Research and Postgraduate Supervision

Publishing for Impact

Whether you are driven by altruism and want your research to improve the world, or by a desire to increase your reputation as a research focused scholar, or a combination of both, you need to plan where, when, and how you publish your research. Too often we base our publishing habits on what we picked up from our PhD supervisors and colleagues without giving any thought to a careful strategy. Join Dr Robin Drennan in a workshop that looks at the wide array of possibilities for sharing your knowledge with others. In this workshop you will be exposed to ideas that may help you strategically decide where your research output is to be shared and / or published.

Date: 20 and 21 July

Time: 09:00 13:00

Venue: CLTD

Facilitator: Dr Robin Drennan robin.drennan@wits.ac.za

Contact: Ms Khanyi Motaung (011) 717 7171 Khanyi.Motaung@wits.ac.za

Project Planning in the Research Context

How do you plan a research project? Is it possible to plan research? The classical project management body of knowledge (PMBOK) is often unsuitable for research projects simply because it is impossible to estimate the time for each task. Research is, after all, a step into the unknown. Take heart, this does not mean your research project will descend into chaos. There are other ways of mana ging research projects that are agile enough to deal with the complexities of volatile research projects. Dr Robin Drennan, the Director for Research Development in the University Research Office, will describe some of these more agile project management techniques that will allow you to plan, in the absence of information and despite uncertainty, for the unknown.

Date: 12 May

Time: 10:00 12:00

Date: 15 September

Time: 09:00 13:00

Mode/Venue: Online* Mode/Venue: CLTD

Facilitator: Dr Robin Drennan robin.drennan@wits.ac.za

Contact: Ms Khanyi Motaung (011) 717 7171 Khanyi.Motaung@wits.ac.za

* Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed

Planning your Academic Career

Do you know what you need to do today to achieve your career goals in six years’ time? A successful academic career requires a considerable amount of juggling. Research, teaching, supervision, community engagement, funding, sabbaticals, conferences, promotion, NRF ratings they all need to be factored into your plan. Dr Robin Drennan, the Director for Research Development in the University Research Office, will help you develop a five to seven- year macro plan that will ensure you are well placed to make the best of your career. An emphasis is placed on research throughout this workshop.

Date: 10 March

Time: 9:00 13:00

Mode/Venue: CLTD

Date: 2 June

Time: 10:00 12:00

Mode/Venue: Online*

Facilitator: Dr Robin Drennan robin.drennan@wits.ac.za

Contact: Ms Khanyi Motaung (011) 717 7171 Khanyi.Motaung@wits.ac.za

* Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed

Planning your Sabbatical

A sabbatical comes once every six years so it is vital to make the most of it. Dr Robin Drennan, the Director for Research Development in the University Research Office, will share some pointers on how, when and what to plan for a successful sabbatical. This workshop will help you develop a plan and so make the most of the opportunity. Your sabbatical plan should maximise the impact of the time on your research. Various funding options will also be discussed.

Date: 3 March

Time: 9:00 13:00

Mode/Venue: CLTD

Date: 9 June

Time: 10:00 14:00

Mode/Venue: Online*

Facilitator: Dr Robin Drennan robin.drennan@wits.ac.za

Contact: Ms Khanyi Motaung (011) 717 7171 Khanyi.Motaung@wits.ac.za

* Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed

Writing Winning Proposals

Discover, with the support of Dr Robin Drennan, Director for Research Development in the University Research Office, how to write a persuasive proposal for research funding. Having understood that every funder is contractually bound to deliver a return of some sort on the funds under their management, it is plain to see several ‘magical buttons ’ that will get you funding. Some of these buttons are explicit but others are not. The trick is to find them. The workshop material also covers the differences between a research plan, a problem statement, rationale and motivation, and aims and objectives, all elements of typical proposals. The importance of selecting appropriate reviewers, leaving nothing to chance and the need to make every part of the proposal supportive of your bid for funding are also discussed. Finally, the workshop explores differences in writing styles: Persuasive writing used in proposals and standard writing techniques used in the publication of research outputs.

Date:

Time:

Mode/Venue: CLTD Online* CLTD Online*

Facilitator: Dr Robin Drennan robin.drennan@wits.ac.za

Contact: Ms Khanyi Motaung (011) 717 7171 Khanyi.Motaung@wits.ac.za

* Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed

Lunchtime Talk How to Structure an Academic CV

The curriculum vitae, which is Latin for ‘course of life’ is a very important tool in the quest for academic achievement. At the simplest level it is a record of your achievements, a trace record, at the other extreme it can take on all the elements of a marketing campaign. Join us for a lunchtime (1 hour) discussion on different ways to layout your CV to best emphasise your achievements.

Date: 21 April

Time: 13:15 14:15

Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)

Facilitator: Dr Robin Drennan robin.drennan@wits.ac.za

Contact: Ms Khanyi Motaung (011) 717 7171 Khanyi.Motaung@wits.ac.za

Zotero

This is a virtual workshop that will introduce you to Zotero, a free, open-source alternative to reference manager systems. Zotero allows you to easily save bibliographic details, comments, indexing terms, and direct links to webpages, word documents, and even articles that are in library subscription databases. You will be shown how you can use Zotero to integrate your references into your research in many citation styles using Microsoft Word. For more information, please visit Library Libguides.at http://libguides.wits.ac.za/zotero

Date: 11 May 3 August 5 October

Time: 9:30 11:00 9:30 11:00 9:30 11:00

Mode/Venue: Online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)

Facilitator: Ms. Thuli Dhlamini Thuli.Dhlamini@wits.ac.za

Contact: Ms Candice Michael (011) 717 1475 Candice.Michael@wits.ac.za

* Dates and times will be communicated via Wits News, and Events on the Intranet

Introduction to Postgraduate Supervision

Good supervision is central to successful graduate research, yet it is difficult to define and develop. This half-day introductory workshop explores models and systems of supervision, institutional policy and procedures, and supervisorstudent relationships.

Date: 11 Apr 19 May 6 Jun 18 Aug 23 Oct 15 Nov

Time: 10:00–13:00 10:00–14:00 10:00–14:00

Mode/Venue: CLTD Online* CLTD Online* Online* CLTD

Coordinator: Dr Najma Agherdien najma.aghardien@wits.ac.za

Contact: Ms Candice Michael (011) 717 1475 Candice.Michael@wits.ac.za

* Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed

Enhancing Research Supervision

This course aims to enhance research supervisory capacity taking into account the diverse context and conditions in which supervisors work as well as the differences in institutional and disciplinary postgraduate supervisory practices and processes.

After engaging with the course and the course materials the participant should be able to:

• Develop a strategy to address power relations and create an inclusive and participatory learning environment in their supervisory context.

• Critically reflect on the importance of scholarship in their learning environment

• Critique their supervisory practices and implement changes aimed at enhancing student learning.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the supervisory processes in their context and recommend improvements.

• Participate in a collegial network of support and build a community of

Practice That Enhances Supervisory Practice

• This 30-credit short course at NQF Level 8 comprises the following phases: 3 days face-to-face; 6 weeks on-line; and 3 days face-to-face and includes assessment tasks. A Portfolio (100%) inclusive of formative and summative assessments must be submitted at the conclusion of the course for credit assessment.

Date: 24 April 08 June

Time: 9:00 11:00

Mode/Venue: CLTD & online (Meeting link will be e-mailed once bookings are confirmed)

Coordinators: Dr Anniah Mupawose Anniah.Mupawose@wits.ac.za

Dr Emmanuel Ojo Emmanuel.Ojo@wits.ac.za

Dr Najma Agherdien najma.aghardien@wits.ac.za

Contact: Ms Candice Michael (011) 717 1475 Candice.Michael@wits.ac.za