemmas will be aired as well as some solutions suggested. The nature of the governance and ethics review process will be outlined together with some strategies for dealing with it.
Objectives:	The aim is for participants to be better informed about contemporary issues in research ethics and research governance so that researchers’ ability to take ethical decisions about their research involvements is enhanced and so that they will be better prepared for successful ethical review. Drawing on two major sources – the SRA Guidelines and Iphofen (2009) Ethical Decision-Making in Social Research – the workshop will offer useful sources of information, guidance and advice for ongoing ethical mentoring during the course of research projects; and provide an opportunity to test out problematic ethical issues and concerns in a supportive environment.

This is a half-day course available at £130 for non-members and £90 for members.

For more information, please visit http://www.the-sra.org.uk/training/training29102009.htm 

SRA Training Course: Introduction to Survey Sampling, tutored by Pam Campanelli – 28 October 2009

Summary:

This course introduces participants to what survey sampling is, why it is important, and how it is implemented. It focuses on the practical aspects as well as some of the mathematics.

Objectives:

By the end of the workshop, delegates will: Have a better awareness of the key aspects of survey sample design Understand confidence intervals for means and proportions and how to select a sample size which will guarantee the desired width of the confidence interval after data collection Be able to critique aspects of existing survey samples Have introductory knowledge about drawing their own survey sample.

For more information, please visit  http://www.the-sra.org.uk/training/training28102009.htm

CEDAR – Postgraduate training scheme in the

CEDAR is a free PG training scheme in the use of hypermedia tools for students in arts and humanities run by the University of Bangor.

Any enquiries can be directed to the programme leaders:
Dr. Astrid Ensslin at a.ensslin@bangor.ac.uk
or
Dr Will Slocombe at wws@aber.ac.uk

or visit the collaborative CEDAR website at
http://cedar.bangor.ac.uk/

A registration form (word) can be found here.

Graduate Research School Research Training and Development Workshops for Staff 2009-10

The 2009-10 programme of research training and development workshops for staff can be found on the GRS website here: http://www.worc.ac.uk/graduateschool/684.htm.

Please contact John-Paul Wilson (j.wilson@worc.ac.uk) if you wish to attend any of the sessions.