project managing your ph d 24 nov 2011

Project Managing your PhD

Carolyne Jacobs

Thursday 24th November 2011


Introductions

CJ

Group

Intro to Victory

Project managing your PhD

http://www.port.ac.uk/victory


Project manage your PhD/research? What defines a project? Why do you need to project manage

your research?


Because you are probably facing:A research deadlineProfessional and domestic commitmentsResource limitations


Outline (in Project Management speak)

Scoping - overview of what you are hoping to achieve

Business case – underpinning rationale Requirements – essential elements Design – tools and techniques Resources – time, consumables, etc. Planning tools



Scoping/Business Case What is your project about?

What do you want to achieve?

Why are you doing it? (How will it benefit you professionally/personally)?

Analogies (CJ’s examples - UoP and own research)

Take 5 mins to explain your research to the person sitting next to you (10 mins in total)



Scoping/Business Case

Write down your objectives

Then consider: Are they achievable? Realistic? Are they

SMART? What will stop you achieving your

objectives? What will help you achieve them?

(10 mins in total)


Scoping

Getting the grasp of key concepts

What is the difference between methodology and methods?



Scoping

Getting the grasp of key concepts

What is ontology?

What is epistemology?



Scoping

What is ontology? Your view of the world

What is epistemology?



Scoping

What is ontology? Your view of the world

What is epistemology? How knowledge is acquired



Scoping

Ontology View of the world

Do you think the world exists externally to human beings?

or.....

Do you think that people contribute to a constantly changing world?


Objectivism Constructivism


Scoping

Epistemology How do I think knowledge is acquired?

By gathering data and seeking out rules/patterns or cause/effect (positivist)?

Or interpreting and taking into account context, experience and views (interpretivist)?



ScopingWhy is this important?

Your view of the world and how you consider knowledge is acquired impacts on your research.

Examples: Effect of volcanic activity on rocks

objectivist?? research design??

Impact of social networking on integration constructivist?? research design??



Scoping Does your research topic exist outside the influence of

human beings?

or Do humans influence your area of research?

Will you: Gather data, seek out patterns and/or cause and

effect

or Focus on individuals’ views and perspectives

Thinking time (5 mins)

Sharing your thoughts and ideas (10 mins)



Break

10 minutes



Reflecting on your PhD/research experiences to date The highs and lows (30 mins)

Individually (5 mins): ○ write 3 of your highs and lows on post-its (use

yellow post-its for highs and green for lows)Together (20 mins):

○ Look for common themes ○ Sort on large sheets of paper○ Discuss and note how

to resolve the lows (small green post-its)highs can be used in future research or your practice

(small orange post-its)

Group discussion

Breakout session


Requirements

After determining your O&E approach, what next??

What distinguishes doctoral research from other research?

How do you find out if your research is unique?



Requirements

Which literature resources are available for your research?

How can you find out about other sources?

Sharing your thoughts and ideas with the person next to you (10 mins)



Milestone

Gaps in the literature Identifying your research questions



A quick online tour

Vitae setup by Research Councils UK and Career Development Organisation

Guidance Downloads Discussion groups

Breakout session

http://www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers/1220/Managing-your-research-project.html


DesignHow will you undertake your research? What approach will you use?

experiment? case study? ethnographic research? survey?

Who or what is the population/data source? How will you choose the sample? (How do you know it is

representative and not bias?) How will you gather the data? (interviews, online

questionnaires, etc.)

Thinking time (5 mins)

Sharing your thoughts and ideas (10 mins)



Recap

We have considered: Your approach/methodology

Literature review

Research design (population, sample, tools and techniques)



Other areas to consider

How will you analyse your data? How will you report your findings? How will you disseminate your findings?


Resources


How much time will your research take?

How much time can you allocate?

(longer than you expect!)

(less than you expect!)

Will you need to spend any money? What resources will you need?

(Printing, postage, online s/w)


Planning tools MsProject Gantter Smartsheet Excel Paper


It doesn’t really matter. It is the thinking and organising in your mind that is important….

http://www.gantter.com/

https://www.smartsheet.com/b/home


Ending with…

New ideas and thoughts about how you will approach your research


Comments?

Questions?


Thank you

Carolyne Jacobs,

Department of Curriculum and Quality Enhancement

University of Portsmouth

[email protected]

www.port.ac.uk/victory


mailto:[email protected]


SMART Specific: in both meaning and focus. Measurable: so that you know when you are achieving

progress and can declare success. Advantageous: what's in this for you? If you can see no

personal advantages, don't waste your time; you won't be seriously motivated towards success.

Realistic: make sure that you are being realistic: you can get feedback to help you do this. Setting learning targets in this way will, through experience, gradually improve your ability to manage your own self-development and learning.

Time limited: set deadlines and 'milestones', times when you will sit down and reflect on and review your progress

(Ref: www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers/1221/Setting%20objectives.html )

Go back

http://www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers/1221/Setting%20objectives.html