Planning for Best Practice in Research

Professor John Breen

Dean, Graduate School

www.graduateschool.ul.ie

I will speak about

• Managing expectationsWhat you expect of usWhat we expect of you

• Ethics and Governance• Planning your research strategy• Acquiring the necessary skills

Managing Expectations

Why is this important?

Your expectations of the University

• What are your expectations of the University?High quality, trained supervisionReasonable access to resources … Guidance on submission and completionCareer development advice

• Managing expectations …

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 reflectionOwnership of your own research degree

programme

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

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?

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?

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!

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

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

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

Work Plans and Timelines

• Plan out your project: Personal Development PlannerUse a weekly/monthly planner – plan each year

outYear 1, 2, 3 (4) – what are your supervisor’s

expectations? Parallel tasks, meetings, revision, and writing tasks

• Be aware of time managementWhat are your goalsWhat tasks need to be completedSet deadlines for yourselfMonitoring and review your progress

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

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

University of Limerick Research Ethics & Governance CommitteeULREG

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

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?

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

Structured PhD:

Online Modules using interactive solutions

from Epigeum

http://www.epigeum.co.uk spin off company of Imperial College London

Research Skills Online

Very soon …

• On line registration for Skills courses• Researchtraining /at/ ul.ie

Generic and transferable skills

• Personal Development PlanningTraining Needs Analysis

• Short programmes of skills: e.g.Research skillsSearching databases, bibliography managementData analysisCommunication: posters, oral presentation skills

• etc, etc

Skills development

• GS is also provides supervisor trainingSupervisingExamining

• 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

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”)

Training programmes, contd.

• Emails to the UL community from Anne O’DwyerSometimes also to Shannon Consortium (LIT, MIC

and ITT) – Sif funding

• ProblemStudents register and don’t show up!Working on how to cope with thisResearchtraining on-line registration

Plan what skills you need

• Personal Development Planners • See them as a diary / planner for your entire

research programme

Theses: never too soon to start planning!

• Monograph forme.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

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

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

For further information on graduate studies see:

http://www.graduateschool.ul.ie

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

How to defrag your laptop

Questions & Discussion