BU Research Blog

June 5, 2019

Workshop available – Ethical Thinking and Decision-making in Practice

BU research, data management, PG research, Research Ethics, research integrity, Research Training, Training Suzy Wignall

Are you new or relatively new to research? Are you interested in attending a workshop that will allow you to improve your understanding and confidence in the application of ethical considerations to your research activity? Then take advantage of the following opportunity!

Dr Helen Kara will be delivering a one-day workshop on Monday 17th June, 09:30 – 16:30 on Talbot Campus, entitled Ethical Thinking and Decision-making in Practice.

The aims & objectives of this sessions are to:

To increase their awareness of the need for ethics compliance in research and, by the end of the workshop, be aware of their responsibilities and when to seek further assistance
To develop their skills in the following key areas, within the context of ethical research:
a. Planning and design
b. Gathering data and data analysis
c. Reporting, including presentation and dissemination
d. Consideration of ethical dilemmas, based on real-world examples and participants’ experience

If you want to book onto this workshop and take advantage of this great opportunity, then please see the following page for instructions.
If you are a PGR, please email Organisation Development to book your place.

June 5, 2019

Research & Knowledge Exchange Development Framework – updated flyer!

Research news, Research Training, RKE development framework, Training Emily Cieciura

Please look out for your copy of the updated Research & Knowledge Exchange Development Framework flyer which will be delivered to you over the next week by your faculty’s Funding Development Officer.

On the staff intranet, the RKEDF is arranged to align with your current situation and researcher development needs:

I am an ECR / new to research

I want to know more about External funding

I am new to BU

I want to fund and build my research team

I need to disseminate my research

I need to know about the REF

I need help with BU research systems and polices

I want to increase the impact of my research

I need help with my research career

I want to work internationally

I want to share my research more widely

I need to meet with Research Development and Support staff

You can see all the Organisational Development and RKEDF events in one place on the handy calendar of events.

Please note that all sessions are now targeted, so look closely at the event page to ensure that the event is suitable for you. In addition, RKEDF events now require the approval of your Head of Department (or other nominated approver). Please follow the instructions given on the event page and the template email for you to initiate the booking request.

If you have any queries, please get in touch!

May 28, 2019

Writing About Methods

ECR Network, Events, Research Training, RKE development framework, Training, writing Theresa

This workshop, delivered by publishing expert Patrick Brindle, aims to give participants a range of practical approaches to writing about methods in your research bids.

He uses a range of exercises. The workshop covers around 20 writing strategies, and provides more clarity and power to the often-difficult challenge of writing about methods. The course also looks at common mistakes and how to avoid them when writing about methods. The focus throughout is on building confidence and increasing your repertoire of writing strategies and skills.

Tuesday June 4^th 09:30 – 16:30

See here for more information and to book on.

Please contact Alexandra Pekalski if you have any queries.

May 1, 2019

NorNAM (Nordic Network of Academic Midwives)

BU research, conferences, Featured academics, Global engagement, international, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team, PG research, Publishing, Research communication, Research news, Training, Uncategorized Edwin van Teijlingen

Today BU’s professor Edwin van Teijlingen and FHSS (Faculty of Health & Social Sciences) and Visiting Faculty Jillian Ireland presented their work at NorNAM (Nordic Network of Academic Midwives). The newly created network met in Reykjavik, Iceland for a three-day course on theories and models for midwifery. Prof. van Teijlingen spoke about the medical/social model of pregnancy & childbirth and Jillian, who is also Professional Midwifery Advocate at Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, presented the A-EQUIP model which is widely used in the UK.

Social scientists can bring different perspectives and theoretical understandings to research into midwifery and maternity care. Today’s focus was on the social and medical model [1-5]. The medical model is ‘easy’ to understand, widely used in the media, based on medical science and claims to rely largely on objective measurement of symptoms and clinical observation. It offers individual treatment solutions for individual patients. The social model argues that there is inter-dependency between the ill person and their immediate and wider environment. The social model focuses on everyday life and the social, socio-economic, cultural and environmental aspects of health. It considers a wider range of factors that affect health, such as lifestyle, gender, poverty (or health inequality more generally), discrimination, and where and how we live. The social model is generally not individualist, but complex and multi-dimensional and often does not offer easy solutions. Solutions to health problem can be found at a population level and hence can be political or social as well as, for example, changes in the individual’s lifestyle.

The social model maintains that pregnancy and childbirth are largely physiological events that occur in most women’s lives. Following this line of thinking, the social model argues that pregnancy and childbirth do not normally need medical intervention or the transfer to hospital. A social model of care accepts childbirth as a normal social event in which preventative measures can be used. The medical model portrays a different view, namely that childbirth is potentially pathological, and therefore every woman is potentially at risk when she is pregnant and/or in labour. In short the medical model wants us to believe that pregnancy and childbirth are only safe in retrospect.

The medical model is often portrayed in the media as the most appropriate and hence ‘safe’ approach to pregnancy and childbirth and not only ‘controls’ women, but also their families, friends and health care providers. Understanding key sociological models of pregnancy and childbirth can help politicians, journalists, policy-makers, midwives, doctors, and other health care providers, childbirth activists as well as pregnant women and new mothers (and their partners) to put issues around ‘normal birth’ into perspective.

References:

Brailey, S., Luyben, A., Firth, L., van Teijlingen, E. (2017) Women, midwives and a medical model of maternity care in Switzerland, Int J Childbirth 7(3): 117-125.
van Teijlingen, E. (2017) The medical and social model of childbirth, Kontakt 19 (2): e73-e74
MacKenzie Bryers H., van Teijlingen, E. (2010) Risk, Theory, Social & Medical Models: critical analysis of the concept of risk in maternity care, Midwifery 26(5): 488-496.
Ireland, J., van Teijlingen, E. (2013) Normal birth: social-medical model, Practising Midwife 16 (11): 17-20.
van Teijlingen E. (2005) A critical analysis of the medical model as used in the study of pregnancy and childbirth, Sociol Res Online, 10 (2) Web address: http://www.socresonline.org.uk/10/2/teijlingen.html

April 23, 2019

Introduction to Good Clinical Practice – 15th May 2019

BU research, Clinical Governance, data management, NHS, Research Ethics, research integrity, Research Training, Training Suzy Wignall

Are you interested in running your own research project within the NHS? Good Clinical Practice, or ‘GCP’, is a requirement for those wishing to work on clinical research projects in a healthcare setting.

GCP is the international ethical, scientific and practical standard to which all clinical research is conducted. By undertaking GCP, you’re able to demonstrate the rights, safety and wellbeing of your research participants are protected, and that the data collected are reliable.

The next GCP full day session is scheduled for Wednesday 15th May, at Bournemouth University, Lansdowne Campus (Bournemouth House) – 8:45am – 4:30pm.

The day will comprise of the following sessions:

Introduction to research and the GCP standards;
Preparing to deliver your study;
Identifying and recruiting participants – eligibility and informed consent;
Data collection and ongoing study delivery;
Safety reporting;
Study closure.

If you’re interested in booking a place, please contact Research Ethics.

Remember that support is on offer at BU if you are thinking of introducing your research ideas into the NHS – email the Research Ethics mailbox, and take a look at the Clinical Governance blog.

April 12, 2019

Research impact and the Research Excellence Framework (REF): an introduction

Impact, Research Training, Training, Uncategorized Theresa

The impact of your research directly affects BU’s ability to do more research.

Thursday 25^th April 14:00 – 16:00 Talbot Campus

This session will explain why, providing a brief introduction to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) and exploring the impact element of the submission.

This session looks at how impact is defined for the purposes of the REF, what a good impact case study looks like, (and what a bad one features), how impact case studies are developed throughout the research lifecycle and what you need to think about ahead of the next REF submission.

The aims & objectives of this session are:

to examine the extent to which you are in a position to develop an impact case study for the REF
to explore how you can develop the impact of your research to ensure a strong submission for the next exercise

See the event details or more information and to book onto this session.

April 8, 2019

NIHR Valid Informed Consent training dates

Clinical Governance, NHS, Research Ethics, research integrity, Research Training, Training Suzy Wignall

Before agreeing to participate in your study, your participants should receive all the information they require in order to make an informed decision. Once they wish to participate, then an informed consent form should be completed and filed appropriately.
Although the process sounds complex, there are currently a great training opportunities to help familiarise yourself with the background to, and process of informed consent in clinical research.

The Wessex Clinical Research Network are hosting the following training sessions at University Hospital Southampton and Poole Hospital –

Wednesday 8th May, 8:30am – 12:30pm, Seminar Room, Level C, West Wing, NIHR WTCRF, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Tremona Road, Southampton, SO16 6YD;
Wednesday 8th May, 1:00pm – 5:00pm, Seminar Room, Level C, West Wing, NIHR WTCRF, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Tremona Road, Southampton, SO16 6YD;
Monday 20th May, 8:30am – 1:00pm, Seminar Room 3, Education Centre, Ground Floor, Poole Hospital NHS FT Longfleet Road, Poole, BH15 2JB.

If you’re interested in attending, get in touch with the Wessex CRN to book your place.

April 8, 2019

Introduction to Good Clinical Practice – 15th May 2019

BU research, Clinical Governance, data management, NHS, Research Ethics, research integrity, Research Training, Training Suzy Wignall

Are you interested in running your own research project within the NHS? Good Clinical Practice, or ‘GCP’, is a requirement for those wishing to work on clinical research projects in a healthcare setting.

GCP is the international ethical, scientific and practical standard to which all clinical research is conducted. By undertaking GCP, you’re able to demonstrate the rights, safety and wellbeing of your research participants are protected, and that the data collected are reliable.

The next GCP full day session is scheduled for Wednesday 15th May, at Bournemouth University, Lansdowne Campus (Bournemouth House) – 8:45am – 4:30pm.

The day will comprise of the following sessions:

Introduction to research and the GCP standards;
Preparing to deliver your study;
Identifying and recruiting participants – eligibility and informed consent;
Data collection and ongoing study delivery;
Safety reporting;
Study closure.

If you’re interested in booking a place, please contact Research Ethics.

Remember that support is on offer at BU if you are thinking of introducing your research ideas into the NHS – email the Research Ethics mailbox, and take a look at the Clinical Governance blog.

March 25, 2019

REMINDER – Training opportunity: completing and submitting your IRAS application

BU research, Clinical Governance, data management, NHS, Research Ethics, research integrity, Research Training, Training Suzy Wignall

Are you currently in the process of designing, setting up or planning your research study, and would like to extend your project into the NHS?

Yes? Then you may want to take advantage of this training opportunity.

Oliver Hopper (Research & Development Coordinator, Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospital) and Suzy Wignall (Clinical Governance Advisor, RDS) will be running a training session on how to use, and complete your own application within the IRAS system.

IRAS (Integrated Research Application System) is the system used to gain approvals from the NHS Research Ethics Committee and Health Research Authority, before rolling out your study to NHS Trusts. To support this, the session will include the background to research ethics and the approvals required for NHS research.

The session will also be interactive, and so as participants, you will have the opportunity to go through the form itself and complete the sections, with guidance on what the reviewers are expecting to see in your answers, and tips on how to best use the system.

The training will take place in Studland House – Lansdowne Campus, room 102, this Thursday 28th March at 09:30am – 12:30pm.

Get in touch with Research Ethics if you would like to register your interest and book a place.

March 18, 2019

EndNote to support your research – workshop

Research Training, Training jlopezblanco

Tired of writing references by hand? Exhausted by the piles of printed PDFs on your desk? Desperately seeking the paperless office? Then attend our workshop and learn what EndNote can do to help you manage references and write for publication. This will cover:

The role of EndNote in the research workflow
Reference collation and management
Full text harvesting
Writing for publication; citation and reference creation

Skills learned through this course align with BU2025 actions 22a (collaborating with peer institutions world-wide, developing and sharing expertise), 28a, 28b and 28c (“internationally excellent and world-leading research”; increase in “research and knowledge exchange funding”; “developing of “impact”).

Next dates:

Wednesday 27th March 2019 : 10am – 12pm
Thursday 23rd May 2019 : 2pm-4pm

Book your place through this link.

March 13, 2019

Training opportunity – completing and submitting your IRAS application

BU research, Clinical Governance, data management, NHS, Research Ethics, research integrity, Research Training, Training Suzy Wignall

Are you currently in the process of designing, setting up or planning your research study, and would like to extend your project into the NHS?

Yes? Then you may want to take advantage of this training opportunity.

Oliver Hopper (Research & Development Coordinator, Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospital) and Suzy Wignall (Clinical Governance Advisor, RDS) will be running a training session on how to use, and complete your own application within the IRAS system.

IRAS (Integrated Research Application System) is the system used to gain approvals from the NHS Research Ethics Committee and Health Research Authority, before rolling out your study to NHS Trusts. To support this, the session will include the background to research ethics and the approvals required for NHS research.

The session will also be interactive, and so as participants, you will have the opportunity to go through the form itself and complete the sections, with guidance on what the reviewers are expecting to see in your answers, and tips on how to best use the system.

The training will take place in Studland House – Lansdowne Campus, room 102 Thursday 28th March at 09:30am – 12:30pm.

Get in touch with Research Ethics if you would like to register your interest and book a place.

March 11, 2019

RDS Academic and Researcher Induction – April 2019

BU research, Research Training, RKE development framework, Training Jo Garrad

The Research Development and Support (RDS, formerly RKEO) invite all ‘new to BU’ academics and researchers to an induction.

Signpost with the words Help, Support, Advice, Guidance and Assistance on the direction arrows, against a bright blue cloudy sky.

This event provides an overview of all the practical information staff need to begin developing their research plans at BU, using both internal and external networks; to develop and disseminate research outcomes; and maximising the available funding opportunities.Objectives

The primary aim of this event is to raise participants’ awareness of how to get started in research at BU or, for more established staff, how to take their research to the next level
To provide participants with essential, practical information and orientation in key stages and processes of research and knowledge exchange at BU

Indicative content

An overview of research at BU and how RDS can help/support academic staff
The importance of horizon-scanning, signposting relevant internal and external funding opportunities and clarifying the applications process
How to grow a R&KE portfolio, including academic development schemes
How to develop internal and external research networks
Key points on research ethics and developing research outputs
Getting started with Knowledge Exchange and business engagement

For more information about the event, please see the following link. The tenth induction will be held on Wednesday, 3rd April 2019 in Melbury House.

Title	Date	Time	Location
Research Development & Support (RDS) Research Induction	Wednesday 3rd April 2019	9.00 – 12.00	Lansdowne Campus

9.00-9.15 – Coffee/tea and cake/fruit will be available on arrival

9.15 – RDS academic induction (with a break at 10.45)

11.25 – Organisational Development upcoming development opportunities

11.30 – Opportunity for one to one interaction with RDS staff

12.00 – Close

There will also be literature and information packs available.

If you would like to attend the induction then please book your place through Organisational Development and you can also visit their pages here.

We hope you can make it and look forward to seeing you.

Regards,

The RDS team

March 6, 2019

Apply to the Engage Researchers Academy – ten days left

Events, Public engagement, Research communication, Training Adam Morris

The NCCPE’s Engage Researchers’ Academy is a year-long professional development programme for researchers with a passion for public engagement.

The programme creates a challenging but supportive environment for delegates to reflect upon what it means to be an engaged researcher, and to explore the quality and value of engagement. It also supports participants to develop the skills and experience to work with others and improve the impact and relevance of their research.

Applications close on Friday 15 March 2019.

Apply now

What?

The first Engage Researchers’ Academy cohort will meet in Bristol for three two-day sessions. Academy one focuses on Engaged People, Academy two looks at Engaged Practice, while Academy three explores Engaged Quality and Value.

Each Academy session offers a stimulating mix of presentations led by leading engaged academics, research funders and policy makers; practical workshops and masterclasses; debate and discussion; opportunities to practice skills; and peer-supported learning. Mentors with expertise in public engagement with research, impact, evaluation, and community engagement are available to provide one-to-one support.

“I didn’t convey very well to the facilitators how useful the course was, and how skilled their teaching is, it has really energised my relationship to research, shaken it up and made me realise how much I still have to learn…Just thank you – for being patient and witty and wise” – 2018-19 delegate

Where?

Bristol

Who?

The Academy is aimed primarily at early to mid-career researchers with experience of engaging the public with their research. It aims to equip participants with understanding, skills and practical experience to enhance the impact of their engagement and to become leaders in engaged research. It is suitable for academics based at higher education institutions or research institutes in the UK. In order to attend, you must have the support of your departmental, college or faculty lead.

When?

12-13th June 2019
16-17th October 2019
19-20th February 2020

Fees

£990

(Early bird places available for £800)

NB participants will need to cover their own travel and accommodation

Benefits

Access to the latest thinking and analysis about how to capture the value of public engagement in the context of the REF
Enhanced knowledge, skills and confidence to become leaders in engaged research
Opportunity to improve practice by experimenting with innovative tools and techniques in our Masterclasses
Access to mentors, a peer support group, and alumni network across a wide range of disciplines

March 4, 2019

Informed consent training – sessions available

BU research, data management, PG research, Research Ethics, research integrity, Research Training, Training Suzy Wignall

When conducting research with human participants, it is essential that participants are fully informed as to the details of the study and what is expected of them by participating.

Participants’ informed consent is imperative, and should be in place prior to any data collection activities.

Sarah Bell (Research Governance Advisor) and Suzy Wignall (Clinical Governance Advisor) will be running sessions on informed consent procedure, scheduled for Tuesday 26th March. These sessions are open to staff and postgraduate researchers conducting research/hoping to conduct research with human participants.

We will be running two sessions on this day –

Talbot Campus (P425, Poole House) – 09:30am – 11:00am
Lansdowne Campus (B242, Bournemouth House) – 2:00pm – 3:30pm

If you are interested in attending one of the above sessions, please email Research Ethics.

March 3, 2019

Interdisciplinary and REF2021

BRIAN, BU research, Centre for Excellence in Learning, Featured academics, Global engagement, humanities, international, Knowledge Exchange, open access, Publishing, Research assessment, Research communication, Research Integritiy, research integrity, Training, Uncategorized, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

Over the past decades interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary research has grown in popularity. REF2021 promises that all types of research shall be assessed on a fair and equal basis, including interdisciplinary and collaborative research. New to REF 2021 compared to REF2014 is the Interdisciplinary Research Advisory Panel (IDAP) which has been established to advise the REF team and panel chairs on interdisciplinary research. Furthermore, REF2021 will: (1) appoint at least two members to specifically oversee the assessment of interdisciplinary research in each UoA (Unit of Assessment) to ensure equitable assessment; (2) allow universities to flag-up outputs in the submission system with an ‘interdisciplinary identifier’; and (3) require an discrete section in the environment template on the submitting UoA’s structures to support interdisciplinary research.

Many academics from all disciplines can at some point benefit from working with other scholars from other disciplines. Interdisciplinary research can bring new insights and understanding across disciplinary boundaries. Novel interdisciplinary research can transcend disciplinary boundaries to address sophisticated and so-called wicked problems in society. We would argue that some disciplines are more open to interdisciplinary approaches, and we would argue that the discipline of Public Health as a multi-faceted discipline is probably the most interdisciplinary of all.

Having decades of research experience between us we also recognize that there can be difficulties arising from researchers trained in different individual disciplines trying to work together. We have highlighted some of these issues which interdisciplinary research in Public Health needs to consider and, where necessary, address before they become barriers in an article published this month in Health Prospect [1]. In this Open Access article we remind the reader that doing interdisciplinary research is not an easy option. Interdisciplinary research may involve a mixed-methods approach and could be underpinned by conflicting, and according to some incommensurable, research philosophies.

We argue, for example that in an interdisciplinary team topic specialists face potentially challenging demands on their range of skills and knowledge. For example, sociologists are required to have a broad knowledge at hand to represent the social science perspective in a study of a disease they know little about, designed by clinicians with a health services research outcome in mind. We also suggest that Public Health researchers have to be versed in both qualitative and quantitative methods. Working multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary means that they have to be able to understand the methods of the epidemiologists (e.g. ‘interrupted -time series’ or ‘nested-case control studies’) and those of health service researchers (e.g. ‘double-blind randomised controlled trials’) and have the whole range of qualitative methods at your command to improve the quality of the overall study.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen, Dr. Pramod Regmi & Dr. Nirmal Aryal

(all based in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences)

Dr. Pratik Adhikary &Prof. Padam Simkhada

(both BU Visiting Faculty)

Reference:

van Teijlingen, E., Regmi, P., Adhikary, P., Aryal, N., Simkhada, P. (2019). Interdisciplinary Research in Public Health: Not quite straightforward. Health Prospect, 18(1), 4-7.

February 27, 2019

Training opportunity – completing and submitting your IRAS application

BU research, Clinical Governance, data management, NHS, Research assessment, Research Ethics, Research Training, Training Suzy Wignall

Are you currently in the process of designing, setting up or planning your research study, and would like to extend your project into the NHS?

Yes? Then you may want to take advantage of this training opportunity.

Oliver Hopper (Research & Development Coordinator, Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospital) and Suzy Wignall (Clinical Governance Advisor, RDS) will be running a training session on how to use, and complete your own application within the IRAS system.

IRAS (Integrated Research Application System) is the system used to gain approvals from the NHS Research Ethics Committee and Health Research Authority, before rolling out your study to NHS Trusts. To support this, the session will include the background to research ethics and the approvals required for NHS research.

The session will also be interactive, and so as participants, you will have the opportunity to go through the form itself and complete the sections, with guidance on what the reviewers are expecting to see in your answers, and tips on how to best use the system.

The training will take place in Studland House – Lansdowne Campus, room 102 Thursday 28th March at 09:30am – 12:30pm.

Get in touch with Research Ethics if you would like to register your interest and book a place.

February 25, 2019

BU contributes to International Conference in India.

BU research, Centre for Excellence in Learning, Featured academics, Global engagement, Impact, international, policy, Publishing, Research news, Training, Uncategorized, writing Edwin van Teijlingen

This past weekend saw BU Visiting Professor Padam Simkhada, who is a Professor of International Public Health in the Public Health Institute at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), delivering the keynote speech in an International Conference on Mixed-Methods Research (ICMMR 2019). His presentation at the conference, held at the Mahatma Gandhi University in Kerala (India), was held on Saturday. The next day (Sunday 24th February) the two Bournemouth University academics Dr. Pramod Regmi and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen and facilitated a session on academic publishing under the heading “Meet the editors” via Skype. Over 200 delegates from 10 countries, mainly from India and other South Asian countries participated in the conference.

BU focuses its global collaborations on three geographical areas, one of these is the Indian sub-continent. Connect India is BU’s strategic Hub of Practice for the Indian sub-continent, bringing together a community of researchers, educators, practitioners and students to collaborate with colleagues in India and Nepal.

February 25, 2019

Informed consent training – sessions available

BU research, data management, PG research, Research Ethics, research integrity, Research Training, Training Suzy Wignall

When conducting research with human participants, it is essential that participants are fully informed as to the details of the study and what is expected of them by participating.

Participants’ informed consent is imperative, and should be in place prior to any data collection activities.

Sarah Bell (Research Governance Advisor) and Suzy Wignall (Clinical Governance Advisor) will be running sessions on informed consent procedure, scheduled for Tuesday 26th March. These sessions are open to staff and postgraduate researchers conducting research/hoping to conduct research with human participants.

We will be running two sessions on this day –

Talbot Campus (P425, Poole House) – 09:30am – 11:00am
Lansdowne Campus (B242, Bournemouth House) – 2:00pm – 3:30pm

If you are interested in attending one of the above sessions, please email Research Ethics.

Category / Training

Workshop available – Ethical Thinking and Decision-making in Practice

Research & Knowledge Exchange Development Framework – updated flyer!

Writing About Methods

Introduction to Good Clinical Practice – 15th May 2019

Research impact and the Research Excellence Framework (REF): an introduction

NIHR Valid Informed Consent training dates

Introduction to Good Clinical Practice – 15th May 2019

REMINDER – Training opportunity: completing and submitting your IRAS application

EndNote to support your research – workshop

Training opportunity – completing and submitting your IRAS application

RDS Academic and Researcher Induction – April 2019

Apply to the Engage Researchers Academy – ten days left