A–N Course list

**First Year International Students Only**

This session is aimed specifically at first year international post-graduate research students whose first language is not English. It is intended to provide guidance and confidence to students who may feel unsure as to whether they are able to communicate their research as effectively as they would wish.

**First Year International Students Only**

This session is aimed specifically at first year international post-graduate research students whose first language is not English. It is intended to provide guidance and confidence to students who may feel unsure as to whether they are able to communicate their research as effectively as they would wish.

Publishing your work and sharing your findings is a key component of a successful research career. In the last years publishing open access became a (research funder) requirement and a (publisher) expectation. In this rapidly changing landscape, it is very easy to get confused between Green and Gold or Bronze and Platinum Open Access publishing models. Add on top some Creative Commons licenses and the confusion is complete. This workshop is designed to explain the relationship between copyright, Creative Commons licenses and Open Access and how authors can navigate the publishing process meeting all their funder’s requirements, ensuring maximum impact and visibility of their research while not breaking the law (nor the bank). 

At the end of this workshop participants will have:

• a clear overview of the publishing models;

• an understanding of open access, creative commons licenses and copyright and how this applies to scholarly communications;

• an understanding of what is required of authors

This workshop relates to domains C1, D2 and D3 of the RDF.

For further information on the RDF visit:  http://edin.ac/2cDDzAE

Do approaches to writing adopted  by creative writers have any relevance for academic writing? Could writing creatively – whether occasionally or on a regular basis – enrich your academic work (as well as your life)? In this workshop we explore, through writing, some of the creative writer’s toolkit and its relevance for academic writing.

Pre-course Information

Please have available a piece of writing that you are working on at the moment.

Workshop Facilitator: Mimo Caenepeel

This workshop is for more experienced tutors and demonstrators. It discusses the full range of support that students can require (from study development to personal matters); the boundaries to your responsibilities; recording and confidentiality issues; and strategies for handling potentially tricky situations. It points to University Support services and resources for study development. 

If you are a Personal Tutor, the IAD offers specific support. For details, please see:

http://www.ed.ac.uk/institute-academic-development/learning-teaching/staff/academic-pastoral

IMPORTANT NOTE:

If you need to cancel your booking, please do so at the earliest opportunity and at least 3 working days before the event. Someone else may be able to take your place, but we need time to contact them.

We maintain attendance registers; unexpected absences will be noted. If you consistently fail to attend (more than 3 events), or repeatedly cancel with very short notice, you may be prevented from booking future IAD Tutors & Demonstrators events.

Please arrive on time and remain for the scheduled period of the workshop.

As this is an online workshop, a link to the Collaborate space will be emailed to all participants on the day of the event.

Publishing your work and sharing your findings is a key component of a successful research career. A significant time investment is required to successfully publish a paper and several skills are used during the process including collaborative writing, figure design, analysis and concise written communication. With over 30,000 journals to choose from and various publishing models to consider, researchers need to be aware of which option will work best for them. Academic publishing is currently evolving and there have been several new developments in recent years, including requirements for open access and new regulations. Participants will be introduced to the editorial process, time frames, how to choose the appropriate journal, legal considerations and how to navigate the academic publishing process. This workshop is designed to cover the key actions and issues behind publishing a research paper including manuscript preparation, choosing the appropriate journal and peer review. In addition it will include an introduction to the controversial subject of metrics. The instructor’s own publishing experience will be used to illustrate key points.

At the end of this workshop participants will have:

• a clear overview of the publishing process & the timeframe involved;

• an understanding of open access and copyright and how this applies to scholarly communications;

• an understanding of what is required of authors

This workshop provides an overview on the fundamentals of copyright as it applies to students and academic researchers in terms of writing dissertations/theses, journal articles and other types of research outputs. Much of the content will be delivered by presentation, but there will be plenty of room for questions and discussion as part of the session.  In addition, the Scholarly Communications Team will be able to provide follow-up support for individuals or small groups. 

After attending this workshop, you will:

1.Understand the types of works covered by copyright.

2.Understand the intricacies of copyright ownership.

3.Know what issues to consider when (re-)using third party materials in a dissertation/thesis or in a scholarly output.

This workshop relates to domains C1, D2 and D3 of the RDF.

For further information on the RDF visit:  http://edin.ac/2cDDzA

Public engagement is one of the many ways that research can have positive impact beyond the four walls of the University – not to mention benefits to the researcher. Done well, it can boost your communication skills, give you fresh perspectives on your research, inspire others and maybe even lead to a practical change in how society does things. But how do you get started? And would members of the public honestly be interested in what you do?  This introductory workshop helps answer these questions.

At the end of the workshop you will:

• Develop a deeper understanding of the social context for your research
• Make sense of the variety of stakeholders in your research
• Identify the next steps you need to take in developing your public engagement skills

Please note:  This workshop is also open to Research Staff, however booking is only available via the People & Money Learning App.  Please book a place via the People and Money Learning App. More information and details on how to book can be found here: https://edin.ac/3Ad7oxP

In this workshop you will learn how to approach the key decisions around archiving your research data, such as whether to release your data under an open licence. 

This course will cover:

1. Which research data should I archive and when?

2. Is my dataset suitable for sharing under an open licence?

3. How can I select the best repository for my data?

4. When should I ask the Research Data Service for support? For example for questions about digital preservation or estimating costs or getting a DOI.  

5. How much will it cost?

6. How long do I need to store my data, after the end of my project?

This workshop relates to domains A, C and D of the RDF.

For further information on the RDF visit:  http://edin.ac/2cDDzAE

Workshop Facilitator: Pauline Ward & Sara Thomson

This workshop is intended for tutors and demonstrators from across the University of Edinburgh with responsibility for marking and/or providing feedback.

It provides an overview of assessment processes and explores the students' needs for support at different stages. It identifies some of the challenges faced by markers, discusses strategies for coping with these challenges; and examines good practice in providing feedback on students' work. Please note we do not do any practical marking exercises in this workshop due to the varied practices across disciplines and subjects.

You will get most out of this workshop if you have had some experience marking. Before signing up, please check for any sessions running in your School which may be mandatory. School workshops will be able to provide subject specific advice and guidance. IMPORTANT NOTE: **JOINING INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE SENT PRIOR TO THE EVENT**

If you need to cancel your booking, please do so at the earliest opportunity as someone else may be able to take your place, but we need time to contact them.  

Please note this is a two part workshop – participants MUST attend on both days. Thursday 8th June AND Thursday 15th June 2023Booking Link for 15th June 2023:  https://www.events.ed.ac.uk/index.cfm?event=book&scheduleID=56420

You will also be asked to undertake writing and discussion between the sessions.Habits and Tools for Effective WritingMany researchers struggle with the strategies of academic writing, both with regard to writing techniques and to writing habits.  Moreover, many junior scholars sometimes need a little help with editing and targeting their outputs. These focused webinars (with a small amount of pre-thinking and some work between the sessions) will provide you with a toolkit to help you to: 

• Identify 'good' academic prose and consider the techniques of creating 'good' writing
• Deconstruct the mechanics of effective prose
• Develop a process for conceptualising and planning writing
• Create writing habits that ensure you actually write Recognize prose traps and edit your work more effectively
• Understand how to target your efforts so they’re more likely to be editor, and thus publication, friendly.

We can’t guarantee that your research findings will be high-impact, but we can work together to help you understand how to convey your findings in a clear, succinct and scholarly way.   After all, your research efforts count for very little unless you write...

Workshop Facilitator: Steve Hutchinson

You know you need to start (or continue) to write – so what is stopping you? Writer’s block can occur at any stage in the process of writing a PhD, and will have an impact on both your productivity and your well-being. In this workshop, we look at what writer’s block feels like, what causes it and what strategies you can adopt to re-connect with your writing and your confidence.

Workshop Facilitator: Mimo Caenepeel

You know you need to start (or continue) to write – so what is stopping you? Writer’s block can occur at any stage in the process of writing a PhD, and will have an impact on both your productivity and your well-being. In this workshop, we look at what writer’s block feels like, what causes it and what strategies you can adopt to re-connect with your writing and your confidence.

Workshop Facilitator: Mimo Caenepeel

About the course: This is a 10-week course delivered through online learning within the University’s e-learning platform, Learn.

What will I learn? This self-paced, online course, gives a basic understanding of the history of imaging, an explanation about each imaging modality (MRI, CT, Ultrasound, Light Microscopy, PET and SPECT), as well as giving a basic understanding of image processing and image analysis.  This is a great starting point for those working on research projects in many different areas, including medicine, engineering, science, psychology and art.

If students wish to learn more about a particular modality or technique, they can progress onto the Edinburgh Imaging Academy ODL CPD teaching materials – which are offered as ‘read only’ for a vastly reduced price of £20 per 10 credits.

Target audience: We have had students from a wide range of disciplines including:

-       Political Studies – interested in using fMRI to assess people’s thoughts

-       Anatomy & Biology students – to gain a basic background in imaging

-       Psychology & Cognitive Science – understanding tools & techniques

-       College of Art – interested in using images for 3D design

-       Engineering, Physics & Chemistry

-       Veterinary Science & Bioscience

-       Medical & Biomedical Science students

When does it start? Monday 10th October - Monday 19th December 2022

Time commitment: 4-8 hours per week

Want to learn more about one imaging modality or analysis tool?  Once students have grasped the basics, they may wish to go on to study a full 10 credit course in Light Microscopy or Image Processing. If they wish to gain credits then the PPD option is best, if not the CPD read only option is available.

The Edinburgh Imaging Academy offers the online CPD option, by giving students ‘read only’ access to the teaching material used in our ODL Master programs, for £20 per 10 credit course. Simply book through – http://bit.ly/EdinPhD .

For information on Edinburgh Imaging, and our imaging facilities based at the Clinical Research Imaging Centre, the Brain Research Imaging Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer and The Roslin Institute – please visit www.ed.ac.uk/edinburgh-imaging

List of Learning Outcomes. By the end of this workshop, students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate a basic knowledge and understanding of the history of imaging

2. Identify different imaging modalities and how and when they should be used

3. Apply a basic understanding of image processing and image analysis to their own research project

The recent health situation has led to a radical change in professional and personal circumstance for everyone. But research goes on. And in the new reality of remote working and professional distancing we all need to rethink how to maximize our research effectiveness and efficiency.

During the session, we’ll focus on:

Reflecting on our routines, habits and tactics of remote researching (specifically managing our self, time, project, relationships and information)

Building routines, habits, strategies, environments and tools that work remotely and that will help us not just professionally survive, but *maybe* even thrive as a remote researcher.

There will be a small amount of focussing pre-coursework in advance of this webinar.

Workshop Facilitator: Steve Hutchinson

Collaborative writing is often stimulating and rewarding, but it can also be stressful. In this workshop, we explore both the benefits and the challenges of writing in collaboration with others; the affordances and drawbacks of different types of collaboration; issues around ownership, contribution and authorship; co-authoring and technology; and communication habits of strong collaborators.

Workshop Facilitators: Mimo Caenepeel

Please note:  There are places available for staff however they must book via the People & Money Learning App.  More information and how to book can be found here: People and Money User Guide – How to View/Search, Enrol and Withdraw from Learning (Employee guide)

A lot of hard work and time goes into conducting research. And then more time and work goes into publishing the results. And yet sadly many papers are never read and many findings are never translated into practice. So how do you communicate effectively about your research and its impact? This is important to fulfil funding obligations, to create further funding and collaboration opportunities, to encourage the application of your findings and for your own career. 

In this workshop you will learn strategies for: 

• Developing a communication strategy
• Pitching your message to the your audience
• How to make it accessible without dumbing down
• Dealing with media
• Using new media
• Developing your one minute pitch
• Dealing with the discomfort of it all

Facilitator:

Hugh Kearns BAgSc, MEd, MMHS

Hugh Kearns is recognised internationally as a public speaker, educator and researcher. He regularly lectures at universities across the world and has recently returned from a lecture tour of the UK and the US which included lectures at Oxford, Harvard and Stanford.

His areas of expertise include self-management, positive psychology, work-life balance, learning and creativity. He draws on over twenty years of experience as a leading training and development professional within the corporate, financial, education and health sectors in Ireland, Scotland, New Zealand and Australia. He has coached individuals, teams and executives in a wide range of organisations in the public and private sectors.

Hugh lectures and researches at Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia. He is widely recognised for his ability to take the latest research in psychology and education and apply it to high-performing people and groups. As a co-author with Maria Gardiner, he has published six books which are in high demand both in Australia and internationally.

Workshop Facilitator: Hugh Kearns

Do you know how to capture your audiences’ attention? And how to keep it once you’ve got it?

This workshop is ideal for researchers who would like to improve their research communication skills and are new to engaging members of the public with their research. The skills we develop when we talk about our research with people outside our subject area can directly improve our skills when communicating with our research peers. This interactive session looks at:

– Reasons to communicate (with different publics)

– Thinking about your audience in terms of who they are, their motivations for being there, how to facilitate a good experience

– Various tools to build a narrative e.g. simple structures, jargon busting, use of questions, signposts, body language

By the end of this workshop you will be able to:

1. Draw from a selection of communication tools to perfect how you talk about your research.

2. Consider your audiences', and your own, experiences of participating in research communication.

3. Have at your disposal a tried and tested 1 minute talk about your research.

Please note:  This workshop is also open to Research Staff, however booking is only available via the People & Money Learning App.  Please book a place via the People and Money Learning App. More information and details on how to book can be found here: https://edin.ac/3Ad7oxP

This workshop is designed specifically for students who are interested in planning events, workshops or conferences. Organising a conference gives researchers the opportunity to boost their profile, develop new skills and to meet other academics in their field. 

In order to deliver a high-quality event it is crucial that organisers execute a sequence of well planned actions in advance, leaving plenty of time to solve any problems that arise unexpectedly. There are now a number of free online tools and event marketing systems, such as Eventbrite, that can be used to help you manage your conference so that you can achieve maximum impact and attract delegates.

The workshop is designed to cover event planning and design, management, finance, venues, online tools, marketing and promotion, attracting sponsorship and post-event actions. The content is taught via short lectures, demonstrations of free online tools and interactive group exercises, in addition to case studies and the instructor’s own experience. Participants are encouraged to share their own event ideas throughout. This workshop is popular with students, researchers and professional staff at universities.

 The content of this workshop is applicable to individuals who are interested in careers both inside and outside of academia.

• Generating ideas for your event
  • What is your aim? Why hold an event?
  • Timing and length
• Planning your event
  • Team, dates, venue, costs
  • Pre-event software
• Event structure
  • Cutting edge talks, workshops, posters, papers, networking (speed)
  • Inviting & attracting high-quality speakers
  • Timing & livestreaming
• Marketing and promoting your event
  • Early bird vs late bird rates
  • Digital & social engagement
  • Tools to measure your progress: website, Eventbrite, analytics
• Attracting sponsorship
  • Who to ask?
  • Sponsorship packages: gold, silver, bronze
• Event management
  • Badges, bags, stands and technical tests
  • Reminders & drop outs
  • Registration and welcoming delegates
  • Managing speakers, timing, questions and an audience
• Post-event actions
  • Surveys and feedback
  • Mailing lists, videos and blogs

List of Learning Outcomes. By the end of this workshop, students should be able to:

Workshop Facilitator: Jo Young

Please note you will be required to complete a preparation task in advance of this workshop.

Full Description:

Interested in public engagement but unsure how to maximise the impact of your efforts? This workshop introduces a flexible approach to planning engagement activities with focus on the outcomes. What are you hoping participants (i.e. community groups, policymakers, researchers, etc.) get out of the interaction, and what activities are most likely to make these outcomes happen?

By the end of this workshop, you will have the key tools to take forward public engagement plans that match your impact goals.

This workshop is delivered by Fiona Murray (Public Engagement Coordinator) and Anne-Marte Bergseng (Communications Manager, ClimateXChange). It draws on material from the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement.

Please note that your email address will be used to share templates immediately after the event. We will also email you a short questionnaire 2-3 months after the workshop. If you wish to opt out, please let the organisers know during the workshop.

The core business of a PhD or early career researcher is to have new ideas and then explore them. Originality is our shared currency regardless of academic discipline. And yet many researchers report finding themselves stuck in a rut, having the same thoughts again and again, when what they really need are fresh insights, new concepts and original ideas.

This empowering and challenging workshop will allow participants to bring along their own real problems and explore them from a number of new angles.

The workshop will focus on the needs and personal creativity styles of all the participants and explore a range of creativity techniques and how to apply and implement them and review a toolkit for evaluating ideas.

This workshop relates to domains A2 and A3 of the RDF.

List of Learning Outcomes. By the end of this workshop, students should be able to: 

1. Understand how to explore a problem and tackle it in a number of different ways

2. Identify a range of creativity techniques and apply them to find original ways to resolve problems

3. Utilise the creative problem solving toolkit to evaluate ideas

What does your supervisor mean when they tell you that your writing is ‘too descriptive’ or ‘not critical enough’? How can you write ‘critically’, making sure that your work meets one of the key academic requirements? In this workshop we identify how critical engagement with your research manifests in your reading and your writing, and how you can apply critical values to your dissertation.

Workshop Facilitator: Mimo Caenepeel

This workshop is intended for more experienced tutors and demonstrators who are relatively new to lecturing or embarking on it for the first time. It considers what is involved in planning a lecture, and discusses strategies for engaging students’ attention.

You will get most out of this workshop if you will be lecturing in the near future.

***  NOTE:  Please bring along a device that can connect to the internet as we will be using interactive technology. ***

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you need to cancel your booking, please do so at the earliest opportunity as someone else may be able to take your place, but we need time to contact them.  

*This is a two day workshop running on 11th and 12th May 2023 and participants must attend both days*

All researchers are expected to do public engagement – to interact with stakeholder groups and/or wider ‘publics’ in order to increase the impact of their research. Public engagement takes different forms in different disciplines, but in all cases it is most effective when researchers talk with people rather than lecturing at them, when we are open to hearing what other groups have to say.

This course gives practical guidance on how to go about such ‘collaborative conversations’ in a way that is relevant to your research. It builds on the principles of ‘dialogue’, which has proved a powerful approach to communication in public engagement and many other areas. Come to this course and you will:

• Learn to recognise and address where your publics are coming from;
• Build your skills in facilitating dialogue so that everyone is heard and contributes;
• Think strategically about how to design dialogic public engagement activities;
• Start developing the skills to reflect and improve upon your engagement and other communication practices long after the course has ended.

Our training approach combines theory and practice. We will take you through a series of focused exercises, interspersed with short presentations and time for reflection, so that you experience a range of approaches and techniques you can then use in your future work. 

Whether you are planning to engage with government bodies, business, product or service users or citizens, this course can help make you more effective. You will leave with a toolbox of skills and techniques that you can use (and refine) in a range of different settings, including – but not only – public engagement with research.

By the end of this workshop you will be able to:

1.Recognise and address where your publics are coming from;

2.Build your skills in facilitating dialogue so that everyone is heard and contributes;

3.Think strategically about how to design dialogic public engagement activities;

4.Continue developing the skills to reflect and improve upon your engagement and other communication practices long after the course has ended.

Workshop Facilitators: Oliver Escobar & Jan BarfootPlease note:  This workshop is also open to Research Staff, however booking is only available via the People & Money Learning App.  Please book a place via the People and Money Learning App. More information and details on how to book can be found here: https://edin.ac/3Ad7oxP

This is a Town Hall event for all current postgraduate researchers at the University which will be hosted by Professor Colm Harmon, Professor Christina Boswell and the academic leads of the Doctoral College along with Professor Dave Robertson who will represent the People and Money system. It will update participants on key developments in postgraduate research at the University and will have a question and answer session.

You can submit questions in advance via this form.

This is a short welcome talk from the University of Edinburgh Doctoral College open to all new postgraduate researchers. The Doctoral College is a central structure at Edinburgh, designed to help coordinate and highlight training, support and opportunities for all postgraduate researchers across the institution. Join us to hear from the Doctoral College leads and representatives from across the University about how the Doctoral College can help you to make the most of your time at Edinburgh. Participants will be able to ask questions throughout/ at the end. You can find out more about the Doctoral College here - Doctoral College | The University of Edinburgh

This workshop provides advice and information on how to write a chemistry PhD thesis and prepare for the examination process. The session will include practical, interactive activities and contributions from experienced PhD supervisors, examiners and recent PhD graduates.

Course Content:

The role of the thesis and doctoral regulations

The external examiner's perspective and responsibilities

Organisation, motivation and planning

What makes a good thesis

Writing and reviewing the thesis

Anticipating the viva

List of Learning Outcomes. By the end of this workshop, students should be able to:

1. Understand the role of the thesis and the doctoral regulations, including the external examiner’s perspective and responsibilities

2. Understand what makes a good thesis

3. Identify what is required in preparing for a successful viva

This workshop is for tutors who are new or relatively new to teaching tutorials from across the University of Edinburgh with a focus on open-discussion classes.

We consider what makes for an effective tutorial; examine the students’ perspectives and their needs in particular contexts; and share experiences of strategies that might be adopted in different contexts.

You will get most out of this workshop if you are already teaching tutorials. Before signing up for this workshop, please check for any sessions running in your School which may be mandatory.  

***  NOTE:  Please bring along a device that can connect to the internet as we will be using interactive technology. ***

IMPORTANT NOTE:

If you need to cancel your booking, please do so at the earliest opportunity as someone else may be able to take your place, but we need time to contact them. 

This workshop is for tutors who are new or relatively new to teaching tutorials from across the University of Edinburgh with a focus on open-discussion classes.

We consider what makes for an effective tutorial; examine the students’ perspectives and their needs in particular contexts; and share experiences of strategies that might be adopted in different contexts.

You will get most out of this workshop if you are already teaching tutorials. Before signing up for this workshop, please check for any sessions running in your School which may be mandatory.  

IMPORTANT NOTE:

**JOINING INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE SENT ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT**

If you need to cancel your booking, please do so at the earliest opportunity as someone else may be able to take your place, but we need time to contact them.  

This online workshop is aimed at tutors from the University of Edinburgh who are new or have recently started teaching in an online environment. The course will be delivered via Collaborate Ultra to give participants experience of learning in an online context and to gain an understanding of some of the benefits and barriers that student s may face when learning online.

During the session we will explore what student expectations of learning in an online environment may be, approaches we can use to engage and support students online, and some of the skills an online tutor will need.

After attending this workshop you will:

• Have gained experience of learning in an online environment;
• Be aware of approaches that can be used to engage students online;
• Have considered some of the skills an online tutor will need to develop to support students effectively online

***All participants will be emailed a link to attend the workshop prior to event taking place***

This course is intended for tutors from across the University of Edinburgh who have already started teaching tutorials.

It contains a stocktaking exercise of your recent teaching experiences; discussion of tricky issues and coping strategies; suggestions for how you can get feedback on your teaching; and a facilitated discussion on using technology tutorials.

This course will focus on your current tutoring experience. If you are not yet teaching tutorials this semester, you should not sign up for this course. ***  NOTE:  Please bring along a device that can connect to the internet as we will be using interactive learning technology. ***

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you need to cancel your booking, please do so at the earliest opportunity as someone else may be able to take your place, but we need time to contact them.  

Do you need facilitation skills to do your job? Probably: good facilitation skills are critical to team working, collaborating with other teams and organisations, planning and holding meetings, and small group teaching.

If you’d like to improve the communication and inter-personal skills needed to facilitate well, this workshop may be for you!

Skills You’ll Develop:

• Enabling everyone to speak openly about their views, interests and needs
• Thinking together to tackle difficult problems or get a job done
• Fostering creativity and realise the potential for ‘group intelligence’
• Handling dominant voices and ensure all participants are heard
• Working through conflict without confrontation
• Recognising different patterns of communication and encourage ‘authentic’ communication
• Using your power as a facilitator constructively

Training Approach:

Our training approach integrates some ‘theory’ with a lot of opportunities to practice. Specifically, we will:

• Introduce key concepts – about different forms of communication and styles of facilitation, and about collaboration
• Work on key skills and common challenges, giving you experience of some different techniques and approaches
• Make this relevant to your circumstances and needs, and encourage your reflective practice.

What this Course Does Not Cover:

Facilitation involves two skill sets: thinking strategically (for planning and evaluation); and attending to communication and inter-personal dynamics in these critical conversations. This workshop aims to build capacity in the latter skill set only.

 While this workshop is extremely useful for people wishing to engage others with their research, this won’t be a specific focus on the day.

Suitability

This workshop is intended for people who already do some facilitation and want the opportunity to reflect on and deepen their practice in this area. Those new to facilitation and dialogue, are encouraged to attend Public Engagement Beyond Public Lectures instead.

Workshop Facilitators: Oliver Escobar & Sarah Stocks

Please note:  There are places available for staff however they must book via the People & Money Learning App.  More information and how to book can be found here: People and Money User Guide – How to View/Search, Enrol and Withdraw from Learning (Employee guide)

Displaying information in a visual format is an excellent way for researchers to communicate their work. You can enhance your research papers, thesis, conference posters, presentations and public engagement activities with accurate and clear visual representations. This workshop is designed to introduce participants to various types of visual formats including standard graphs, information visualisations and graphics for publication.  There are a number of different ways to display your data or ideas visually and it depends on who you are aiming to engage and what you want to tell them. Building excellent graphics and summary figures takes time, practice and a willingness to learn the appropriate software. This workshop will provide an overview of information visualisation and further resources for participants to explore in their own time. Data and information visualisation is a vast and rapidly growing field.

This workshop covers the principles of visualising information, examples of excellent visualisations and poor visualisations and case studies including examples from the instructor’s own publications and experience. At the end of this workshop participants will have:

• been introduced to the principles of good information visualisation;

• an overview of various types of visualisations and considered how they can represent their own work visually.

*Please note: this is not a workshop on software tools, though a list of tools will be provided for participants to explore in their own time.

Workshop Facilitator: Jo Young

Are you several years into your PhD journey, but feel like there is a long way to go? Are you finding finishing your research or thesis hard going? Does it feel like there is a lot to do - and not all of it seems clear? This session might be helpful for you!Final Year Focus is a 1-hour webinar to encourage PhD candidates as they work through their final year. In this session you will:

• learn tools and processes to help with the final year of your PhD;
• identify what actions you must take to help you succeed;
• explore ideas to help you on your way to submission, and beyond!

You don’t need to prepare anything before the session, but might benefit from having paper to hand or something to make notes on. The session will be delivered by Dr Nathan Ryder live over Zoom.

This session is for students in the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences.

One of the first tasks undertaken by research students is a review of the literature. This course introduces resources and services available from the Library and will cover the use of online literature databases to help you find relevant research literature effectively.

Workshop outline:

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

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this workshop, students should be able to: 

1. Identify the different information resources available when producing a literature review, including the use of online literature databases
2. Understand and demonstrate the ability to use reference management software

 Apply knowledge of cited reference searching and journal impact factors.

Run by the Library Academic Support Team 

This session is for students in the College of Science & Engineering.

One of the first tasks undertaken by research students is a review of the literature. This course introduces resources and services available from the Library and will cover the use of online literature databases to help you find relevant research literature effectively.

Participants are encouraged to use their own device(s) to follow along as presenters demonstrate search strategies and techniques online.

Workshop outline:

• 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.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this workshop, students should be able to:

1. Identify the different information resources available to students when producing a literature review including the use of online literature databases
2. Understand and demonstrate ability to use reference management software

Apply knowledge of cited reference searching and journal impact factors.

Run by the Academic Library Support Team

This session is for students in the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine.

One of the first tasks undertaken by research students is a review of the literature. This course introduces resources and services available from the Library and will cover the use of online literature databases to help you find relevant research literature effectively.

Workshop Outline:

• 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

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this workshop, students should be able to:

1. Identify the different information resources available to students when producing a literature review including the use of online literature databases and recognise which are relevant for biomedical research
2. Understand and demonstrate ability to use reference management software

Apply knowledge of cited reference searching and journal impact factors.

Run by the Academic Library Support Team

 This session is for students in the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, primarily for students carrying out veterinary or animal science related research.

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 facilities. This session will help by providing a brief introduction to library resources and services. However, as the workshop concentrates on the use of online bibliographic databases, its main purpose is to help you find relevant research literature efficiently.

 This workshop will cover:

• 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.

List of Learning Outcomes. By the end of this workshop, students should be able to:

1. Identify the different information resources available to students when producing a literature review including the use of online bibliographic databases and recognise which are relevant for veterinary medicine and animal science related research

2. Understand the benefit of using reference management software, and where to find out more about these

3. Apply knowledge of cited reference searching and journal impact factors

 If you cannot make these dates/times, please contact your Academic Support Librarian for advice: www.ed.ac.uk/is/academic-support-librarians-a-z

This session is for students in the School of Engineering.

One of the first tasks undertaken by research students is a review of the literature. This course provides an introduction to resources and services available from the Library and will cover the use of online literature databases to help you find relevant research literature effectively.

Participants are encouraged to use their own device(s) to follow along as presenters demonstrate search strategies and techniques online.

Workshop outline:

• 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.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this workshop, students should be able to:

1. Identify the different information resources available to students when producing a literature review including the use of online literature databases
2. Understand and demonstrate ability to use reference management software
3. Apply knowledge of cited reference searching and journal impact factors.

Run by the Academic Library Support Team

Are you a student and also a parent, or parent to be? Then this session is for you. Join the Students’ Association Student Parents’ representative and other presenters to hear their tips and experiences on practical matters, studying and time management. We’ll also highlight resources and networks available to support you. The session will be informal and is open to all students.

This workshop will cover Writing a PhD Report for the School of Chemistry.

*This course is for first year PhD students*

Getting Started with Postgraduate Research is a 3-week, interactive online course for all new postgraduate researchers at the University of Edinburgh.

Starting a postgraduate research degree is a very exciting time, but it can also be difficult to know where to start.

We hope this online course will help you settle in to your doctoral studies by sharing essential information, tips and advice, and giving you an opportunity to interact with other students at the same stage.

Course structure, dates & time committment

Course dates: this course will run for three weeks from Monday 6th February 2023.

Time committment: we estimate you should expect to spend about 1-2 hours per week reading the materials and engaging with the tasks and online forums. It will be run as an asynchronous course, which means you can look at the tasks and post in the forums at a time that suits you.

Structure:

• Week 1: Getting to know you and starting out – this is to introduce you to the course and other participants and to cover the essential information and expectations
• Week 2:  Focus on achieving the first milestones - identifying milestones, planning and skills development, the supervisory relationship
• Week 3: Overcoming common challenges – identifying challenges, tips and strategies to overcome

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

This is a self-paced course that you can complete in your own time, at a time that suits you best.  There are no 'live' elements to this course.

Many graduate students cite getting and dealing with feedback from their supervisors as one of the most frustrating areas of candidature. You can wait for ages and when it comes it’s not what you wanted. Feedback is essential to help you make progress and improve the quality of you outputs. But if you just say “give me feedback” you are leaving it completely up to chance. So what can you do to ensure you get the feedback you need?

This workshop will look at asking more specific questions and being clear about the type of feedback you want. It will cover:

• create your big picture thesis plan
• when to get feedback
• how to ask
• getting timely feedback
• feedback on writing, feedback on performance, on everything
• written and verbal feedback
• interpreting feedback
• dealing with the emotional reaction to feedback
• how to respond to feedback
• how do you manage the feedback you didn’t want?

Workshop Facilitator: Hugh Kearns

This session is taught by postgraduate advisors and senior academic staff from different parts of the College and will cover the key information and advice that you need as a 1st year PhD student in the College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine - students should try to attend the workshop which is local to where they are based.

Through a mixture of presentations and case studies this workshop will cover:

• Project planning & experimental design
• Keeping lab notebooks & managing your research results
• Roles & responsibilities of PhD students and supervisors
• Progress monitoring & assessment
• Research ethics & ethical practice
• Making the most of your PhD - training, support & opportunities

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

This course relates to domains A1, C1, C2, and D1 of the RDF.

Prerequisites

This workshop is only open to new PhD students in the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine.

List of Learning Outcomes. By the end of this workshop, students should be able to:

1.Understand and be able to summarise the roles and responsibilities of PhD students and supervisors including regulatory requirements around progress monitoring, assessment and research ethics

2.Identify what training and support is available to PhD students and determine how to make the most of these opportunities

3.Apply knowledge of project planning and experimental design, and understand and be able to describe the importance of keeping lab notebooks and managing research results 

To paraphrase an old military saying – “no plan survives first contact with the enemy.”  We prepare our talk and in rehearsal we are perfect.  We feel confident and ready to share our work.  But then something happens that derails you. 

For many presenters the key challenge at conference or seminar is handling the moments where they lose control.  Situations like

• Losing your thread of your talk, or forgetting your words
• Being asked an impossible or ‘left-field’ question that throws you completely
• When you’re interrupted by a valid question, but now your timings are wrong
• When the technology fails.

All excellent and experienced presenters have had these situations.  Come along and learn some tips and tricks for dealing with the presentation stumbling blocks that you can’t control.

Workshop Facilitator: Steve Hutchinson

Transforming a rough draft into a polished text requires more than intuitive rewriting. This workshop will equip you with strategies for editing effectively. We will identify editorial standards for research writing and explore (through examples) how to meet them. Working on some of your own writing, you will learn to focus on different aspects of your text and make appropriate editorial decisions.

Pre-course Work

Please bring a piece of academic writing that you are currently working on, eg the first couple of pages of a chapter or a paper. Work in progress is fine.

Workshop Facilitiator: Mimo Caenepeel

Transforming a rough draft into a polished text requires more than intuitive rewriting. This workshop will equip you with strategies for editing effectively. We will identify editorial standards for research writing and explore (through examples) how to meet them. Working on some of your own writing, you will learn to focus on different aspects of your text and make appropriate editorial decisions.

Pre course information:

Please bring a piece of academic writing that you are currently working on, e.g the first two or three pages of a chapter or paper.  During the workshop you will be using the text to check and improve it, so please bring work in progress rather than a finished, polished piece.

List of Learning Outcomes. By the end of this workshop, students should be able to:

1. Identify and apply the strategies for effective editing

2. Recognise the key aspects of good writing, including clarity, conciseness and flow

3. Understand and be able to analyse how these key aspects of good writing are realised linguistically

Workshop Facilitator: Mimo Caenepeel

*** Please note that this workshop is Hybrid.  Please ensure you book on either online OR on campus ***

Have you recently started your postgraduate research degree and would like to connect with other researchers but you’re not sure how? Although many activities connected with research such as lab-work, archival research, reading, and writing are done on your own, researching is anything but a lonesome activity. Research is in its very nature a collaborative process where you are in constant dialogue with critics, colleagues, and communities. This lunchtime skills session will enable you to identify ways in which you can connect with the wider research community and build a network that will benefit your research trajectory and professional development.

*** Please note that this workshop is Hybrid.  Please ensure you book on either online OR on campus ***

Do you sometimes wonder whether you just 'got lucky' in being selected for a programme / conference / job / prize / award? Do you sometimes worry that your peers and colleagues will find out that you're a 'fraud'? Do you sometimes think that you're just not good enough? Academia is based on constant processes of evaluation: applications for funding and fellowship, peer reviews, promotion processes, essay and book prizes. It is a highly competitive environment. In this climate, is it any wonder that many researchers are filled with self-doubt and a sense of being a 'fraud'? In this lunch time skills session, we'll look at the reasons behind such feelings of self-doubt and identify strategies how you can learn to accept that you deserve to be where you are.

It can be difficult to design public engagement activities to be truly interactive and inclusive. You may not feel confident about how to engage people or you may sense that your activity could be more effective at meeting the expectations of everyone involved. This workshop will help by giving you strategies to design public engagement activities where everyone is engaged and comes away with something useful.

This workshop will be run flexibly according to the needs and priorities of the participants. It will address:

•    What you want from the engagement

•    Who your participants should be and what they may want from the experience

•     What kind of interaction and communication are appropriate depending on the type of participatory process

•     How to enable everyone to be fully involved and work together

•     How to ensure that the process meets both your and your participants’ aims.

The core principles covered in this workshop are relevant for anyone planning a public or stakeholder engagement process that involves dialogue or deliberation. Whether it is a short interactive event at a science festival or a longer workshop with stakeholders or an ongoing collaboration that you are planning, this course is for you.

The training approach in this course is practical, hands on with regular opportunities to do, discuss and reflect.  The course facilitators will work with you so that you can apply the course material directly to your own public engagement activities/ideas/proposals/plans (see prerequisites below).

Please note: This course does not address the facilitation skills needed to implement your process design effectively: these are addressed in a separate one day course to be run on 18 April 2023.

Preparation for the course:

•This workshop is especially relevant to participants who are planning an interactive public engagement activity or wish to build public engagement into a funding proposal.  As such, participants should come with a particular public engagement activity in mind which they can work on throughout the course.

•Part of the materials for this workshop involves pre-written case studies that participants use to design a public engagement process. The organisers have a bank of these, however if any participants wish to use their own activity for a case study this can be accommodated. The course organisers have a case study pro-forma that needs to be completed and sent to Jan Barfoot (j.barfoot@ed.ac.uk) 7 days before the workshop. Contact Jan Barfoot for the proforma.

•All participants are expected to have a basic understanding of dialogue and of deliberation. To this end we recommend that, prior to the course, you read the relevant sections of ‘Public Dialogue and Deliberation’ by Oliver Escobar, available at: http://www.beltanenetwork.org/resources/beltane-publications/

After attending this workshop you will be able to:

1.Think strategically about the design of your public engagement activity, with a focus on inclusion, dialogue and deliberation.

3.Develop the skills to create workable plans for public or stakeholder engagement that both attends to relevant practical considerations and meets everyone’s aims.

4. Apply this learning to your own public engagements plans

In research we are often called upon to present our work in the form of a poster at a conference. The design and layout of these posters is important, if we are to show our work in the best possible light. Many posters are, however, poorly thought out and badly designed. This workshop, using a series of short presentations and practical sessions will examine in detail the features of good poster design, will look at the relative importance of pictures versus words, and will equip the participants to play an active role in the design of their future conference posters.

After the workshop each participant will:

• understand the purpose of the conference poster

• be familiar with the basic rules for poster design

• understand the importance of words, pictures and flow

• know how deliver a conference poster

• have a working strategy for designing a winning poster.

This workshop is for CMVM students only.

In research we are often called upon to present our work in the form of a poster at a conference. The design and layout of these posters is important, if we are to show our work in the best possible light. Many posters are, however, poorly thought out and badly designed. This workshop, using a series of short presentations and practical sessions will examine in detail the features of good poster design, will look at the relative importance of pictures versus words, and will equip the participants to play an active role in the design of their future conference posters.

After the workshop each participant will:

• understand the purpose of the conference poster

• be familiar with the basic rules for poster design

• understand the importance of words, pictures and flow

• know how deliver a conference poster

• have a working strategy for designing a winning poster.

You and your research project are an interactive unit. Your skills and experiences shape the scope and framework of your research; your research project requires you to develop new skills and offers opportunities for new collaborations and reaching out to different audiences. This Skills Lunch will consider top tips on how to develop a research strategy that allows both you and your project to grow.

Workshop Facilitator: Anna Pilz

Drafting and revising chapters for your thesis project is one of the main tasks. Developing your academic writing skills is therefore essential. This session will focus on tips and tricks to edit your work. Among other things, we will address strategies to: foreground the argument; revise the structure; cut.

On completion, participants will be able to:

• Understand the different components of the editing process;
• Develop methods to revise with purpose in relation to argument, structure, word count.

Workshop Facilitator: Anna Pilz

Sharing your research findings with scholars in your field is one of the most rewarding but perhaps also among the more daunting prospects. At some point during your postgraduate degree journey, you’ll be attending and presenting at an academic conference. This session will offer some top tips how to get the most out of your first conference, focusing on benefits; challenges; preparation; connecting; learnings.

On completion, participants will be able to:

• Understand the necessary preparations for attending conferences;
• Identify strategies for effective networking at conferences;
• Understand the benefits of conferences for professional and project development.

Workshop Facilitator: Anna Pilz

Do you ever wonder where the day went and why you haven't even started on that most important task? Do you reply to an email as soon as it comes in? Do you put a lunch break in your calendar? Do you block off time for writing? Making time visible is essential for effective time management. This lunchtime skills session helps you to identify key activities connected with your research project and offers top tips on keeping to a schedule so that you can clock off with a sense of achievement.

Workshop Facilitator: Anna Pilz

Have you ever searched your downloads folder for that? important article that had that? crucial quote you need? Have you ever clicked through a range of 'Draft Chapter X' documents to locate your latest version? Have you ever spent hours looking for that file of photographs that you took in an archive? Have you ever lost a draft or dataset? Every thesis is the result of various processes of data collection, reading, note-taking, writing, revising, editing... Establishing a strong organisational structure and filing system for your work and writings will save you time in the long run. This lunch time skills session focuses on top tips on how to organise your stuff.

Workshop Facilitator: Anna Pilz

The workshop is designed specifically for AHSS research staff at an early stage of their career with little or no experience of reviewing manuscripts for journals.

The peer-review system helps to ensure the quality of published research. Journal editors are therefore reliant on experts who can deliver independent reviews in a timely fashion. The ability to review manuscripts should be a core skill of every researcher and by learning how to review quickly and effectively, you will:.

• Gain a core skill that every researcher should have;
• Free up more time for your own research;
• Develop a better understanding of how to write your own manuscripts.

After attending this course you will be able to:

1. Understand how to critically evaluate a research manuscript;
2. Apply practical methods for reviewing a manuscript quickly and effectively;
3. Understand your responsibilities as a reviewer.

This workshop relates to domains A1, A2 and D2 of the RDF. 

This workshop is for STEM research staff with little or no experience of reviewing manuscripts, this workshop focuses on the peer-review system and how to critically evaluate a manuscript.

Peer-review helps to ensure the quality and reputation of published scientific research. For the peer-review system to work, researchers who publish must reciprocate by reviewing the work of others.  Therefore, the ability to review manuscripts quickly and effectively for journals should be a core skill of every STEM researcher. Journal editors are reliant on experts who can deliver independent reviews in a timely fashion.

Through group exercises and discussions, you will learn how the peer-review system works, including what editors expect, what to include in written comments and how long you should spend reviewing a manuscript

After attending this workshop you will be able to: 

• Understand how to critically evaluate a research manuscript;
• Apply practical methods for reviewing a manuscript quickly and effectively;
• Understand your responsibilities as a reviewer.

This workshop relates to domains A1, A2 and D2 of the RDF. 

A PhD is a major undertaking yet many people spend more time planning a weekend away than they do planning the next three years of their life. This generally leads to missing deadlines, running overtime, regular crises and lots of stress. If you want to finish on time and enjoy the process along the way then it is important to have a good plan.

You need some very specific skills and tools to plan a PhD. This workshop will introduce you to the PhD Planning Toolkit. You will learn how to use these tools to:

create your big picture thesis plan

unpack your thesis down into logical parts

create tasks lists for each stage of your thesis

estimate times and schedule tasks

create a Gantt chart for your thesis

keep on track as you implement your plan

plan your writing

manage the finances

identify risks and deal with setbacks

At the end of the workshop you will have your own PhD Planning Toolkit and know how to use it to plan your PhD.

Who it is for?

PhD candidates in early to mid-candidature.

Starting out on the journey of a full- or part-time postgraduate research degree is exciting but can also feel overwhelming. You know that the submission of a substantial piece of original work is the destination. But how do you get there? ‘Doing a PhD’ means to develop and deliver a big project, and there will be much learning by doing. However, investing time early on in planning the route and taking into account potential setbacks such as unexpected stops and roadblocks will reduce stress. You woudn’t go on a 3 or 6-year trip around the world without a plan, would you? This hands-on workshop enables you to plan your PhD backwards.

Eligibility: This workshop is for postgraduate research students in the early phase of their degree programme.

Pre-Course work:  You should come to the workshop with a sense of the scope of your project. Ideally, you have a rough structure for the project in mind. Prior to the workshop, please familiarise yourself with your School or Departments Guidelines & your programme structure. Coming to the workshop you should know the expected word count / details of the thesis you’ll have to submit at the end of your research degree and be aware of any annual review or reporting requirements you have to fulfil.

Please bring along a pen or pencil. There’ll be some hands-on exercises with handouts.

Workshop Facilitator: Anna Pilz

Do you have a long 'to read' list for your research project but not enough time to read it all? Reading lists for projects (as well as teaching preparation) are a bottomless pit. This lunch time skills session will bring a strategic approach to your reading, and you will learn how to read with purpose.

Workshop Facilitator: Anna Pilz

*This is a two day course running 10.00am - 4.00pm (with a break in the middle) on both days, participants must attend both days*

This workshop is for first year PhD students only.

Please note this workshop requires active participation. You will be asked to take part in group discussion and complete group tasks.  For the online session, you will need access to a PC/laptop with a microphone.

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 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. 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 two day course runs 3 times per year and you must attend on consecutive days.

List of Learning Outcomes. By the end of this workshop, students should be able to:

1. Identify and develop effective working practices to meet the challenges of PhD study

2. Recognise and reflect on the different skills that are essential for researchers

3. Understand and be able to explain how to make the most of supervision and feedback

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

Workshop Facilitator: Dave Filipovi?-Carter

This workshop is open to 1st and 2nd Year students in the School of Informatics and the SICSA group.

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

Pre course work:

Students will be required to bring a 1000 word summary of their research project to the workshop. Guidance will be sent out prior to the course.

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

List of Learning Outcomes. By the end of this workshop, students should be able to:

1. Describe the nature of Informatics research and the methodologies that it employs

2. Identify the forms of hypotheses or claims that an Informatics research project establishes and the ways in which such claims can be evaluated

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

A good and effective working relationship with your supervisors is essential to your postgraduate degree journey. This session will offer some top tips on navigating this relationship both for your project and for your professional development. We’ll be looking at this working relationship both from your and your supervisors’ perspective to address the mutual benefits and potential challenges. 

On completion, participants will be able to:

• Reflect on their working relationship with their supervisor;
• Understand what is required of the supervisee;
• Develop strategies for effective communication with their supervisors.

Workshop Facilitator: Anna Pilz

In this workshop we will explore common thoughts of self-criticism: when and where they show up, what can we do to tame our "inner critic" and develop a more effective perspective on our abilities and successes.

If you have ever doubted your ability, or thought "I just got lucky this time", “I worry that others will discover how little I know” or “I only got that praise because people were being kind", this is an indication that you have experienced imposter syndrome.

The imposter ‘voice’ is one of many that come from our ‘inner critic’ and is very common amongst researchers.  It presents itself as a feeling of inadequacy that persists even in the face of evidence that the opposite is true. It is frequently experienced, often by high-performing people, as a feeling of self-doubt and intellectual fraudulence. The good news is that it is completely normal, and sometimes even useful!  The bad news is that it may result in you missing out on opportunities or creating the wrong impression with others.

In this workshop we will look at where the imposter syndrome comes from and think more widely about how to tame your inner critic – where else does it show up or limit your confidence or proactivity?

During the session you will:

• Understand what imposter syndrome is, where it comes from and when it occurs

• Reflect more widely on where and how your inner critic might limit your progress

• Try out some approaches for dealing with the inner critic and imposter syndrome

This workshop relates to domains B1, B2 and B3 of the RDF.

For further information on the RDF visit:  http://edin.ac/2cDDzAE

Please note this is a three part workshop you should book a place on each of the sessions you would like to attend.

Staying on top and in control of our work in this fast-paced world is becoming increasingly difficult. This can leave us feeling overwhelmed and have a knock on effect to our personal life. How can we continually improve management of an ever-increasing and complex workload, in a world of unprecedented change … and still have time for personal life?

This session has been developed to help effectively manage a hectic and complex workload and support us as we focus on the important, plan our work effectively and attack it with confidence.

This popular programme is supported with an eLearning package and course materials.

The workshop is split into three sessions running on the 19th, 20th, 21st October 2021 and 5th, 6th 7th April 2022. It is recommended that participants attend all three sessions however this is not essential.

Session 1 - DEPTHS OF PERSPECTIVE

• Identifying and focusing on our priorities
• Managing projects effectively
• Creating to-do lists that work

Session 2 - GETTING TO GRIPS WITH WORKFLOW

• The 5-stage approach to manage a busy workload
• Capturing effectively into external tools
• Embedding the Weekly Revie

Session 3 - SETTING UP SYSTEMS (for Microsoft users)

• Setting up Microsoft OneNote effectively
• Getting the best from Outlook (inbox zero)
• Synchronising the tools and using MS To Do

Outcomes

• Skilfully manage a busy schedule.
• Feel on top of work and home life.
• Get the inbox back to empty.
• Get the best from Outlook, OneNote and other tools
• Effectively plan and progress projects.
• Clarify roles, prioritise goals, learn to say “No!”
• Increase creativity

List of Learning Outcomes. By the end of this workshop, students should be able to:

1. Identify strategies to manage a busy and complex workload

2. Effectively plan and progress projects

3. Understand how to clarify roles and prioritise goals and when to say ‘No’ 

Workshop Facilitator: David Longstaff

Interdisciplinary research has seen a boom in recent years with governments, funders, institutions and other decision makers promoting it as the best way to solve many of societies ongoing problems. This has meant that interdisciplinary collaborations are increasingly becoming the norm, rather than the exception. However, interdisciplinary collaborations require more effort to ensure effective communication and integration of different cultural and disciplinary perspectives, and they have different needs for success. 

In this workshop we will:

•       Identify some of the barriers and specific needs for success of interdisciplinary collaborations;

•       Discuss different practical strategies to navigate these barriers within existing research structures. 

The workshop will provide an introduction to interdisciplinary collaborations and is aimed at early career researchers who are new to, or who want to improve skills for, interdisciplinary collaborations. The workshop will give participants a chance to understand and reflect on what barriers might present themselves, and how they might tackle these with practical strategies for effective interdisciplinary collaboration. There will also be opportunities to discuss these with peers during the session. Anticipating potential challenges early and troubleshooting these will help project leads and teams to manage interdisciplinary collaborations successfully.Please note:  This workshop is also open to Research Staff, however booking is only available via the People & Money Learning App.  Please book a place via the People and Money Learning App. More information and details on how to book can be found here: https://edin.ac/3Ad7oxP

The Final Assignment Queries session gives participants a chance to discuss what is required for the final assignment with course organisers and peers prior to the final assignment being due. Following this, there will be some time dedicated to a related Writing Retreat to start writing or editing the final assignment. Course organisers will not provide individual feedback during this event, but you will have the opportunity to discuss your assignment with peers.

This workshop is intended for demonstrators from across the University of Edinburgh who are new to teaching or have recently started demonstrating.

We will discuss necessary skills to best assist students in laboratories and what strategies might be applied in challenging situations; the boundaries to the demonstrator’s responsibilities; and will have a short overview of safety issues.

You will get most out of this workshop if you are already teaching tutorials. Before signing up, please check for any sessions running in your School which may be mandatory. 

IMPORTANT NOTE:

If you need to cancel your booking, please do so at the earliest opportunity and at least 3 working days before the event. Someone else may be able to take your place, but we need time to contact them. 

Please arrive on time and remain for the scheduled period of the workshop. Although we try to be as inclusive as possible in our workshops and recognise that Wednesday afternoons may not suit all schedules, we need to consider others on the event by minimising disruptions and ensuring that everyone gets the most out of attending.

You can access this resource all year round, Find out more, including how to enrol here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/institute-academic-development/postgraduate/doctoral/courses/online-courses/stats

You can access this resource all year round, Find out more, including how to enrol here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/institute-academic-development/postgraduate/doctoral/courses/online-courses/stats

Does academic writing have to be dull or obscure, or can it be engaging and clear? This workshop explores the standards and  conventions (as well as the myths) that surround writing in an academic context. Our focus will be on identifying key requirements for strong research writing, and translating those into practical checks to ensure that your  text meets relevant expectations.

Prerequisites

If possible, students should have attended 'The Writing Process - Getting Started'

This workshop is open to All PhD and MScR students in CAHSS

Pre Course Information

Please bring a short piece of (your own) academic writing to this workshop. Work in progress is fine.

Workshop Facilitator: Mimo Caenepeel

Does academic writing have to be dull or obscure, or can it be engaging and clear? This workshop explores the standards and  conventions (as well as the myths) that surround writing in an academic context. Our focus will be on identifying key requirements for strong research writing, and translating those into practical checks to ensure that your  text meets relevant expectations.

Prerequisites

If possible, students should have attended 'The Writing Process - Getting Started'

Pre-course Work

Please bring a short piece of (your own) academic writing to this workshop. Work in progress is fine.

Workshop Facilitator: Mimo Caenepeel

Time. It’s the one thing no one ever seems to have enough of. It’s our most precious resource and yet we only seem to be happy when we’re wasting it!Sometimes we can control how we spend our time and sometimes it is dictated to us; but in many ways the key to our academic and professional success is how wechoose to use the time that we have. This is particularly difficult in a 'new normal' world where we are more isolated (and thus self-regulating) than ever before.

This interactive webinar will help with procrastination, and provide strategies, tools, and techniques for effective personal time management.

Specifically we'll offer methods for how to

• Reflect on your current actions and priorities• Behave efficiently as well as effectively and so manage your time more productively.• Prioritize and place your focus in appropriate areas

Workshop Facilitator: Steve Hutchinson

This workshop is for Masters by Research students in CMVM

This workshop will cover the key issues that you need to address when writing up science, for masters course assignments, research theses or academic papers.

Workshop content includes:

• Project Planning and Experimental Design
• Health & Safety and Risk Management
• Ethics in Scientific Research

Please be aware that your school will be charged if you fail to attend this workshop.

This workshop is for 1st year PhD students.

This workshop 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. This interactive session 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 yourself and your project

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

By the end of this workshop, students should be able to:

1.Identify practical steps to get started with your PhD

2.Identify the key milestones of a PhD and how to prepare for them

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

This workshop 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. This short, interactive workshop 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 connect with other 1st year PhD students from your school.

List of Learning Outcomes. By the end of this workshop, students should be able to:

1.Identify practical steps to get started with your PhD

2.Identify the key milestones of a PhD and how to prepare for them

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

Project management is a core skill for many 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 project inside and outside academia.

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

List of Learning Outcomes. By the end of this workshop, students should be able to:

1. Clearly define your project to ensure it is successful 2. Develop a plan for the whole research project including project time-lines, budgets and plans to manage project risks 3.Identify when things are not going to plan, and what action to take to solve this

Workshop Facilitator: Robin Henderson

EndNote is used for managing bibliographic references and is available for Windows and Macintosh. This is an introductory course aimed at getting you started in using EndNote. The course topics include adding records to your EndNote database, using EndNote to insert citations in word documents and generate bibliographies, and tips for efficient management of bibliographic sources.

List of Learning Outcomes. By the end of this workshop, students should be able to:

1.Understand and be able to use the basic functions of Endnote

2.Identify strategies for efficient management of bibliographic sources

Please note: this event is not catered.

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

Finding your genius: managing and developing your work, your goals and yourself, for happiness and success as a researcher and future knowledge worker

A half-day interactive workshop which takes a new look at how we manage our working life as knowledge workers so that we can stay creative, happy and productive. We’ll explore the natural rhythm of your day, your personal approach to work and how to prioritise and synchronise to make the most of your work time. This is not a traditional time management course. There will be no 'dos and don’ts’, although we will explore similar themes and concerns, but only from a different perspective. One based on ‘intrinsically’ driven daily routines and clever goal setting.

The workshop will invite you to apply the latest research on body-clocks, physiology and cognitive peaks and troughs as well as helping you to manage goals and expectations. By the end of this short session participants will be invited to change aspects of their approach to managing and thinking about their working life and also begin to implement motivational ‘next steps’ that really work!

This session will include two 10 Minute breaks.

Managing and developing your work, your goals and yourself, for happiness and success as a researcher and future knowledge worker

A half-day interactive workshop which takes a new look at how we manage our working life as knowledge workers so that we can stay creative, happy and productive. We’ll explore the natural rhythm of your day, your personal approach to work and how to prioritise and synchronise to make the most of your work time. This is not a traditional time management course. There will be no 'dos and don’ts’, although we will explore similar themes and concerns, but only from a different perspective. One based on ‘intrinsically’ driven daily routines and clever goal setting.

The workshop will invite you to apply the latest research on body-clocks, physiology and cognitive peaks and troughs as well as helping you to manage goals and expectations. By the end of this short session participants will be invited to change aspects of their approach to managing and thinking about their working life and also begin to implement motivational ‘next steps’ that really work!

Woskhop Facilitator: Iain Davidson

This session will include two 10 Minute breaks.

Working with other people: leading, following and developing professional relationships at meetings, 1:1 and other group working events and opportunities; how to agree shared goals and support and be supported by the stakeholders in your research project.

A half-day, interactive workshop which develops themes from part one (managing yourself: finding your genius) and explores how we can manage our working life when working closely with the needs of others. These could be our supervisors, family and friends, funders, co-workers, corporate sponsors or interested members of the public, government or university. We usually underestimate how many people are touched by our research and how engaged they are with its impact and implications.

This workshop will develop your unique team working skills by helping you to focus first on how you like to work and then how to use this knowledge to co-operate and co-work with other professional people (and yes, even our friends and family sometimes). In a highly interactive session we’ll explore:

• what role work plays in your life
• what role work plays in the life of others
• how to understand group dynamics
• how to make meetings work by using creative solutions
• why teams/groups succeed or fail
• how to negotiate by being flexible yet strong
• when to lead and when to follow
• how to build a motivational team to support your work and the work of others

Finding your genius (2) by working with other people: leading, following and developing professional relationships at meetings, 1:1 and other group working events and opportunities; how to agree shared goals and support and be supported by the stakeholders in your research project.

A half-day, interactive workshop which develops themes from part one (managing yourself: finding your genius) and explores how we can manage our working life when working closely with the needs of others. These could be our supervisors, family and friends, funders, co-workers, corporate sponsors or interested members of the public, government or university. We usually underestimate how many people are touched by our research and how engaged they are with its impact and implications.

This workshop will develop your unique team working skills by helping you to focus first on how you like to work and then how to use this knowledge to co-operate and co-work with other professional people (and yes, even our friends and family sometimes). In a highly interactive session we’ll explore:

• what role work plays in your life
• what role work plays in the life of others
• how to understand group dynamics
• how to make meetings work by using creative solutions
• why teams/groups succeed or fail
• how to negotiate by being flexible yet strong
• when to lead and when to follow
• how to build a motivational team to support your work and the work of others

The workshop will use a variety of activities to make key points about how to adopt a creative and innovative solution to working with those key people in your working life. You should leave with a future strategy which will help you tackle this complex but important set of professional skills.

You do not need to have attended the 'managing yourself’ workshop to attend this session.

This session will include two 10 Minute breaks.

This joint Doctoral College/ Students’ Association event is an opportunity for all postgraduate researchers at the University to hear more about the Doctoral College, meet the College Deans and student representatives and learn how to get involved in shaping the work of the Doctoral College. This will be followed by a discussion session. Questions can also be submitted in advance.

Open to PhD students and Masters by Research Students

***This workshop runs over four consecutive weeks, participants must attend all sessions.  Please book a place on all four dates***

The PhD journey can be a roller-coaster of a ride. Do you notice the “lows” more than the “highs”?

There is the first-year lack of structure and ambiguity about what you are actually researching, all the way to the final-year uncertainty and unknown of “what’s next”. And there is everything in-between: research-partner setbacks out of your control, tricky lab colleagues, balloon-bursting journal responses, not to mention the family, relationship and health events that accompany our lives, PhD or no PhD…

Throughout all this, we can experience isolation and loneliness, motivation for everything BUT our PhD, podium-worthy procrastination,  and the anxiety-inducing experiences of “writer’s block” and “imposter syndrome”. Meanwhile, the highs often pass us by, or we interpret them as flukes and struggle to enjoy our successes when they come.

Mindfulness-based Wellbeing for Doctoral Students has been specifically designed to help you enjoy the PhD ride as much as possible – celebrate the highs, and find a helpful way to be with the other bits. Over 4 weekly sessions, we will: 

•Build our awareness of how we experience everyday life

•Develop our curiosity for the highs and lows of PhD life

•Explore ideas, practical techniques, and approaches to proactively support our mental wellbeing

WEEK 1: Learning how to focus amidst busyness and/or isolation

WEEK 2: Developing curiosity in daily life & academic studies

WEEK 3: Recognising your personal “stress signals” and style of self-talk

WEEK 4: Making helpful choices to support your “energy tank”

This workshop is Funded by the Student Partnership Agreement

All researchers will encounter peer review during their career, both as an author and as an expert who has been asked to review the work of another. This workshop will introduce researchers to the peer review system including the process, the complexities, the responsibilities of the author/ reviewer and how to get the most out of the experience.   An awareness and knowledge of the peer review system is important so that early career researchers know what to expect when they submit their first research paper for publication. Equally, understanding how to critically assess a research manuscript for quality, style, content, novelty and relevance gives researchers an insight into how cutting edge research is assessed and published. What should you look for in a manuscript? How can you optimise your chances of success as an author?    

In this workshop, participants will be introduced to the academic publishing and peer review system through short presentations, discussions and peer review exercises.

At the end of this workshop participants will have:

• an overview of the peer review process,  author responsibilities and what to expect

 • an understanding of how to conduct a peer review and provide constructive feedback;

• completed a short peer review exercise using a simple workflow that they can apply to papers in their own field

Workshop Facilitator: Jo Young

This half-day networking skills workshop is aimed at postgraduate research students who will be attending conferences, presenting work, meeting academics and other PhD students.  It will encourage you to think about your existing network of contacts and how to expand this to meet key thinkers in your field, as well as offer practical skills for meeting people at conferences, networking and useful ways to explain your thesis to new contacts. We will also explore the idea s of marketing and branding to highlight your skills and experience to potential employers, collaborators and others outside your immediate network.

Workshop Facilitator: Iain Davidson

The middle phase of a doctorate is potentially the most challenging, as the initial novelty has given way to some of the harsher realities, whilst the end-point can seem a long way off. Hence, the aim of this session is to put key scaffolding in place to aid successful navigation of this crucial part of the doctoral process.

Perhaps the core challenge of the middle phase of the doctorate is the potential uncertainty. The four key factors around which we can counter some of this are:

• What is the thesis of your doctorate? (What are you arguing?)
• How will you present this? (What will your thesis look like?)
• How will this be evaluated? (What are the doctoral assessment criteria?)
• And, How will this be tested? (What is the examination process?)

Each of these will be examined in detail, individually, including the specific institutional criteria for the doctorate, in order to provide a solid foundation upon which to progress towards successful doctoral completion. Alongside this detail will be a chance to take a step back to re-examine exactly what a doctorate is, so as to be able to accurately evaluate the progress made so far, and that to come. This will then be used as the foundation for reviewing key work practices and habits necessary to make good progress in this middle phase. Perhaps the overriding issue for the second year of doctoral study is developing independence, so we will devote the remainder of the session to how to go about this, including supervisor management, as well as taking control of working practices and defining your own standards and the direction of your research.

Workshop Facilitator: Dave Filipovi?-Carter