Planning for Best Practice in Research

1. Planning for Best Practice in Research Professor John Breen Dean, Graduate School www.graduateschool.ul.ie

2. I will speak about • Managing expectations • What you expect of us • What we expect of you • Ethics and Governance • Planning your research strategy • Acquiring the necessary skills

3. Managing Expectations Why is this important?

4. 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 …

5. Our expectations of you • What are the University’s 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

6. 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

7. Why is this important? • We need to understand the relationship between the supervisor and student – many elements to a successful relationship • The relationship may impact on what you do and on your research and writing • The roles vary over time – need to understand how they change • What is the objective of the research?

8. 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?

9. 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!

10. 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

11. Continued… • Seek and participate in training courses • But do so in ordered way: not course junkies! • Seek to publish your work, acknowledging the role of the supervisor, co-publishing with the supervisor when appropriate • Submit your thesis within the agreed time frame

12. 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

13. Work Plans and Timelines • Plan out your project: Personal Development Planner • Use a weekly/monthly planner – plan each year out • Year 1, 2, 3 (4) – what are your supervisor’s expectations? Parallel tasks, meetings, revision, and writing tasks • Be aware of time management • What are your goals • What tasks need to be completed • Set deadlines for yourself • Monitoring and review your progress

14. Common problems • Poor planning & management of project • Unrealistic expectations for the research • Poor formulation of research question / hypotheses • Methodological difficulties • Writing up • Isolation • Personal problems outside the research • Inadequate or negligent supervision

15. 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

16. Universityof Limerick Research Ethics & Governance Committee ULREG

17. Ethics and Governance • ULREG + 4 Faculty RECs + some sub-faculty RECs (where not single discipline) • Any research involving anything to do with humans needs ethical approval • Faculty and PGR research needs FacultyREC approval BEFORE THE RESEARCH BEGINS

18. Ethical approval • Just now, limited to research involving humans • But … others might be on the way. • Work ethically: • Working with animals? • Working with the environment?

19. Working ethically • Be honest: says it all • Research Governance issues • For example: what happens if a researcher falsifies the data? • Concentrating on avoiding the problem, not trying to deal with it by legislating for it • Plagiarism: short discussion on issues • Co-authorship

21. Structured PhD:

24. Online Modules using interactive solutions from Epigeum http://www.epigeum.co.uk spin off company of Imperial College London

25. Research Skills Online

26. Very soon … • On line registration for Skills courses • Researchtraining /at/ ul.ie

31. Generic and transferable skills • Personal Development Planning • Training Needs Analysis • Short programmes of skills: e.g. • Research skills • Searching databases, bibliography management • Data analysis • Communication: posters, oral presentation skills • etc, etc

32. Skills development • GS is also provides supervisor training • Supervising • Examining • Latter delivered to PGRs also as “surviving the viva” aimed at students close to finishing • We’ll take suggestions and we welcome suggestions for further courses

33. 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”)

34. Training programmes, contd. • Emails to the UL community from Anne O’Dwyer • Sometimes also to Shannon Consortium (LIT, MIC and ITT) – Sif funding • Problem • Students register and don’t show up! • Working on how to cope with this • Researchtraining on-line registration

35. Plan what skills you need • Personal Development Planners • See them as a diary / planner for your entire research programme

40. Theses: never too soon to start planning! • Monograph form • e.g in sciences, Introduction, Materials & Methods, Results, Discussion & Conclusions • By publications (see code of practice) • Individual chapters mimic publications • DVD etc of supplementary materials: PhD by practice • Examination Board for your viva voce examination determines what is the accepted norm in your discipline, and provides quality control for the university

41. e-Submission of theses • Starting from next Examination Board • PDF of thesis required • Will expose any plagiarism • Open Library: national project • Is this an issue for your results? IP, Patents etc • Balance this with being “discovered” by Google etc • Open access is the way forward, but we need to manage it

42. For PGRs who will be ordering • Official orders • Take advice from e.g. Senior Technician in your department • Official Purchase Order form from Procurement Website • Rules about using recognized suppliers or 3 quotes

45. For further information on graduate studies see: http://www.graduateschool.ul.ie

46. Some commonsense! • Back up data. • PC World 1TB disc at present €89 • Put file called “Owners contact details” on your usb drives • Enquire about UL M:\ drive – remote access • http://screencast.com/t/ZEPXXoWsHsc • Two programs I find very useful • CCleaner ccleaner.com (cleans rubbish – including registry if you are brave) • Jing jingproject.com (copies part screens) • I use CCleaner and defrag my PC and laptop regularly

47. How to defrag your laptop

48. Questions & Discussion