SISA11 - Jumping in at the deep end: pre-doctoral research strategies

Day 1 at 17:30
Traditionally, the academic route to research is via the PhD, thus ensuring that the researcher acquires the appropriate knowledge and expertise. When this is not the case, whether through necessity or circumstance, it is difficult for those with the potential for research to know where to begin. This session will explore the issues involved in establishing a research culture in an academic department with no research tradition, and working with emerging researchers. By emerging researchers I mean those who are new to, or are interested in pursuing, research, but who have no prior experience: in this case, academics who have substantial subject knowledge and are experienced teachers. Many of them are planning to undertake a doctorate in the near future, but in the meantime, they need support and guidance. In approaching the project I faced two major challenges: firstly, encouraging a research ethos in a community with little confidence in its capacity for research; and secondly, developing a programme of researcher development appropriate for this naive audience. I will consider the nature of these challenges, how I responded to them, and the design of an associated development programme. Discussion will focus on future planning and the difficulties still to be overcome.