Vitae researcher development international conference 2011: realising the potential of researchers05 September 2011 - 06 September 2011

Details

Day

Day 1

Session

B

Start time

15.00

Strand

Postgraduate researcher

Code

B6

Presenters

Mr John Igoe - Programme Manager: Website, Vitae
Dr Shailey Minocha - Reader in Computing, The Open University

Overview

Over the last decade, there has been an increase in online and Web 2.0 technologies that provide access to a vast amount of information and new ways of communicating and collaborating.

This workshop will examine how researchers can use digital technologies in the service of their research, and in particular for engaging in the discourse of research. The outcomes from the recent Vitae Digital Researcher event and the The Open University's Innovate project on the use of digital technologies in researcher training and development will be presented to demonstrate the role of social media and e-learning tools in research activities.

This session will cover:

• What does it mean to be a digital researcher?
• What are the implications of the explosion of this digital world on researchers?
• What are the opportunities and challenges for institutions and researchers in using digital technologies?

Workshop outcomes:

Participants will:

• have a greater awareness of the significance of digital technologies for researchers and the research process, such as for: reflection, gaining academic writing skills, conducting analysis and synthesis, communicating research, and for developing and sustaining networks and collaborations
• learn about the challenges associated with the use of technologies: for example, intellectual property rights, ethical issues with respect to the research data, and duty of care towards the research community; and maintaining professionalism while using social networking sites.

Format

Information, interaction and discussion.

Participants should also be prepared to include examples from their own experiences during discussion.