Research Training: Knowledge & intellectual abilities

Researcher Development Framework - Domain A
Research Training: Knowledge & intellectual abilities

1. Knowledge base 

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  

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

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.

SPSS

This session will use the SPSS software to enhance your knowledge of the applied statistics and of the package. We will consider data structure as well as the differences between samples and populations.

Intended learning outcomes:

  • Common statistical distributions will be introduced.
  • Useful methods for graphical, tabular and statistical summaries will be explored, along with various calculations, sorting, selection and transformation.
  • Finally, there will be both an introduction to hypothesis testing and Confidence Intervals using both parametic and non-parametic methods.

Facilitator: Dr Yinghui Wei
Applicability: Suitable for most research students and research staff.

Course dates and times: 

  • 1 December 2020, 1400-1600 UK time via Zoom

Bookings and enquiries: researchskills@plymouth.ac.uk


NVivo for beginners

This session will use the latest NVivo qualitative software package to enhance your knowledge of the application.

Intended learning outcomes:

At the end of this session you will be able to:

  • Navigate easily around the NVivo interface.
  • Import text, audio, video, pdf and image files into NVivo.
  • Be able to title and provide descriptions of the different media content.
  • Create nodes and coding across a variety of media.
  • Add titles and descriptions to different media sources and nodes.
  • Be able to organise your data in a hierarchical structure, and be able to add memos.
  • Create a Framework Matrix.
  • Apply NVivo's basic analytical functions, including text searches and word frequency queries.
  • Be able to create models and export them to Word and PowerPoint.

Facilitator: Andy Edwards-Jones
Applicability: Suitable for most research students and research staff.

Course dates and times: 

  • 23 November 2020, 1400-1600 (UK time) via Zoom
  • 25 February 2021, 1400-1600 (UK time) via Zoom

Bookings and enquiries: researchskills@plymouth.ac.uk


NVivo users workshop (intermediate)

This workshop style session is intended to provide you with some dedicated time to start, or continue working with your own research data in NVivo, with facilitator support on hand.

Intended learning outcomes:

At the end of this session, you will be able to:

  • Use your learning outcomes from previous introductory NVivo training and put them into practice using your own data.
  • Import and organise your own data.
  • Establish a coding framework for your own data.
  • Code your own data.
  • Use NVivo's basic analytical functions.
  • The workshop will be delivered in two parts. Part 1 will involve learning about specific functions of the application such as framework matrices, classifications, queries, auto coding, importing bibliographic databases, and visualisation with models. Part 2 will allow attendees to progress their own NVivo projects using their own data, and address specific areas of interest.

Facilitator: Andy Edwards-Jones


Applicability: This session is not an introduction to NVivo. It is aimed t research students and staff that have completed the NVivo introductory training workshops or have some working experience of the application, but would benefit from further guidance while progressing their own research work.Participants are encouraged to bring their own research data ready to import into NVivo, or a copy of an existing NVivo project or a laptop with an NVivo project already loaded.

Course dates and times:

  • 14 December 2020, 1400-1600 UK time via Zoom

Bookings and enquiries: researchskills@plymouth.ac.uk


Understanding and working with quantitative data

This session will explain the principle methods involved in the analysis of data collected and the basic ideas behind each. The aim of the session is to increase your understanding of the use of statistics and how they are used in scientific and medical research.

Intended learning outcomes

  • highlight common errors made and how to avoid them.
  • demonstrating how to run each test using common software will be given without the use of over-complicated mathematical formulas.

Facilitator: Daniela Oehring
Applicability: Suitable for most research students

Course dates and times: 

  • 20 November 2020, 1030-1200 (UK time) via Zoom

Bookings and enquiries: researchskills@plymouth.ac.uk


What is LaTeX – An introduction 

This first session on the LaTeX typesetting software is for everyone, particularly if you have never heard of LaTeX. Even if you are already a LaTeX user come along and join the debate. The time will be split between demonstrations and detailed answers to students questions.

All academics have to write reports and papers of one sort or another. Of most immediate concern to most graduate students is the thesis or dissertation which represents the culmination of an intense and demanding period of study and research.

For almost 30 years there has been debate between those who support general purpose word-processors (such as Microsoft Word) and those who argue that academic writing requires a specialist tool. LaTeX is such a tool and represents the alternative to word-processing. LaTeX is free, designed specifically to handle large complicated cross-referenced academic documents, and has been used successfully for nearly 30 years in all academic fields.

Intended learning outcomes:

  • The aim of this introductory session is to allow graduates to discover what it is and to make an informed choice about whether or not to consider using it.

Facilitator: Dr Martin Coath
Applicability: Everyone. If you have heard of LaTeX and are not sure what it is then this is your chance to find out. If you have never heard of LaTeX then it could be what you are looking for. Please come along even if you are a LaTeX user and join in the discussion.
Prerequisites: none.

Course dates and times: 

  • 10 December 2020, 1100-1200 UK time via Zoom

Bookings and enquiries: researchskills@plymouth.ac.uk


Introduction to Python

This is an introductory course for absolute beginners in Python who are interested in discovering and learning Python programming language. This course will make the participant understand different variable, functions types and performing basic maths operations. You will also learn how to import a local file and read its data.

Intended learning outcomes:

You will become familiar with the basic functions and syntax, in particular, the following topics:-

  • variables, data types, comments and math operators
  • strings and print
  • conditionals and flow control
  • functions and importing modules
  • lists, for loops, tuples and sictionaries
  • functions.

Facilitator: Abdulrahman Alruban & Martin Coath
Applicability: Suitable for most research students and research staff.

Course dates and times: 

  • 15 December 2020, 1000-1130 UK time via Zoom

Bookings and enquiries: researchskills@plymouth.ac.uk