Research planning

One of the first tasks a research student has to undertake is producing a literature review. This course offers an introduction to information resources available to students, including the use of online bibliographic databases to search for research literature. There will be an opportunity for hands-on practice.

•  Literature databases for engineering research
• Cited reference searching
•  Journal impact factors
• Setting up alerts / saved searches
•  Library collections - print and online
• Inter-Library Loan service
• Reference management software

This course relates to domains A1 and B3 of the RDF.

One of the first tasks a research student has to undertake is producing a literature review. This can seem like a daunting prospect, especially for students who are new to this University and its library facilites. The course will help by providing a brief introduction to library resources and services. However, as the course concentrates on the use of online bibliographic databases, its main purpose is to help you find relevant research literature efficiently.

There will be an opportunity for hands-on practise. If you would like to bring your laptop with you, please do.

• Search skills and why you need them
• Literature databases and cited reference searching
• Getting the full-text
• Journal impact factors
• Keeping up to date
• Alerts and/or saved searches
• Brief Introduction to Reference management software

This course relates to domains A1 and B3 of the RDF.

Want to get your postgraduate research off to a flying start?

This session has been designed for first year postgraduate research students who missed out on introductory training and induction events at the start of the academic year.

This interactive, informal and practical session will provide you with an opportunity to:

• get to know other postgraduate research students
• look at the process of doing research in academia
• discuss PhD targets, goal setting and consider the challenges you will face
• consider both practical day-to-day advice and larger issues of good research practice

This course relates to domains A1, A2, C1, and C2 of the RDF.

What can you do to make yourself a more effective PhD researcher and get the most out of your PhD?

This interactive and intensive 2-day course has been designed for first and second year PhD students and will look at practical ways to increase your effectiveness and meet the challenges of your PhD.

The course will cover:

•  PhD project planning
• Effective working practices
• Working with others in the research environment
• Maximising your impact
•  Managing your supervisor
• Negotiating
• Getting feedback
• Making the most of your PhD - planning for the future

Participants work in groups to work on a range of activities, indoors and outside. From this you will gain awareness of your performance as an individual and in a team. You will use and develop skills that are essential for a researcher such as communication, planning, time management, problem solving, leadership and assertiveness, as well as building a greater self-awareness of your learning and working styles. The course was developed at the University of Edinburgh with support from Vitae and has been attended by thousands of researchers at universities across the UK. It was devised with input from tutors from academia, industry and other sectors to ensure its relevance to PhD research and future careers.

This course relates to domains A1, A2, A3, B2, B3, C1, and C2 of the RDF.

 This workshop is only open to 1st Year student in the School of Informatics and the SICSA group.

We will explore the nature of Informatics research and the diversity of methodologies that it employs. In particular, we will investigate the forms of hypotheses or claims that an Informatics research project establishes, and the ways in which such claims can be evaluated.

If you are a SICSA member and not matriculated at the University of Edinburgh you will need to register for an EASEfriend account before completing the booking form: https://www.ease.ed.ac.uk/userdocs/friend.html

This course relates for domains A1, A2, and C2 of the RDF.

This half day course is useful for anyone who wishes to understand more about their own preferred ways of interacting with others, taking in information, making decisions and working. This information is useful in helping you understand yourself, and is also helpful when working in teams or managing people.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a widely-used, self-report personality questionnaire, designed to assist in understanding personal style and preferences. It has been used in a variety of areas, including personal development, career planning and team building in industry, for many years.

The objectives of this session are for you to:

• understand the basic MBTI framework and the concept of type.
• recognise how this framework applies to you by understanding your unique preferences / profile.
• have an increased understanding of individual differences, and of how people of other types may see the world and behave.
• be able to view your preferences as positive assets, and be aware of aspects of self which may be less developed.
• be aware of the idea of self-development and have increased self-understanding, which can be used to inform career planning and development.

You'll complete the MBTI questionnaire, and your questionnaire type, along with your self-assessed type, will be sent out after the session, together with further information on type.

• You should attend if you would like to:
• increase your self-awareness of how you prefer to interact and communicate.
• improve your communication with colleagues.
• work more effectively with others.

This course relates to domains A1, D1, D2, and D3 of the RDF.

This course is for 1st year PhD students.

It aims to provide you with an opportunity to take stock of where you are and make practical steps towards an effective start on your PhD. The short, interactive course will be delivered through a mixture of short presentations and group work and there will be an opportunity to get advice and information from a variety of experienced researchers, supervisors and PhD students.

Topics covered include:

•  PhD targets and goal setting
• Advice on practical day to day issues of good research practice
• Advice and approaches to managing oneself and ones project

It also provides an invaluable opportunity to meet and get to know other 1st year PhD students from your school.

This course relates to domains A1 and B2 of the RDF.

This course is for 1st year PhD students. It aims to provide you with an opportunity to take stock of where they are and make practical steps towards an effective start on your PhD. The short, interactive course will be delivered through a mixture of short presentations and group work and there will be an opportunity to get advice and information from a variety of experienced researchers, supervisors and PhD students.

Topics covered include:

•  PhD targets and goal setting
• Advice on practical day to day issues of good research practice
• Advice and approaches to managing oneself and ones project

It also provides an invaluable opportunity to meet and get to know other 1st year PhD students from your school.

This course relates to domains A1 and B2 of the RDF.

Project management is a core skill for most jobs and being a researcher is no different.   This workshop is designed to help you take control of your research and support you in the successful completion of your PhD and future research projects.

This course, which is aimed at all postgraduate researchers, explores how you can apply project management principles to research projects.   By attending the course you will learn how to:

• Clearly define your project to ensure it is successful.
• Identify stakeholders and plan how to engage and communicate with them effectively to ensure your research has impact.
• Define clear roles and responsibilities for the individuals involved in executing the research.
• Develop a high-level plan for the whole research project including project time-lines, budgets and plans to manage project risks.
• Identify time critical activities so you can prioritise these.
• Develop detailed plan for shorter term activities to effectively manage your time.
• Monitor the progress of your project and what action to take when the project is not progressing as planned.

The workshop is interactive and you will have opportunities to learn project management tools through group activities as well as having time to reflect on your own research.

This course relates to domains A1, A3, B2, C2, and D3 of the RDF.

This course is for 2nd and 3rd year PhD students. It will be taught by senior academic staff in your school who have a great deal of experience supervising and examining PhD theses, together with staff from the College Office.
Through formal presentations and group discussion this course will:

* Provide advice and information on how to write a thesis and prepare for the examination process.

* Give detailed information about administrative aspects of thesis preparation, submission and examination.

It also provides an invaluable opportunity to meet and get to know other PhD students at the same stage as you.

This course relates to domains A1, C1, and D1 of the RDF.

This workshop is only open to PhD students in the School of Biological Sciences.

This course is for 2nd and 3rd year PhD students. It will be taught by senior academic staff in your school who have a great deal of experience supervising and examining PhD theses, together with staff from the College Office.

Through formal presentations and group discussion this course will:

•  Provide advice and information on how to write a thesis and prepare for the examination process.
• Give detailed information about administrative aspects of thesis preparation, submission and examination.
• It also provides an invaluable opportunity to meet and get to know other PhD students at the same stage as you.

This course relates to domains A1, C1, and D1 of the RDF.

This one day course will introduce you to project management, with a focus on the development of practical skills. 

You will learn how to:

• Set clear and realistic objectives
• Plan, organise, and document your research project 
• Identify your stakeholders, and to understand their needs
• Manage stakeholder expectations
• Manage risks and issues, including changes to scope
• Review and learn from strengths and weaknesses identified on completion  of a project. 

The session will include presented content, class discussion, and group exercises centred on a research project scenario.  There is also a course handbook for reference.

You should attend if you want to:

• Understand more about project management, the role of the project manager, and project success
• Learn about the lifecycle of a project
• Increase your confidence in managing projects
• Obtain tools and techniques that you can start to use immediately
• Discuss the challenges of research projects with other research staff.

This course relates to domains B1, B2, and C2 of the RDF.

This course is for 1st year PhD students. Through a mixture of short presentations and group discussion this course will:

• give you a clear understanding of the purpose and structure of the First Year Review process
• allow you to meet students who have already completed their First Year Review
• give a chance to ask questions of academic staff within your school
• offer ideas about how to get the most out of the review

It also provides an invaluable opportunity to meet and get to know other PhD students at the same stage as you from across your school.

This course relates to domains A1, C2, and D1 of the RDF.

This workshop is only open to PhD students in the School of Biological Sciences who are approaching the end of their PhD.

The PhD viva is an integral part of the PhD process in the UK. It offers great opportunities for a well prepared candidate to discuss their work with experts in the field.  This course aims to demystify the viva process, help build your confidence and give you an overview of the viva in the context of your own PhD research.

 We will discuss:

• The 'big picture' of your research in terms of originality and contribution
• The role of your supervisor and both examiners
• What to expect on the day - typical questions and possible outcomes
• Any other concerns raised during the workshop

This course relates to domains A and B of the RDF

The PhD Viva is an integral part of the PhD process in the UK. It offers great opportunities for a well prepared candidate to discuss their work with experts in thefield. This course aims to demystify the viva process, help build your confidence and give you an overview of the viva in the context of your own PhD research.

We will discuss

• The "big picture" of your research in terms of originality and contribution
• The role of your supervisor and both examiners
• What to expect on the day - typical questions and possible outcomes
• Any other concerns raised during the wrokshop

The course relaties to domains A and B of the RDF

This event is for you if you are new PhD students in the School of Engineering. The aim of this session is to provide you with the information you need to make the best start to your studies. Through a mixture of presentation and group discussion this course will:

• Introduce you to the key academic staff within the School
• Give details of the sources of support and training that are available to you
• Give advice on practical day to day issues of good research practice
• Give advice and approaches to managing oneself and ones project

It also provides an invaluable opportunity to meet and get to know other 1st year PhD students from your school.

This event relates to domains A1, C1 and C2 of the RDF