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Postgraduate researchers

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Domain A: Knowledge and intellectual abilities

This domain relates to the knowledge and intellectual abilities needed to be able to carry out excellent research.

The following table is an extract from the Vitae Researcher Development Statement (pdf). Vitae®, © 2010 Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC) Limited

Sub-domain Sub-domain summary

1. Knowledge base

  1. Subject knowledge
  2. Research methods: theoretical knowledge
  3. Research methods: practical application
  4. Information seeking
  5. Information literacy and management
  6. Languages
  7. Academic literacy and numeracy

JSS: A3, A4, B6, C2, C3, C4, E1

Knowledge of:

  • The area of research, the advances within it and its relationships with other research areas
  • The methods and experimental techniques appropriate for research design
  • Sources of information, bibliographic software and other information technologies
  • Literacy and numeracy skills and language abilities appropriate for research

Behaviour:

  • Makes original contributions to knowledge
  • Identifies, applies and develops methods and experimental techniques appropriate for research projects
  • Conducts effective and comprehensive information searches
  • Records, manages and handles information/data using appropriate bibliographic software and other information technologies

2. Cognitive abilities

  1. Analysing
  2. Synthesising
  3. Critical thinking
  4. Evaluating
  5. Problem solving

JSS: A1, A2, A5, A6

Behaviour:

  • Analyses and evaluates findings using appropriate methods
  • Thinks originally, independently and critically; develops theoretical concepts
  • Critically synthesises information from diverse sources
  • Evaluates progress, impact and outcomes of research
  • Recognises and validates problems; formulates and applies solutions to a range of research problems

Attitude:

  • Willing to give and receive constructive criticism

 3. Creativity

  1. Inquiring mind
  2. Intellectual insight
  3. Innovation
  4. Argument construction
  5. Intellectual risk

JSS: D1, D2, D3, D7*, E3

 

 Behaviour:

  • Develops new ways of working; has novel ideas and realises their potential
  • Identifies new trends; creates new opportunities
  • Develops convincing and persuasive arguments to defend research
  • Takes intellectual risks; challenges the status quo

Attitude:

  • Takes a creative, imaginative and inquiring approach to research
  • Is open to new sources of ideas

*Denotes where a Joint Skills Statement (JSS) descriptor has been incorporated into different descriptors within the RDF

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