Good Practice in Research

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Good Practice in Research

• Dr John Breen
• Dean, Graduate School
• www.graduatestudies.ul.ie

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Enjoy the campus!

• Use the facilities
• Sports - Arena
• Concert hall UCH
• Irish world music centre
• Arts
• Irish Chamber Orchestra
• National self portrait gallery
• Hunt museum (UL-Shannon)
• Other art galleries

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Today

• Intro to Graduate School
• Why more PhDs?
• Nature of research degree
• Managing expectations yours and the
  universitys
• Role and responsibilities of researchers
• Good research practice working with your
  supervisor
• Research Training and Supports

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UL Graduate School

• Aims
• Improve overall coordination of graduate studies
• Enhance the value of the postgraduate experience
• Implement a faculty and student friendly
  graduate-centred system for admission,
  registration, progression and examination
• Encourage faculty to take on new research
  students seek funding
• Provide more training opportunities for faculty
  and students

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Whats a Masters/PhD?

• Masters must show evidence of independent
  enquiry and/or originality in either conclusions
  or method
• PhD should show evidence of independent
  enquiry, originality in the methods used and/or
  in the conclusions drawn and must make an
  appreciable new contribution to knowledge or
  thinking in the candidates field. Ch5. 5, S.
  14.2 Handbook of Academic Regulations.

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Graduate School

• Graduate School is responsible for
• Research taught postgraduate strategy,
  procedures, regulations
• Postgraduate recruitment advertizing
• Postgraduate admissions
• Postgraduate funding / scholarships
• Postgraduate infrastructure / desk space
• Faculty student induction training
• Management of the thesis submission process

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Who does what?

• John Breen Dean Graduate Studies
• Michael Frain Graduate Administrator
• Anne ODwyer Research Training Coordinator
• Marie Beaumont Administration
• Frances McCann Postgraduate Admissions
• Other useful contacts
• Marianne Tormey Student Academic Admin
• Aisling Ryan PG Payroll, Finance Office
• Mary Allen Fees Office

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Why more PhD graduates?

• Your country needs you!
• Number of researchers per 1000 population
  Ireland 14th of 30 OECD countries
• National targets for the universities
• SET 543 (2005) ? 997 (2013)
• HSS 187 (2005) ? 315 (2013)
• UL 67 (2005) ? 134 (2013) all PhDs

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Traditional PhD everybody here!

• 3 year programme
• Average in UL is 4.2 years
• Tends to be single supervisor per postgrad model
• Moving towards more joint and team supervision
• Four years, not for years!
• Added value generic transferable skills
• So moving towards

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Fourth level Ireland

• Moving towards more
• Structured PhD programmes (4 years)
• In first 1 to 2 years taught modules, beginning
  of the project, then
• 2 years research programme
• You will hear about Greps
• Graduate Research Education Programmes
• Name used by IRCSET / IRCHSS for structured PhD
  programmes

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But experience from abroad

• In some countries, even after 20 years
• lt30 of postgrads are in structured PhD
  programmes
• So dont feel left out, but
• Avail of the skills development programmes you
  need
• Discuss with your supervisor plan!

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Four years, not for years!

• Experience in a number of countries is that gt5
  years there is a sharp decline in finishing rates
• UL recent average completion duration is 4.2
  years
• 4 years is a realistic goal

4 years not for years
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Research institutes
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So, example MSSI

• 34 Academic Staff,
• 38 Postdoctoral Fellows,
• 139 Postgraduate students
• 211 Researchers
• Chemistry Mechanical Engineering
• Materials Science Electronic
  Engineering
• Physics Biochemistry

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Funding?

• Many of you are funded
• If not check possibilities for the research
  councils
• ircset.ie (Science, Engineering, Tech)
• irchss.ie (Humanities, Social Sciences)
• Some postgrads get funded after Year 1 Grad
  School organizes advisory sessions
• A few UL scholarships may help call in May

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Generic and transferable skills?

• Short programmes of skills e.g.
• Research skills
• Searching databases, bibliography management
• Data analysis
• Communication posters, oral presentation skills
• etc, etc
• Ircset provides 1500 for your generic and
  transferable skills training
• The GS and YOU need to keep records of who does
  what

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Generic skills

• To
• Teach
• Mentor
• Publish
• Ask questions
• Know how to solve them

• Be truthful
• Think laterally beyond the walls it is a PhD
• Doctor Philosophiae

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Transferable skills

• Define a research question / problem
• Literature searches
• Design how to collect the relevant data
• Write a report (thesis)
• Defend your thesis (viva voce exam the viva)

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Training programmes, contd.

• Emails to the UL community from Anne ODwyer
• Sometimes also to Shannon Consortium (LIT, MIC
  and ITT) Sif funding
• Problem
• Students register and dont show up!
• Working on how to cope with this
• Expensive courses to run!
• Aim to produce a GS transcript of who has done
  which programmes

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Plan what skills you need

• Personal Development Planners on the way,
  initially as an option
• See them as a diary / planner for your entire
  research programme

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More on skills development

• GS is also providing supervisor training
• Supervising
• Examining
• Latter ? surviving the viva aimed at students
  close to finishing
• Well take suggestions and well have a committee
  for critical feedback

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The Nature of a Research Degree

• Observation a masters or PhD dissertation is
  probably the largest piece of work you have ever
  faced and it can be daunting
• Implications have to think about to approach a
  large piece of work
• Planning and preparation are critical to success
• Establishing a good working relationship with
  your supervisor(s)

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Managing Expectations

• Why is this important?

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Your expectations of the University

• What are your expectations of the University?
• High quality, trained supervision
• Reasonable access to resources
• Guidance on submission and completion
• Career development advice
• Managing expectations

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Our expectations of you

• What are the Universitys expectations of you?
• Enthusiasm, commitment, professionalism, good
  work ethic, curiousity, honesty and integrity,
  knowledge of subject, organised
• Foster creativity, independence and reflection
• Ownership of your own research degree programme

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Role Responsibilities of Researchers

• Role and responsibilities of the supervisor
• Role and responsibilities of the student
• Work plans and timelines
• Good research practice
• Research degree training
• Research supports and infrastructure

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What should you expect of your supervisor?

• PhD, qualified professional, academic, ethical
  standard of work
• Supervisor must know the regulations, documents
  and procedures . training
• Aware of available support services
• Can assess the research topic does it have merit

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Continued

• Can identify your training needs
• Is accessible and gives adequate time for
  uninterrupted supervision
• Competent in mentoring adaptable watchful and
  resourceful helps with career
• High expectations!

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Responsibilities of the student

• Be responsible for your own research activity
  only you can write the PhD
• Be responsible for your own personal career
  development
• Be aware of academic rules, regulations, ethical
  guidelines grievance procedures
• Maintain regular contact with your supervisor,
  agree keep deadlines, report on progress (end
  of semester report) keep a written record of
  meetings (email useful)

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Continued

• Seek and participate in training courses
• Seek to publish your work, acknowledging the role
  of the supervisor - usually co-publishing with
  the supervisor
• Submit your thesis within the agreed timeframe

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Responsibilities of the supervisor

• At the outset at supervisor should
• Explain what is involved in doing a PhD
• Agree a programme of work and time frame
• Agree the ground rules find out what your
  supervisor expects
• Acquaint you with regulations / postgraduate
  charter
• Agree on a schedule of meetings / deadlines

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Common problems

• Poor planning management of project
• Unrealistic expectations for the research
• Research question or hypotheses NOT clear
• Methodological difficulties
• Writing up
• Isolation
• Personal problems outside the research
• Inadequate or negligent supervision

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Good Research Practice

• Research must be undertaken independently with
  the support your supervisor(s)
• Research must be of the highest standard and
  conducted in ethical manner research ethics
• Maintain a good working relationship with your
  supervisor
• Importance of holding regular supervisory
  meetings
• Agree on training needs skills development at
  the outset
• CV development / awareness of profession /
  networking
• Be prepared to attend conferences / give papers /
  publish your research
• Be aware of IP issues and commercial
  possibilities

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Importance of Training

• Need to identify your training needs
• Research skills and techniques
• Research environment
• Research management
• Personal effectiveness
• Communication skills
• Networking and team-working
• Career management
• Employability beyond the world of academia

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Some useful supports

• Guide to Postgraduate Supervision
• Handbook of Academic Regulations
• Postgraduate Charter
• Postgraduate Agreement
• Postgraduate Prospectus
• Postgraduate Student Association

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For further information on graduate studies see

• http//www.graduatestudies.ul.ie

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Questions