ESRC National Centre for Research Methods Assessment of Training Needs 2005

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ESRC National Centre for Research Methods
Assessment of Training Needs 2005

• Researcher Development Initiative Conference
• 6-7 February, 2007

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Assessment of Training Needs

• One of the roles of the NCRM Hub is to conduct
  assessments of the research methods training
  needs of the social science community
• Exercise focuses (primarily) on PhD students,
  junior researchers and academic employers of
  research staff
• Future exercise to focus on non-academic sector

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Aims of 2005 Assessment

• Topics on which training is most needed
• Point in career trajectory when specific training
  is needed
• Level at which training is needed (e.g. basic,
  intermediate, advanced etc)
• Format of training delivery (e.g., short courses,
  on-line learning, residential courses,
  placements)
• Sources of information accessed to find out about
  training
• Barriers to the uptake of training (e.g.,
  availability of funding and opportunities to
  attend training courses).

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Methods

• Questionnaire survey of ESRC PhD students,
  researchers working on ESRC-funded projects, ESRC
  fellowship holders (researcher survey) (n697)
• Analysis of questionnaires distributed at NCRM
  events and responses to an online questionnaire
  (event participant survey) (n99)
• Questionnaire survey of ESRC Centre Directors and
  holders of large ESRC grants (academic employer
  survey) (n58)

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Researcher Survey Respondents
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Researcher SurveyTraining Needs Identified

• Training needs identified in relation to
  traditional qual. and quant. methods of data
  collection and analysis rather than
  innovative/developing methods
• Training needs identified in general broad areas
  (e.g., statistics)
• The importance of training in a range of skills
  identified by some but mixed methods not
  identified

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Researcher Survey Training Needs

• Tendency for respondents to identify training
  needs in qual. methods at PhD level but to
  increasingly identify a need for training in
  quant methods as their career progressed
• Evident in relation to their own training needs
  and their perceptions of general needs among the
  social science community
• A large proportion of students identified
  training needs not met by their institution -
  especially in relation to interviewing and
  qualitative analysis
• Large proportion of students undertaking
  qualitative research for their PhDs

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Researcher Survey Specific Topics Identified

• Interviewing techniques skills (students and
  junior researchers professors and HoDs)
• Analysis of qualitative data and use of CAQDAS
  (especially students)
• Basic statistics
• Advanced statistics especially modelling
  techniques
• Use of statistical packages (SPSS, STATA)

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Researcher Survey Training Delivery

• Training courses up to one day duration preferred
  and some support for on-line training
• Little support for placements residential
  courses although students/junior researchers
  noted a preference for practical training
• Strong support for regional training
• Greatest need for training at intermediate level
• Lack of funding (junior researchers) lack of
  time (senior researchers) primary reasons for
  being unable to access training

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Event Participants Survey Respondents

• 99 respondents

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Event Participants Survey Training Needs
Identified

• Respondents identified different and more
  specific training needs than the researcher
  survey
• Need for training in innovative methods and mixed
  methods identified
• Advanced statistics identified as training need
• Respondents with a specific interest in methods?

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Event Participants Survey Training Delivery

• Training courses of up to one day preferred
• Placements and residential courses identified as
  the least useful forms of training
• Greatest need for training at the intermediate
  level
• Strong support for regional training
• Few problems with accessing training identified

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Academic Employer Survey Respondents

• 58/179 academic employer respondents
• 81 professors, readers, directors or heads of
  units
• 49 managed 1-3 staff 25 managed 4-9 staff
  26 managed 10-35 staff

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Academic Employer Survey Training Needs
Identified

• Greatest need for training identified in relation
  to quantitative methods. The weakness of
  training in quantitative skills was frequently
  noted.
• Only 20 noted a need for training in qualitative
  methods
• General research and transferable skills were
  skills sought when making appointments but little
  support voiced for further training in these areas

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Academic Employer Survey Training Delivery

• Training supported by the ESRC should be at
  advanced level and focus on generic skills
• Universities should provide basic training and
  other initiatives provide discipline-specific
  training
• Resources and time should be written into
  research grants to enable researchers to access
  training

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Limitations

• Primarily questionnaire-based study no
  opportunities to explore issues in depth
• Open-ended questions on research needs resulted
  in lack of specificity of issues
• Given funding priorities, respondents (esp.
  academic employers) are likely to comprise
  significant proportion of quant. researchers so
  findings may reflect (to some degree) the
  interests, methodological perspectives and
  disciplines of those who receive funding

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Conclusions

• The assessment identifies a range of issues for
  consideration
• There is a need for training in quantitative
  methods, statistics use of statistical software
  at all levels across the career trajectory
• A system of training needs to be developed to
  enable researchers to work confidently across a
  range of methods at all levels
• A programme of training for first-post contract
  researchers needs to be developed, possibly
  through a system of annual summer schools
• Courses aimed at updating the skills, knowledge
  and expertise for mid-career and senior
  researchers involved in research methods teaching
  and supervision are needed

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Conclusions

• Training in qualitative analytic skills,
  especially for PhD students, is needed. These
  include, but go beyond, training in the use of
  qualitative analysis software
• Opportunities need to be developed for PhD
  students and junior researchers to engage in
  experiential learning, especially in relation to
  interviewing skills (e.g., through placements)
• The research training received by post-graduate
  students is variable and does not always meet
  their needs. A system of collaborative provision
  across institutions might better enable the
  training needs of this group to be met

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Conclusions

• Training opportunities should be provided at a
  regional level.
• There is potential demand for on-line training
  resources but these will require very significant
  investment for their development and will need to
  be appropriately promoted to encourage uptake
• Lack of funds prevents a significant number of
  (junior) researchers from taking part in training
  - the provision of financial support to enable
  researchers to access training is important

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For further information

• Assessment of Training Needs, Final Report 2005
  by Rose Wiles, Gabriele Durrant, Sofie De Broe
  and Jackie Powell
• can be found under Reports at
• http//www.ncrm.ac.uk/publications/index.php