Tagged / training

Research Professional – First Round-Table Discussion on: “Successful Strategies for Deploying Research Professional”

Funding opportunities, Guidance

BU subscribes to Research Professional (RPro), which is a funding opportunities search engine and higher education sector news compiler.

RPro ran its first Round-Table Discussion in London for its client universities on 12 September 2017 on the topic of “Successful Strategies for Deploying Research Professional”.

The aims of this Discussion meeting were to:

  • Share experiences of use of RPro by each university’s academic cohort;
  • Pick and discuss different ideas of implementation;
  • Network with staff of other research support offices;
  • Gauge various institutional approaches for academic engagement with RPro.

To spark discussion around the table, an officer from the Grants & Funding Unit in the University of Central Lancashire was invited to present the strategies they have implemented to roll-out the use of RPro and the monitoring/evaluation they have conducted on RPro usage. Tom Walters from RPro facilitated the discussion.

The presentation slides can be found here.

RKEO at BU has been and is continuing to deploy most of these strategies, with varying levels of success in academic engagement over time.

The first tension is to increase academic access and use of RPro – many methods have been used to deliver this such as RPro training for new academics, webinars, references in academic inductions, monthly Blog posts and so on.

The second tension is to increase effectiveness of use by the academic at each point of access – ie. that he/she will find a relevant hit and submit an application to that call.

Effectiveness of use is difficult to measure and is reflective of the use of RPro for different reasons by its users – in general:

  1. Senior level academics may use the ‘precision’ strategy to do focused, targeted searches which hone in on the specific; whilst
  2. Early career academics may use the ‘recall’ strategy which is to acquire as many hits with funding opportunities as possible to see what is out there.

Tom Walters’ concluding question to the Round-Table for reflection was “What does success look like?” in relation to research activity in our universities. The general agreement on what success looked like was:

  • Measuring increase in submissions rather than awards;
  • Spreading out applications over a wide range of funders, rather than targeting a few;
  • Empowering academics to do their own funding opportunities searches; and
  • Widening the number of academics engaging with / using RPro.

Discussion continued to what universities typically requested their RPro consultant to do during their (usually) annual ‘consultation’ visit to their client university and some ideas were shared. BU will be arranging a RPro consultation day in 2018, keep an eye on this space!

RKEO is always working to ensure that the RPro service is suitable for the purposes of each academic at BU. Regardless of whether you are a RPro newbie or in need of refresher training or may need more help on advanced functionality, please contact the RKEO Funding Development Team and we’d be happy to help you.

Fake conferences are not fake news: beware predatory conferences

conferences, international, open access, PG research, Publishing, REF Subjects, Research assessment, Research Ethics, Research Integritiy, Research themes, writing

Introduction

Academic have been warned for a decade about predatory Open Access publishers (van Teijlingen 2014). These are commercial organisations charging academics a publication fee on submission of their manuscripts with a promise to publish their work quickly online. The problem is twofold: first, these commercial organisations don’t offer proper peer-review and editorial quality assurance; and secondly, academic are being tricked into believing the journal is a legitimate scientific publication.  The second author receives on average six to eight invitations a week to publish in this kind of predatory journals – see below for examples. The first author, who despite having not worked in an academic institution for over three years, still receives such invitations to publish in ‘Journal X’.

Predatory conferences

A similar phenomenon to predatory journals is the predatory conference (Moital 2014; Nobes 2017; Grove 2017). These are pretend academic conferences of questionable value, established first and foremost to make money, not for the greater good of the academic discipline.

Both authors have received bogus and legitimate invitations to attend conferences. A predicament with such an invitation, which 99% of time arrives by email, is that it is not easy to distinguish between fake and real offers. For example, the first author recently received an offer (at short notice), to attend a conference in Miami in November 2017 (see below). This was on the back of an editorial he had published couple of months earlier. For a career researcher going from contract to contract, the appeal of being invited to present a keynote at a conference can be flattering, far less an honour and a boost for one’s career. Therefore, while the idea that if it seems too good to be true, is a prudent one to hold; there is also a temptation to follow through.

The author replied to the request quizzing the reason for the invite out of the blue. The answer was less than convincing, and a swift email by the author saying “Don’t tell me… You are offering me a keynote with travel and accommodation… Lol!!” called their bluff and ended correspondence.

But digging a little deeper he found there was a webpage dedicated to taking payments to attend the conference. In the digital world, a fool can be easily and quickly separated from his or her money.

Of course, it may have been a real conference at a real venue, and they really wanted him to speak. But discerning this is not easy at first…

Some of the warning signs/What to look out for

  • The conference email invitation looks very convincing (if not don’t even read it!).
  • The venue is good location as Nobes (2017) highlighted, “the organizers are more interested in marketing the tourist destination rather than the academic value of the conference”.
  • The conference covers too many different aspects or topics, as if the advert is designed to catch the eye of many people as possible who are vaguely connected to the discipline.
  • Mentions on associated predatory journals and ‘important’ organisations in the discipline.
  • Email and bank accounts that don’t look professional/ official.
  • Little mention of attendance fees, but after acceptance emails demanding a high conference fee and other charges.
  • Conference organisers are not academics, or unknown names.
  • Conference does not peer-review submission/ not provide proper editorial control over presentations
  • Signs of copying of names of existing academic conferences or scientific organisation and even copying of their webpages
  • Even more advertising than normal at a scientific conference.

Furthermore, Andy Nobes (2017) offered some helpful advice on quality of the conference websites in the list below. Andy is based at AuthorAID, a global network providing support, mentoring, resources and training for researchers in developing countries.

Who is at risk of falling for predatory conferences?

Academics need to be aware of money-making conferences and meetings without a true commitment to science. But some academics might be more at risk than others. Young researchers, PhD students and fledgling academics, living from contract to contract may feel any conference attendance is a potential career boost. Thus, such an invitation might seem flattering and an opportunity to good to miss. A way to show that he or she is a capable and independent academic.

Final thoughts

Most academics go to conferences for a combination of presenting their work to get critical feedback, making new contacts, sharing ideas and to be inspired. With such broad combination of motivating factors, the exact purpose of conferences is difficult to ascertain because there is no a priori agreed role and value of conferences (Nicolson, 2017a). However, there is evidence that academic conferences function to facilitate commodity transactions, be that knowledge, tools, skills, reputations, or connections, which reflects the neoliberal ethos in the modern academy (Nicolson 2017b). The predatory conference can be viewed in this light, where academia is more and more focused on generating revenue. It is at best scurrilous, and worst, criminal, for organisations to make money using such a confidence trick.  Always check which conferences are organised and advertised by recognised scholarly organisations in your own discipline. If uncertain ask a more experienced academic, a senior colleague or mentor.

 

 

Donald J. Nicolson

(Health Services Researcher, NHS Fife, and Independent Scholar; twitter @_mopster )

Edwin R. van Teijlingen

(Centre Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health)

 

References:

Moital, M. (2014) Ten Signs of a Bogus/Fake Conference.

Grove, J. (2017) Predatory conferences ‘now outnumber official scholarly events’  (26th Oct.)

Nicolson, D.J. (2017a) Do conference presentations impact beyond the conference venue? Journal of Research in Nursing. 22(5), pp.422-425.

Nicolson, D.J. (2017b) Academic Conferences as Neoliberal Commodities, Palgrave Macmillan

Nobes, A. (2017) What are ‘predatory’ conferences and how can I avoid them?

van Teijlingen, E. (2014) Beware of rogue journals.

 

Introduction to Funding from the National Lottery – online materials launched

RKEO dev logo - banner

Online materials are now available under the ‘Funding from the Charities’ pathway of the RKE Development Framework.

An online session for ‘Introduction to Funding from the National Lottery’ is now available. The materials are available through myBU. To access the materials please login to myBU, and access the RKEO RKE Funding from major charitiescommunity ‘BU: Research and Knowledge Exchange Development Framework’. From here, you can navigate through the pathways (see left hand side of screen) to the Funding from Charities pathway to find the session materials.

Keep an eye out for upcoming sessions under this pathway including ‘Funding from Smaller Charities’ as well as a Bid Writing Retreat for Charities. Further information on these sessions will be posted on the Research Blog in due course.

Academics! Book your place now for the ‘Engaging with policy makers’ session next Thursday

Training

Need any help with understanding how to use your research to influence public policy? Looking for support and guidance on how to effectively engage with policy makers?

Policy-makers often use research evidence to help inform policies and solutions for issues that affect everyone on a daily basis. They can incorporate a range of individuals, including those who are elected into political positions, civil servants who work in government departments or those working in professional governing bodes, meaning there are a variety of ways in which research can lead to influencing policy.

Research can be particularly influential in policy making as it could provide the basis for an evidence-based change or amendment to legislation. This can be a very powerful way of developing research impact, but it can also be a very complex process.

Join us at next week’s session with BU’s Policy Advisor, Jane Forster, who will help you develop an understanding of the process of influencing public policy and how to use your research to influence policy makers as part of the Research & Knowledge Exchange Development Framework.

Title Date Time Location
Engaging with policy makers Thursday 16th November 2017 10.00 – 12.00 Talbot Campus

By the end of the session, you should have a good understanding of and feel confident to use your research to engage and influence policy makers effectively in order to develop your research impact.

Book your place here!

External Application Reviewers Available

We are delighted to confirm that as part of the Research Knowledge Exchange Development Framework, we now have funds available for external application reviewers.

A reminder of the process has been outlined below, and all documentation is available on MyBU here.

Who decides when an external application reviewer may be used?

The permission of academics to use the faculty tied budgets will be under the control of the Deputy Deans of Research and Professional Practice (DDRPP) of each faculty.  This is to keep strategic control under the charge of each DDRPP for their respective faculty. 

How will academics access this support?

Academics who wish to access external support need to consult with their faculty DDRPP.  Please read the “Appointing an External Expert- Procedure” documents and complete the “External Support Checklist” along with an “Intention to Bid” form and send this to the relevant DDRPP.  If the request is approved, the DDRPP will send the approved paperwork to RKEO who will then contact the external consultant and the academic to work on a service specification.  All contracts and legal/financial arrangements will be dealt with by RKEO.

Who provides the External Support?

We currently have several external application reviewers available, details of which can be found on MyBU.  This process is still open so additional providers may be added at a later date. 

What do academics need to do?

Those interested in making use of an external expert should allow at least four weeks to work on an application before a funding call closing date. Shorter notice would not allow sufficient time for the experts to 1) make room in their schedules for working on a new application and 2) provide an appropriate level of in-depth advice with enough time to incorporate changes and suggestions.

Applicants will be asked to send a copy of an Intention to Bid form as well as a completed checklist to their DDRPP which will explain the background to their proposal and why they would find support helpful.

Need some time away from the office to write your winning funding application? Last chance to book!

As part of the Research and Knowledge Exchange Development Framework, RKEO are hosting a Bid Writing Retreat on Monday 24th July 2017.

This session is part of a two day event that combines advice and guidance on writing grant applications, delivered by external bid writing experts ThinkWrite. If you were unable to attend day one, you are still welcome to attend day two. One-to-one support will be available to develop applications for funding.

All academics and researchers are welcome to attend.  Participants must have a funding application they plan to submit within 12 months. The application can be to any funder.

Places are limited, so book now to avoid disappointment. For more information and to book your space please see the RKE Development Framework page for this event.

For any other queries please contact Lisa Gale-Andrews, RKEO Research Facilitator.

Next Vitae hangout event – 20/06/17 – ‘navigating your digital profile’

We would encourage our BU academics to participate in this upcoming Vitae event and pick up useful tips and information. As part of their current Focus-on theme of ‘navigating the research environment’, the next #vitaehangout ‘navigating your digital profile’ will take place at 10.00am on Tuesday 20th June.

In this #vitaehangout  you will be able to learn more about what a digital identity is, the benefits of using your personal brand, and how to effectively use online platforms to promote your research, as well as the opportunity to shape the discussion by submitting your own questions.

Their panellists will join their moderator to take and discuss the audience questions and give expert advice and tips based on their own success.

Follow this link to find out more and to access the hangout.

Vitae is an organisation set up to promote career development in both postgraduate researchers and academic staff. Their Researcher Development Framework is intended to help people monitor their skills and plan their personal development. At BU we will be using this framework to format the training on offer for the postgraduate research students and academic staff.

The Vitae website is an excellent resource and the organisation regularly runs free training events for researchers, PGRs and those involved in research development.

The Researcher Development Framework (RDF) is the professional development framework to realise the potential of researchers. The RDF is a tool for planning, promoting and supporting the personal, professional and career development of researchers in higher education. It was designed following interviews with many successful researchers across the sector and articulates the knowledge, behaviours and attributes of a successful researcher. 

 

The challenges and rewards of teaching qualitative analysis with software

Centre for Excellence in Learning

Qualitative research is gaining momentum in social sciences, education and health, with new developments appearing every year for gathering, analysing and disseminating data. This session will focus on the teaching and learning potential of specialised programmes for the process of systematising and analysing qualitative data.

The session will cover the basic features of computer assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS) and their possible role in students’ understanding of qualitative analysis. Specifically, it will be suggested that the process of data analysis and related techniques (content, thematic, framework and discourse analysis, to name a few) should beadvanced before students engagement with CAQDAS, but that CAQDAS have the potential to enhance students’understanding of qualitative data analysis in practice. The session will outline some practice-based recommendations for engaging students when running interactive qualitative data analysis sessions in general andworkshops for CAQDAS in particular.

Aims and objectives:

  • To introduce attendees to the basic and advance features of CAQDAS
  • To discuss the challenges and rewards of teaching qualitative analysis using CAQDAS
  • To stimulate discussion around qualitative methods teaching

Save the date: Monday 24 April, 12.00-13.30. Talbot Campus.

Bookings should be made through the Intranet, with Organisational Development.

The session will be facilidated by Dr Jacqueline Priego, who has been delivering CAQDAS workshops and training postgraduate students and researchers on qualitative analysis since 2010. She is also available for queries relating to MAXQDA and QDAMiner (not supported at BU).

Pre-award Omnibus Day & Your FDOs before Easter

The Funding Development Officers (FDOs) will be delivering Pre-award workshops as part of the RKE Development Framework on Thursday 13 April.

These Pre-award workshops are:

  1. Getting Started with Applying for Research Funding;
  2. Pre-award Finances;
  3. BU Processes for Applying for Funding.

If you haven’t already booked and would like to attend, please click on the links above and book yourselves in!

Therefore, on 13 April, your FDOs will have very limited, if no access to emails. After this date, BU is closed for the Easter long weekend.

Please consider this when you request our support this week.

Wishing you and your families a Happy Easter!

*Book now* Research Application training- Spaces still available on the RKE Development Framework Pre-Award Pathway

Research Ethics

The research and knowledge exchange (RKE) development framework offers a range of opportunities for academics at all career stages to develop their skills, knowledge and capabilities in relation to research and knowledge exchange. The pre-award pathway offers all of the starting information required by academics and researchers at BU to undertake research bidding.

Research Ethics at BU

All research being conducted at BU falls under the Ethics and Governance policies at BU. This session will offer Academics and Researchers an understanding of the Ethics procedures and Research Governance policies at BU.

10 April 2017 10.00 – 11.00 Lansdowne Campus

Getting started on applying for research funding

This session will explore how best to adapt research in response to the changing external environment. The workshop will provide information on the best routes to funding based upon career stages and also introduce how RKEO can help.

Thursday 13 April 2017 09.00 – 10.00 Lansdowne Campus

Pre-award finance

This session will introduce researchers to Full Economic Costs (fEC), transparant approaches to costing (TRAC) and the BU Financial Regulations. Guidance will be offered on how to cost projects in a way that funders will find acceptable. Training will be provided on producing the ‘Justificaton of Resources’ document required by many funders.

Thursday 13 April 2017 10.30 – 11.30 Lansdowne Campus

BU processes for applying for funding

This workshop will provide a short introduction/refresher on how to apply for external funding at BU. The latest update on the policies and processes will be introduced as part of this short session.

By the end of the session you will be familiar with the processes required to apply for funding at BU.

Thursday 13 April 2017 13.30 – 14.30 Lansdowne Campus

Quality approvals at BU

This course is aimed at those who are, or wish to be, a designated Faculty and UET Activity Quality/Peer reviewers. This session will provide an introduction/refresher of academic review policies at BU.

Thursday 13 April 2017 15.00 – 16.00 Lansdowne Campus

NVivo workshop and surgery – 23 March

Centre for Excellence in Learning, PG research

As part of the Graduate School’s Research Development Programme 2016/17, Jacqueline Priego from CEL will be delivering an NVivo workshop. Details below:

Date: 23 March 2017

Time: 14.00 – 17.00

Venue: S103

Bookings via myBU *

Audience: This workshop is suitable for PGRs with some knowledge of qualitative analysis approaches.

Intended learning outcomes. By the end of this workshop you should be able to:

• Confidently identify the main elements of the NVivo interface

• Open and create new NVivo projects

• Prepare and modify documents

• Create codes and code documents

• Rearrange the coding system

• Perform simple retrieval of coded documents

• Use annotation and linking tools.

If you are already using NVivo for your research, you might like to drop in for the last half an hour of the session, when an open surgery will be held.

Jacqueline Priego has been delivering CAQDAS workshops and training postgraduate students and researchers on qualitative analysis since 2010. She is also available for queries relating to MAXQDA and QDAMiner (not supported at BU).

*Spaces are limited due to room capacity – please book through myBU to avoid disappointment.

Last chance to reserve a place- British Academy Visit 8/3/17

Funding opportunities

british_academy_logoThe British Academy is returning to BU on 8 March 2017.  This is an invaluable opportunity to find out more about the international and domestic funding available through the organisation.  For those of you who are not familiar with the British Academy, it is the UK’s leading independent body for the humanities and social sciences, promoting funding, knowledge exchange and providing independent advice within the humanities. 

The session will last just over  1 hour (13:00-14:15) and will comprise a presentation focusing on international and domestic funding opportunities along with an overview of the British Academy, followed by a Q&A session.

Representatives of the British Academy will be available to answer any individual queries not covered in the presentation or Q&A session, and members of the Research and Knowledge Exchange Office will be on hand should you wish to discuss BU’s processes for bidding to the organisation.

Places for this event can be reserved through Organisational Development here.

 

External Bid Writing Support

Guidance


dev_framework-300x286[1]RKEO are please to announce that as part of the Research Knowledge Exchange Development Framework, bid writing support is now available from external experts.

How can BU academics access this support?

Academics who wish to access external support need to consult with their faculty Deputy Dean of Research and Professional Practice (DDRPP).  As a first step, please log into myBU and open the “External bid Writers” folder under the “Pathways”  section of the Research and Knowledge Exchange Development Framework.

Please read the “Appointing an External Expert- Procedure” documents and complete the “External Support Checklist” along with an “Intention to Bid” form and send this to the relevant DDRPP.  If the request is approved, the DDRPP will send the approved paperwork to RKEO who will then contact the external consultant.  All contracts and legal/financial arrangements will be dealt with by RKEO.

For any questions on this process please contact Dianne Goodman (dgoodman@bournemouth.ac.uk).