Category / PG research

This part of the blog features news and information for postgraduate research students and supervisors

New sociology paper led by Dr. Orlanda Harvey

PG research, Publishing, student research, Women's Academic Network, writing

Congratulations to Dr. Orlanda Harvey and Dr. Margarete Parrish in the Department of Social Sciences & Social Work on the publication of our article “Using a Range of Communication Tools to Interview a Hard-to-Reach Population” in Sociological Research Online [1].  The paper highlights that online communication tools are increasingly being used by researchers; hence it is timely to reflect on the differences when using a broad range of data collection methods. Using a case study with a potentially hard-to-reach substance-using population who are often distrustful of researchers, this article explores the use of a variety of different platforms for interviews. It highlights both the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Face-to-face interviews and online videos offer more opportunity to build rapport, but lack anonymity. Live Webchat and audio-only interviews offer a high level of anonymity, but both may incur a loss of non-verbal communication, and in the Webchat a potential loss of personal narrative. This article is intended for sociologists who wish to broaden their methods for conducting research interviews.

This methods article was developed based on the recruitment issues faced during Orlanda’s PhD research from which she has published several previous papers [2-6].

 

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

 

References:

  1. Harvey, O., van Teijlingen, E., Parrish, M. (2023)  Using a Range of Communication Tools to Interview a Hard-to-Reach Population. Sociological Research Online [online first]
  2. Harvey, O., Keen, S., Parrish, M., van Teijlingen, E. (2019) Support for people who use Anabolic Androgenic Steroids: A Systematic Literature Review into what they want and what they access. BMC Public Health 19: 1024
  3. Harvey, O., Parrish, M., van Teijlingen, E., Trenoweth, S. (2020) Support for non-prescribed Anabolic Androgenic Steroids users: A qualitative exploration of their needs Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy 27:5, 377-386. doi 10.1080/09687637.2019.1705763
  4.  Harvey, O., Parrish, M., van Teijlingen, E, Trenoweth, S. (2022) Libido as a reason to use non-prescribed Anabolic Androgenic Steroids, Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy 29(3):276-288.
  5. Harvey, O., van Teijlingen, E., Parrish, M. (2022) Mixed-methods research on androgen abuse – a review, Current Opinion in Endocrinology & Diabetes 29(6):586-593.
  6. Harvey, O., van Teijlingen, E. (2022) The case for ‘anabolics’ coaches: selflessness versus self-interest? Performance Enhancement & Health 10(3) August, 100230

SciVal training for ECRs and PGRs – 22 February 2023

BU Challenges, Business Engagement, PG research, Publishing

Bournemouth University’s staff and students have access to the research intelligence platform SciVal, a tool that provides access to research analytics data.

Join us in this upcoming online session, delivered by our dedicated SciVal Customer Consultant.

You will learn how to:

• Effectively identify the right body of literature for a review paper or thesis chapter beyond keyword searches.
• Summarise the amount of scientific activity in a certain field over time.
• Discover which corporates or other institutes do research in a certain field.

To find out more about how to sign up for this session, visit this link on the Staff Intranet –

https://staffintranet.bournemouth.ac.uk/workingatbu/staffdevelopmentandengagement/fusiondevelopment/fusionprogrammesandevents/rkedevelopmentframework/careers/scivalforecrsandpgrs/

If you do not have access to the Staff Intranet, you can access the booking form directly via the link below –

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=VZbi7ZfQ5EK7tfONQn-_uHL-6XoUudlNkJOS948yf5NUNEUyMUJSWUVUR1ZRWUNEVjhVT0lIS01QVyQlQCN0PWcu

Doctoral College PGR Research Culture and Community Funding Call Now Open

PG research

 

 

 

 

 

Doctoral College PGR Research Culture and Community Funding Call Now Open

The Doctoral College is delighted to be able to offer funding to support PGR-led activity across researcher development, research culture and research community building initiatives.

We are committed to fostering a cohesive and collaborative community of PGRs, and so have dedicated funds to support PGRs to develop your own cohort building activities, this may be a social event, training activity or other to enhance the PGR student experience. In addition to community building, the purpose of the funding is to enable PGRs to gain transferable skills and experience in planning, organising, promoting and implementing PGR engagement activities.

Stream 1: PGR Researcher Development

  • Supports the organisation of skills focused workshops, events, or initiatives.
  • Funds of up to £500 per activity are available.
  • Examples: analysis workshops, guest speakers, digital skills sessions, writing sessions.

Stream 2: PGR Research Culture and Community

  • Supports the delivery of PGR research culture and community building, well-being or social activities.
  • Funds of up to £300 per activity are available.
  • Examples: cultural events, get togethers, wellbeing enhancing activities.

Key Dates

  • Applications open Monday 16 January 2023
  • Applications close Sunday 26 February 2023

Full details on how to apply, including the application form can be found on the Doctoral College Brightspace.

If you would like to discuss your ideas before submitting your application please contact:

Natalie Stewart – nstewart@bournemouth.ac.uk 
Doctoral College Programme Manager

Supervisor Lunchbite | Wellbeing Support for PGRs at BU

PG research

Hosted by the Doctoral College, these one hour online lunch bite sessions supplement the regular New and Established Supervisory Development Sessions and are aimed at all academic staff who are new to, or experienced at, supervising research degree students and are interested in expanding their knowledge of a specific aspect or process in research degree supervision.Each session will be led by a senior academic who will introduce the topic, and staff will benefit from discussions aimed at sharing best practice from across BU. Bookings are arranged by Organisational Development.

Ensuring the wellbeing of PGRs and supervisors can be challenging and this session will look at the support available for PGRs at BU. This discussion will be led by Kerry-Ann Randle, Student Services.

Staff attending this session will:

  • have gained additional knowledge of how to support vulnerable PGRs
  • have gained an understanding how to signpost PGRs to the support available at BU

Further details on the session as well as information on future lunchbite sessions can also be found on the staff intranet.

Date: Tuesday, 24 January 2023

Time: 12:00 – 13:00

To book a place on this session please complete the booking form.

Further details and future sessions can also be found on the Supervisory Development Lunchbite Sessions staff intranet page.

The PhD viva and then….

Centre for Excellence in Learning, international, PG research, Publishing, student research, Women's Academic Network, writing

Today the Journal of Education and Research published online our paper ‘Reflections on Variations in PhD Viva Regulations: “And the Options Are …”’. [1]   The paper outlines that examining PhD research in the form of a doctoral thesis is specialist work, which is why few people know the potential variations. This paper highlights the different options that are available for PhD examiners. There are four general options: (1) pass, (2) rewrite and resubmit; (3) lower degree, with or without resubmission; and (4) fail the PhD. However, from our experience, of both being examined for our own PhDs and examining others at a range of different universities, we have noted a considerable variety in detail within these common options. This paper outlines a variety of outcomes of a PhD examination, followed by four short case studies, each reflecting on a particular aspect /differences we experienced as examinees or as examiners. This paper further aims to alert PhD candidates and examiners to study the examination rules set by the awarding university, as the details of the PhD examination outcome, and hence the options available to both examiners and the students may differ more than one might expect.

This publication adds to our earlier work on the roles of PhD supervisors providing in-depth discipline-specific Public Health knowledge and technical (e.g., methodological) support to the students, encouraging them towards publications or conference presentations, offering pastoral support for student wellbeing, and finally preparing them to defend their thesis by conducting a mock viva. Our earlier paper focused on the responsibilities, opportunities, and sometimes the challenging nature of being a PhD supervisor in the field of Public Health in Nepal. [2]

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

 

References:

  1. van Teijlingen, E., Simkhada, B., Regmi, P. ., Simkhada , P. ., Hundley, V. ., Poudel, K. C. (2022). Reflections on Variations in PhD Viva Regulations: “And the Options Are …”. Journal of Education and Research, 12(2), 61-74. https://doi.org/10.51474/jer.v12i2.624
  2. Regmi, P., Poobalan, A., Simkhada, P., van Teijlingen, E. (2021). PhD supervision in public health. Health Prospect, 20(1), 1-4.

It is all about experience

Delicious links, international, Knowledge Exchange, PG research, Publishing, student research, Women's Academic Network, writing

This week we published a paper on the experience of conducting fieldwork in the public health field in the Journal of Health Promotion. [1] Fieldwork is usually a crucial part of PhD research, not only in the health field. However, few researchers write about this, often challenging, process. This paper highlights various occasions where fieldwork in the area of public health, health promotion or community health was more difficult than expected or did not go as planned. Our reflections on working in the field are aimed at less experienced researchers to support them in their research development. Moreover, this paper is also calling upon health researchers to share more details about the process of doing fieldwork and its trials and tribulations. Our key advice is to be inquisitive and open-minded around fieldwork, followed by: be prepared for your fieldwork, conduct a risk assessment of what might go wrong, and consider your resources and options to overcome such trials and tribulations. Fieldwork can be unpredictable.  We believe it is important to share practical lessons from the field which helps other to better understand these tribulations, and learn from them. Finally, sharing such information may guide new researchers and help them identify strategies that can address those issues and challenges in their future studies.

Dr. Preeti Mahato (at Royal Holloway, University of London), Dr Bibha Simkhada and Prof. Padam Simkhada (both based at the University of Huddersfield) are all BU Visiting Faculty.  Moreover, I have had the pleasure of acting as PhD supervisor for five of my co-authors.  I have included in this blog what is probably my favourite fieldwork photo taken a decade ago by former BU PhD student Dr. Sheetal Sharma.

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH (Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health)

 

References:

  1. Mahato, P., Tamang, P., Simkhada, B., Wasti, S. P., Devkota, B., Simkhada, P., van Teijlingen, E.R. (2022) Reflections on health promotion fieldwork in Nepal: Trials and tribulations. Journal of Health Promotion 10(1): 5–12. https://doi.org/10.3126/jhp.v10i1.50978

Studentship Funding Panel: call for Chair, Deputy Chair & Panel Members

Funding opportunities, Fusion, PG research

***DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 6 FEBRUARY 2023***  The Studentship Funding Panel is responsible on behalf of the Research Performance and Management Committee (RPMC) for providing internal funding and support to ensure the University maximises opportunities for investing the University’s QR RDP Supervision grant in match funded studentships, in line with the BU2025 Research Principles.

We are seeking expressions of interest (EoIs) for the Chair, Deputy Chair and Panel members for the new panel.

Chairs should be members of the Professoriate – this is extended to Associate Professors for the Deputy Chair role. Applications from underrepresented groups (minority ethnic, declared disability) are particularly welcome.

EoIs for Panel members are open to the wider academic community, not just the Professoriate.

Application: EoIs will be reviewed against selection criterion which includes knowledge and experience of knowledge exchange, innovation and impact, experience of chairing meetings and plans for leading the research agenda across the university.

EoIs for the Chair and Deputy Chair roles should consist of a short case (maximum length of one page) on the form provided outlining suitability for the role. These should be submitted to the Doctoral College mailbox by the deadline of 5pm on 6 February 2023.

EoIs for Panel member roles should consist of a short case (maximum length of half a page) on the form provided outlining suitability for the role. These should be submitted to the  Doctoral College mailbox by the deadline of 5pm on 6 February 2023.

Please note: EoIs should specify to which role the applicant is applying.

There will be a delay in response to Panel member applications until the Chair and Deputy Chair roles are appointed by 6 March 2023. After this the Panel Members will be contacted about their appointment.

There will be an orientation meeting on at 10am on 9 March 2023 for the Chairs and Deputy Chairs. This will be with Deputy VC Tim McIntyre-Bhatty.

Full details are available here:

BU Studentship Funding Panel – ToR.pdf

BU Studentship Funding Panel – Chair & Deputy Chair Role Descriptor

BU Studentship Funding Panel – Panel Member Role Descriptor

BU Studentship Funding Panel – Expressions of Interest

Participate in a research study exploring positive research cultures for PGRs across disciplines

PG research, student research

Participate in a research study exploring positive research cultures for PGRs across disciplines. I’m interested in PhD student experience and thoughts on what makes a positive research culture. Participants must be PhD students, at BU, who started at least 6 months ago. You will be invited to an online interview which will take between 45 minutes – 1 hour. Participation is voluntary and any involvement will remain anonymous. This work is part of my PhD and not my role in the Doctoral College. Click the flyer for the Participant Information Sheet. Any questions, please email Natalie Stewart at nstewart@bournemouth.ac.uk. Ethics ID: 45787

Postgraduate Research Admissions, Widening Participation & Inclusive Practices

PG research

In December I was able to go on a rare office excursion to attend a day arranged by the Academic Registrar’s Council (ARC), with a specific focus on Postgraduate Research Admissions and widening participation.

The presentations and discussions covered a wide arrange of issues and the lengthy list of attendees ensured plenty of different viewpoints and experience were heard.

The day began with a presentation on ‘Structures and Approaches in PGR Admissions: Implementing Change of Inclusive Practices’, which reflected on the findings and policy changes from a 2015 report into Doctoral Education Structures and Strategy. I’d like to touch on some of the topics highlighted in this first part of the day for this short blog post.

A People-Centred Approach

How might we apply a ‘People-Centred Approach’ to the world of PGR Admissions & Recruitment? There were suggestions that this might include a greater array of resources for applicants, in particular guides in how to make a research degree application. I shared the Doctoral College’s guidance document on writing proposals & personal statement which was keenly received during our group discussions on this topic.

We also spoke about pre-enrolment bridging activities for new students. These might be themed around ‘what to expect from your research degree’, as well as previews of the registration & enrolment processes so this initial ‘joining’ time becomes less daunting.

A people-centred approach to PGR recruitment could also mean focusing more on research potential than previous academic achievements. While our academic criteria for a research degree is not too exacting (a 2.1 at bachelor’s degree and/or a relevant masters), there is the argument this may not consider non-traditional educational or academic trajectories.

There might be an opportunity for BU to do more to recruit potential postgraduate researchers who may not adhere to the ‘normal’ educational pathways. As an institution which features work placements as a key part of our UG and PGT offer, discussing how we might better recruit research students from industry or vocational paths could provide BU an edge over its competitors.

Diversification of Doctoral Programmes

One topic that was discussed at length was the success (or not) of diversity the number and type of Doctoral programmed that HEIs offer. Although diversification of programmes was not as high on the list of objectives for Doctoral College and Graduate Schools as submission rates or PRES results, it still ranked in the top 5 measurables to evaluate doctoral education.

In fact, most respondents in the report being discussed noted that ‘New Programmes’ was the key institutional development in growing their doctoral population. This may come in many different forms. Briefly the discussion went from on-campus versus distance programmes, and the various ways this was offered and (and what fees were charged). Among the other programmes mentioned as helping to diversify the doctoral offering were Professional Doctorates and Cotutelle and dual-award programmes. While BU is not currently recruiting to such specifications, this may be an additional route into growing PGR numbers with widening participation in mind.

Inclusive Practices

The key drivers for a more inclusive practice in PGR Recruitment were noted as being:

  • EDI Strategy
  • Widening Participations
  • Non-traditional academic trajectories
  • Recognising talent

Although these drivers seemed to lead many Graduate Schools and Doctoral Colleges to review their practices, this often did not extend to their admissions and recruitment processes. These tended to still be heavily UG focused across the country.

At BU, the Doctoral College is lucky to have a large involvement in PGR admissions, where we can influence and drive innovation, working with the faculty research leads. This means that our capacity to be more inclusive is perhaps larger than institutions where admissions processes are kept distant from those that lead on PGRs in their institutions.

What does a more inclusive structure look to you? How could this be achieved? If you have any thoughts, then please do get in touch with us at PGRadmissions@bournemouth.ac.uk

Jamie Chadd

Research Administrator Admissions And Conferment, Doctoral College

Supervisor Lunchbite | Avoiding PGR Plagiarism & Copyright Breaches

PG research

Hosted by the Doctoral College, these one hour online lunch bite sessions supplement the regular New and Established Supervisory Development Sessions and are aimed at all academic staff who are new to, or experienced at, supervising research degree students and are interested in expanding their knowledge of a specific aspect or process in research degree supervision.Each session will be led by a senior academic who will introduce the topic, and staff will benefit from discussions aimed at sharing best practice from across BU. Bookings are arranged by Organisational Development.

The Library Staff are increasingly identifying issues with referencing in research degree thesis at the final submission stage. This is particularly problematic now theses are available online or for integrated theses. This session is focused on providing guidance for supervisors on how to advise PGRs on avoiding plagiarism and copyright breaches. This discussion will be led by Tim Calvert, Academic Services.

Staff attending this session will:

  • have gained additional knowledge of how to avoid common referencing and copyright errors

Further details on the session as well as information on future lunchbite sessions can also be found on the staff intranet.

Date: Tuesday, 10 January 2023

Time: 12:00 – 13:00

To book a place on this session please complete the booking form.

Further details and future sessions can also be found on the Supervisory Development Lunchbite Sessions staff intranet page.

Postgraduate Researchers and Supervisors | Monthly Update for Researcher Development

PG research

Postgraduate researchers and supervisors, hopefully you have seen your monthly update for researcher development e-newsletter sent earlier this month. If you have missed it, please check your junk email or you can view it within the Researcher Development Programme on Brightspace.

The start of the month is a great time to reflect on your upcoming postgraduate researcher development needs and explore what is being delivered this month as part of the Doctoral College Researcher Development Programme and what is available via your Faculty or Department. Remember some sessions only run once per year, so don’t miss out.

Please also subscribe to your Brightspace announcement notifications for updates when they are posted.

If you have any questions about the Researcher Development Programme, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Natalie (Doctoral College Programme Manager)
pgrskillsdevelopment@bournemouth.ac.uk 

Reflections on the 14th Annual Postgraduate Research Conference

conferences, Knowledge Exchange, PG research, student research

 

Thank you to all of our presenters, poster exhibitors, session chairs and of course delegates who supported the 14th Annual Postgraduate Research Conference. It is always a highlight on the Doctoral College events calendar and we hope you all enjoyed the day.

The conference had an amazing buzz and vibrancy about it, and it was so nice to see so many PGRs and colleagues turn up to show their support and promoting our positive PGR research culture across BU.

Here is what some of our presenters and delegates had to say about the day:

(more…)

Research Capacity Transformation Scheme: investing in the research teams of the future

Industry collaboration, PG research

Three new BU research clusters have received funding to appoint teams of postgraduate researchers (PGRs) and postdoctoral research fellows (PDRFs) for the next three years, as part of our Research Capacity Transformation Scheme (RCaTS).

Postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers are critical to a high-performing research environment, providing research capacity which enables the production of research outputs, research impact, and an increase in bidding.

Funding has been made available to appoint three clusters of PGRs and PDRFs, supported by experienced BU academic teams and external industry partners, to undertake pioneering interdisciplinary research intended to have a transformative impact on society.

This comprises a number of match-funded studentships for PGRs and three-year fellowship awards for PhD graduates and early-stage researchers.

The researchers will also receive training, development and mentorship from high-performing members of BU’s Professoriate, supporting their career progression.

The funding has been awarded through an open, competitive process to the below research clusters:

  • Resolving the extinction crisis: sustainable and technological solutions for biodiversity and society(Led by Professor Rob Britton) – Awarded funding for 4 match-funded PGRs and 4 PDRFs
  • The Centre for Applied Creative Technologies PLUS – Transforming Healthcare and its Training with Digital Technologies (Led by Professor Jian Chang) – Awarded funding for 2 match-funded PGRs and 2 PDRFs
  • The Future of Hybrid Spaces: Developing Interdisciplinary Research Capacity and Building Critical Mass to Pioneer an Emerging Discipline on Human Interactions and Behaviours in Hybrid Physical-Virtual Spaces (Led by Professor Wen Tang) – Awarded funding for 2 match-funded PGRs and 2 PDRFs

 Dr Rebecca Edwards, Senior Research Development and Support Manager in RDS, said: “We’re investing in the research teams of the future through this scheme, building capacity to undertake cutting-edge research and secure external funding.

“Providing funding for clusters of researchers over the next three years, as opposed to individual appointments, means that we can develop sustainable and high-performing teams in these important areas of research.”

Fiona Knight, Head of BU’s Doctoral College, added: “For our postgraduate researchers, being part of such dynamic teams will provide an exciting opportunity to develop their research skills and launch their academic careers.”

You can find out more about the positions and apply on the jobs section of the BU website

Supervisor Lunchbite | Clinical Research Governance and the role of the PGR supervisor

PG research

Hosted by the Doctoral College, these one hour online lunch bite sessions supplement the regular New and Established Supervisory Development Sessions and are aimed at all academic staff who are new to, or experienced at, supervising research degree students and are interested in expanding their knowledge of a specific aspect or process in research degree supervision.

Each session will be led by a senior academic who will introduce the topic, and staff will benefit from discussions aimed at sharing best practice from across BU. Bookings are arranged by Organisational Development.

This session is focused on expanding individuals’ knowledge on the research governance processes and supervisory responsibilities for supporting their PGRs. This discussion will be led by Suzy Wignall, RDS.

Staff attending this session will: 

  • have gained additional knowledge of the research governance approval process
  • have gained an understanding of the role of the Supervisor in supporting PGRs

Further details on the session as well as information on future lunchbite sessions can also be found on the staff intranet.

Date: Wednesday 7 December 2022

Time: 12:00 – 13:00

To book a place on this session please complete the booking form.

Further details and future sessions can also be found on the Supervisory Development Lunchbite Sessions staff intranet page.

Tomorrow – The 14th Annual Postgraduate Research Conference

conferences, PG research, student research

 

Register to attend the 14th Annual Postgraduate Research Conference. We will be hosting a PGR poster exhibition in FG06 with over 40 research posters on display (our biggest exhibition yet!).

The conference will also see oral presentations presented via Zoom with a screening room in Create LT (spaces limited).

You can see the full programme with presentation and poster abstracts  in our conference brochure.