2014–15
online and face-to-face training
A GUIDE TO RESEARCH TRAINING
WORKSHOPS, SUMMER SCHOOLS AND ONLINE TRAINING available to postgraduate students in the humanities
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Contents
Introduction 02 Research skills workshops
04
Thursday workshops
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Applying for research funding
07
PORT online training
08
Institute-specific training and fora
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Bloomsbury Postgraduate Skills Network
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School contacts
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About the School
The School of Advanced Study (SAS), University of London is the UK’s national centre for the promotion and facilitation of research in the humanities. SAS brings together the specialised scholarship and resources of 10 prestigious research institutes in Bloomsbury to provide an unrivalled scholarly environment dedicated to the support, evaluation and pursuit of research which is accessible to all higher education institutions in the UK and the rest of the world. Member Institutes of the School Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Institute of Classical Studies Institute of Commonwealth Studies Institute of English Studies Institute of Historical Research Institute of Latin American Studies Institute of Modern Languages Research Institute of Musical Research Institute of Philosophy The Warburg Institute
www.sas.ac.uk
SAS also hosts a cross-disciplinary centre. The Human Rights Consortium brings together the multidisciplinary expertise found in the institutes, as well as collaborating with individuals and organisations worldwide, to support, promote and disseminate academic and policy work on human rights.
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Introduction The School of Advanced Study draws on its extensive research and teaching expertise in the humanities to provide a programme of disciplinespecific and transferable research training, both face-to-face and online. Most of the School’s training is available to postgraduate students across the UK as well as our own students, much of it free of charge. We take the development of early-career researchers seriously, too: our workshops provide the transferable and employability skills necessary for preparation for careers in academia and elsewhere, and all our researchers, at whatever level, are welcome to attend. We offer well-established training for humanities postgraduate students (most notably in history, law, English, modern languages, music) as well as in specialist areas (palaeography, book history, Renaissance culture, medieval manuscript studies), together with a programme of workshops in generic research and transferable skills, plus training in essential research software and management information tools.
Rachel Stickland Registrar +44 (0)20 7862 8662 rachel.stickland@sas.ac.uk www.sas.ac.uk/support-research/ research-training
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Introduction
‘The School’s extensive and varied range of training programmes are designed to meet the needs of 21st-century researchers, offering programmes which enable scholars in the humanities to develop their skills and pursue their studies to maximum effect.’ www.sas.ac.uk
Rachel Stickland, Registrar
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Research skills workshops
This programme of workshops and seminars provides transferable research training for MPhil and PhD students in the humanities and social sciences, complementing the specialised programmes provided by the institutes for their students. It is expected that most School students will be able to take part in all sessions of the programme at an appropriate time in their doctoral study.
in the humanities and social sciences based in the UK. Those based in the Bloomsbury colleges (Birkbeck, Institute of Education, SOAS, UCL etc.) may register through the Bloomsbury Postgraduate Skills Network (BPSN). Students at non-BPSN institutions should register direct, by contacting Christine Weir, Postgraduate Student Officer (Research Training), Christine.Weir@sas.ac.uk.
The workshops are taught largely by the School’s academic staff, drawing on the expertise available in the wider University of London.
School students should ensure that they let Christine Weir (Christine.Weir@sas.ac.uk) know in advance that they expect to attend. This is to make sure that they can be kept informed if there are last-minute changes to the programme or venue.
The programme is freely available – to School students, of course, who do not need to register, and also to all registered research students 04
Project organisation and management Thursday 30 October 2014, 14.00-16.00 Room 243, Senate House This workshop is designed to help students complete their PhD successfully by planning and organising their research and time, using project management techniques to take them from research idea to delivery of the thesis. The session will look at defining the project and its goals, timetabling, milestones, resources, responsibilities, risks, and how to review the plan when the project changes. Basic use of the software MS Project will be touched on. The session will allow students the opportunity to start putting together their own project plan; consider the structure and processes that are essential for a successful project, and discuss issues such as estimating inputs, quality management, working with others, and identifying the critical path to delivering the PhD within schedule. Presenter: Staff Development Team (University of London)
encouraged to come to the session prepared to talk and raise questions about their own experiences. Presenters: Mr Richard Temple (Senate House Library); Dr Elizabeth Danbury (Institute of English Studies)
Research skills workshops
Thursday workshops
Giving a seminar or conference paper Thursday 27 November 2014, 14.00-16.00 Athlone Room / Room 102, Senate House This session will cover the preparation and delivery of a paper for a seminar, or specialist conference audience. The session will include hints on how to give effective presentations at seminars, and large and small conferences, the use of visual aids, and discussion of different presentation styles. Presenter: Dr Julian Burger (Institute of Commonwealth Studies)
Data protection and research data Thursday 4 December 2014, 14.00-16.00 Torrington Room / Room 104, Senate House
Working in archives Thursday 20 November 2014, 14.00-16.00 Room 243, Senate House
This session explores the importance of data protection for you and your research. Presenter: Dr Kit Good (Vice-Chancellor’s Office)
Organising successful academic events Thursday 15 January 2015, 14.00-16.00 Room 243, Senate House Organising an academic event can offer students career-changing opportunities and be rewarding and enjoyable. This session runs through the key areas of organising a successful academic event. We will discuss the different event types, public engagement, impact, timing, venues, audiences, speakers, finance, collaborations, technical issues, hospitality, programming, the night before, the day itself, post-event issues and potential pitfalls. Presenters: Karen Hunte (Institute of Commonwealth Studies PhD); Ikani Agabi (Institute of Legal Studies PhD)
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www.sas.ac.uk
The session is for those who have recently begun, or are about to begin, to use archives in their research. An overriding aim is to help researchers develop effective strategies for exploring their subjects. Archives are not simply passive repositories of information but bear the imprint of historical process and accident. Thinking about the nature of the archive itself can throw light on the cultural and historical context of the topic being investigated. A number of questions can be explored. What is an ‘archive’? How does it differ from ‘records’ or ‘documents’? Is there a wider view of materials from the past which might be comprehended by the term ‘archive’? Why were certain archives created? How have they survived? How do you formulate a strategy for finding the information that you think you need? What role can random exploration play? Participants are
Thursday workshops The PhD viva Thursday 22 January 2015, 14.00-16.00 Room 243, Senate House The session is intended to help students prepare for the viva examination. It will look at a range of practical matters including choosing the external examiners, and the roles and strategies of the student, the supervisors, and the examiners. It will review the regulations and guidelines for examiners and candidates, and discuss common practice. It will also discuss practical questions such as what to bring to the examination, and what happens after the examination. Presenters: Professor Philip Murphy (Institute of Commonwealth Studies); Professor Catherine Davies (Institute of Modern Languages Research)
Getting research published Thursday 29 January 2015, 14.00-16.00 Room 243, Senate House This session will address the process of publication in a variety of academic/professional outlets including digital publication; preparing articles for submission to academic journals, the process of editing, writing book proposals, and (from the perspective of the publisher) turning a thesis into a non-academic book. Presenter: Dr Jane Winters (Institute of Historical Research)
Conducting interviews: oral history Thursday 5 February 2015, 14.00-16.00 Room 243, Senate House This session offers guidance and practical advice on how to conduct and transcribe interviews. The starting point will be group interviewing and witness seminars. The session will consider issues around objectivity and subjectivity; how to determine the usefulness of information gathered, and to make the 06
most effective use of the information for the research project; to distinguish between fact and opinion, and the place of secondary sources. The session will look at sensitivity and cultural awareness, and address issues of ethical interviewing. Presenter: Dr Sue Onslow (Institute of Commonwealth Studies)
Using social media Thursday 12 February 2015, 14.00-16.00 Room 243, Senate House Social media (from blogs, Twitter, YouTube and Vimeo to Facebook, Google+, Flickr, Instagram, LinkedIn and Academia.edu) can be a powerful tool supporting a PhD student’s research and career. This workshop will give an overview of social media platforms, why you use them, what you share and which tool you use for what purpose. We will discuss the benefits as well as the challenges of using social media when developing a professional online profile and communicating research as a PhD student. Presenter: Dr Matt Phillpott (SAS-Space Manager / SAS Digital Project Officer)
Teaching skills for the PhD student Thursday 19 February 2015, 14.00-16.00 Room 243, Senate House This session will explore the issues for the doctoral student engaged in teaching seminars or classes in their own department or external institution. It will examine the skills that are necessary, and identify strategies for the researcher as teacher: how to manage research with teaching; planning a class; managing assessment; identifying and dealing with student needs; organising material, and keeping records; team-teaching; moving to the first academic position. Presenter: Dr Richard Freeman (Institute of Education)
Applying for research funding Date TBC
Further details of all training offered are available from our website at: www.sas.ac.uk/supportresearch/research-training
Research skills workshops
Applying for research funding
This half-day session will explore funding options for research projects. Presentations will cover where to find information about funders, how to pitch your research project, how to write a research proposal, and how to prepare a proposal budget. It will also consider the long-term management of a funded project. The workshop will address ways of building contacts with funding councils and prospective funding organisations as well as approaches to developing collaborative research opportunities. The date for this session will be announced on the School of Advanced Study Research Training page on our website. Please consult this for details: www.sas.ac.uk/support-research/ research-training
The date for this session will be announced on the School of Advanced Study Research Training page on our website. Please consult this for details: www.sas.ac.uk
www.sas.ac.uk
This half-day session will explore funding options for research projects. Presentations will cover where to find information about funders, how to pitch your research project, how to write a research proposal, and how to prepare a proposal budget. It will also consider the longterm management of a funded project. The workshop will address ways of building contacts with funding councils and prospective funding organisations as well as approaches to developing collaborative research opportunities.
PORT online training
New for 2014–15 from SAS is the PORT website (Postgraduate Online Research Training). This website provides online research skills training for postgraduate researchers in the humanities as part of the School’s national remit to facilitate and promote research.
involved, so courses can be undertaken whenever students wish and followed at a pace that suits them. Most courses include advice, exercises, and quizzes to help students develop. Alongside these, PORT contains videos, training guides and various other useful materials.
The idea of PORT is to enable postgraduate researchers to gain or enhance their knowledge in basic and advanced research skills that are particularly applicable to, or provide the building blocks for, research in the humanities and to individual disciplines. A variety of courses and training materials are already available – including applying for a PhD, managing your data, databases, and developing basic palaeography skills. There is much more to come as well.
This is an exciting new direction for the School. Whereas previously individual institutes had developed online training content themselves, now, for the first time, these can all be found in the same place. This enables us to strengthen and widen the provision and ensure that it becomes more cohesive and useful to postgraduate researchers across the UK.
Almost all of these courses and training materials can be accessed for free. There is no tutor 08
You can access PORT via the SAS website or from the research training pages on each institute’s site. port.modernlanguages.sas.ac.uk
Institute-specific training and fora
Institute-specific training and fora The individual institutes at SAS offer discipline-specific research training, ranging from afternoon sessions and training days to summer schools. Some of the training on offer includes: the London International Palaeography Summer School (Institute of English Studies); National Training Days for PhDs in Law (Institute of Advanced Legal Studies); Before, During and After the PhD (Institute of Modern Languages Research); and Resources and Techniques for the Study of Renaissance and Early Modern Culture (the Warburg Institute). Several institutes also run postgraduate discussion fora, which aim to meet social, research training and intellectual needs of postgraduate students in specific disciplines. The History Lab (Institute of Historical Research), the Graduate Forum (Institute of Modern Languages Research) and the National Postgraduate Colloquium in German Studies (Institute of Modern Languages Research) are examples of these.
www.sas.ac.uk
Details of institute-based training and fora can be found on the School of Advanced Study Research Training page on our website: www.sas.ac.uk/ support-research/researchtraining
Renaissance culture is one of the specialist areas in which training is offered. Sandro Botticelli, A Young Man Being Introduced to the Seven Liberal Arts (c. 1483–6).
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Bloomsbury Postgraduate Skills Network
courses.grad.ucl.ac.uk/bloomsbury The BPSN shared skills training programme allows research students in participating institutions to improve general research skills and personal transferable skills, through attending training courses and workshops at other member institutions. For information on courses available and how to register, see the Network website: courses.grad.ucl.ac.uk/bloomsbury 10
School contacts
Further details of all training offered can be found on our website: www.sas.ac.uk/support-research/research-training Please contact Christine Weir with any enquiries: Christine Weir, Postgraduate Student Officer (Research Training) Christine.Weir@sas.ac.uk
School of Advanced Study Registry Room 211, South Block Senate House, Malet Street London WC1E 7HU Tel: +44 (0)20 7862 8663 sas.registry@sas.ac.uk
Rachel Stickland, Registrar Rachel.Stickland@sas.ac.uk Kalinda Hughes, Assistant Registrar Kalinda.Hughes@sas.ac.uk Leo Baldwin-Ramult, Admissions Officer Leo.Baldwin-Ramult@sas.ac.uk Christian Otta, Postgraduate Student Officer Christian.Otta@sas.ac.uk
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© Lloyd Sturdy/University of London © Brian Maudsley / Shutterstock © RTimages / Shutterstock Old illustration of Palais Bourbon library, Paris. Created by Fichot and Cosson-Smeeton, published on L’Illustration, Journal Universel, Paris, 1868, © Marzolino / Shutterstock Bloomsbury Festival image, © Lloyd Sturdy/University of London Sandro Botticelli, A Young Man Being Introduced to the Seven Liberal Arts (c. 1483–6), public domain via Wikimedia Commons ‘How a British woman dresses in wartime: utility clothing in Britain, 1943’ with Senate House in the background, Ministry of Information Official Collection (Imperial War Musem). © Lloyd Sturdy/University of London
School of Advanced Study Registry Senate House Malet Street London WC1E 7HU United Kingdom Email sas.registry@sas.ac.uk Telephone +44 (0)20 7862 8663 www.sas.ac.uk/support-research/ research-training
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