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Managing your postgraduate research

Carolyne Jacobs

Tuesday 19th March 2013

Tuesday, 19th March 2013

Managing your postgrad research

Introductions

CJ

Group

Moodle PhD resources – a quick tour

Vitae setup by Research Councils UK and Career Development Organisation guidance, resources, discussion groups

http://moodle.port.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=3412

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



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.

+ PM methodology and tools



Scope

What is your project about? What do you want to achieve?

Business case Why are you doing it? How will it benefit you

professionally/personally)? Analogies (CJ’s examples – UoP

projects, own PhD and research)



Practical

Take 5 mins each to explain your research to the person sitting next to you including:

1. What your project is about

2. What you want to achieve

3. Why you are doing it (how will it benefit you professionally/personally)



Business Case

The overall aim is to achieve your postgrad qualification, but how does it fit into your longer term plan for the next 5 years?

Consider your own 5 yr objectives for 5 mins: What are they? Are they achievable? Realistic? Are they

SMART? What will stop you achieving your objectives? What will help you achieve them?

Project managing your postgrad research



Identifying requirements

Getting the grasp of key concepts

What is the difference between methodology and methods?




Requirements

Getting the grasp of key concepts

What is ontology?

What is epistemology?




Requirements

What is ontology? Your view of the world

What is epistemology?



Requirements

What is ontology? Your view of the world

What is epistemology? How knowledge is acquired



Requirements

Ontology View of your research world -

Do you think the world exists externally to human beings?

or.....

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




Requirements

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)?




Requirements

Why 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??



Requirements

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 Look for context and interpretation? Are you: ‘viewing

events and social world through the eyes of the people being studied?’ (Bryman, 2008)




Methodological approach

QuantitativeExperiment, historical, correlational (using

reports, logs, data)

QualitativeEthnographic research, action research,

survey, case study.



Design

The tools and techniques you use depend on your approach

….examples from CJ



Identifying your methodology

Is your research: Scientific/positivist or interpretivist?

Why?

Will you a: Quantitative or qualitative approachWhy?

What tools and techniques?

(Discuss in groups of 3/4 for 20 mins max in total)



Break

10 minutes

Vitae setup by Research Councils UK and Career Development Organisation

Guidance Downloads Discussion groups

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



Requirements 2

After determining your approach, what next??

What distinguishes doctoral research from other research?

How do you find out if your research is unique?



Requirements 2

Which literature resources are available for your research?

How can you find out about other sources?



DesignHow will you undertake your research?

How will you identify literature resources? 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)



Milestone(completion deadline) Gaps in the literature Identifying your research questions



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)



Managing your time effectively

Prioritise Recognise strengths and weaknesses Be realistic Plan ahead, take all your activities into

account and building in some flexibility Create weekly or monthly plans, plus a

‘to do’ list Be generous with your timings.



Managing your time effectively(example)

List 9 research activities for the next week/month

Rank in order of as A−B−C,where:A priority = high value goals (urgent activities)

B priority = medium value goals (important activities but not urgent)

C priority = low value goals (activities without deadlines)

Within in each category order e.g. A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, etc.

(max 10 mins individually)



Reflecting on your PhD/research experiences to date

The good and bad points (30 mins in total)Individually (5 mins):

○ write down 3 good things (each on a separate yellow sticky note)

○ write down 3 things bad -or not so good (each on a separate green sticky note)

Together (20 mins):○ Look for common themes ○ Sort on large sheets of paper○ Discuss and note how

to resolve the bad points How good points can be used in future research/ practice

Group discussion



Project Management methodology

AgileFlexible system with short deadlines for

tasks, self-organisation. Include frequent meetings and visible tracking

Waterfall methodMore structured with clear project stagesPrince 2 methodology for technical projects

For your research you are likely to take the relevant elements and manage in your own way.



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



Practical (20 + mins)

Identify:The key stages of your projectLikely timescalesMilestones (key completion dates)

Use one of the project tools to create an outline project plan

But remember this is a working document and will change – frequently!



Ending with…

New ideas and thoughts about how you will approach your research

Comments?

Questions?



Thank you

Dr 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

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