Introductory description

The tasks that are described within this Module , when completed, will form part of the on-line Portfolio of work that will show that you have successfully completed the requirements for passing this module. The Portfolio has three purposes:

1. to require you to think about what you are doing
2. to be a record of what you have done during your PhD
3. to be presented to the external examiner to prove you have completed the tasks to an appropriate standard.

Your portfolio will be organised into several sections/tasks. The timings mentioned are indicative: in consultation with your Supervisor/ feedback Supervisor you may decide to adjust them to suit Departmental requirements. Each item must be signed off, usually by an academic member of staff (Supervisor/ feedback Supervisor/ Advisory Panel or Board), but sometimes by someone else, e.g. a senior post doctoral researcher who can assess what you have written. Once a task is complete, upload your completed work and your Supervisor/ feedback Supervisor's comments into the appropriate Doctoral Skills form in SkillsForge and mark for final review. Your Director of Graduate Studies or the Programme Director or their nominated representative will then review the submission on-line in SkillsForge and if finished satisfactorily will mark as complete.

Module web page

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

1. Planning and reviewing your research
   The first part of this module is focused on planning and reviewing your research work, and gives training that will hopefully assist you in the future to identify and successfully follow up fruitful lines of research, and supervise the research of others.

You will start, in consultation with your Supervisor, by identifying five research papers or review articles that provide the background and starting-point for your research project, and produce a brief, accurate summary of each. This may be in the context of your interim report.

A summary of a publication should set out the essential information, concepts and ideas that it reports, noting those of especial interest and commenting on the areas of ignorance or doubt where future work might be warranted.

Based in part on these reviews you will generate a summary of the general aims of your Doctoral research project, with objectives to be achieved after 3, 6 and 12 months. Included with (but as a separate section) of this research plan should be estimates of the likely expenditure required during the year and the dates by which it will be incurred.

As the year progresses, you will write an interim Progress Report according to your department’s requirements, with a longer Report at approximately the year end that will review your progress against the initial summary of the projects’ aims. You should review your expenditure at this stage.

1. Related research
   A good researcher is always aware of the current activity in their general field of work, including that which is not immediately related to the work they are doing. This allows them to broaden their research perspective, and information learned may be of use in the future.

The second part of the module develops the skill of appreciating the significance of research in related areas through activities based on the weekly research seminars.

After each seminar you will be expected to produce a terse summary of the content of the talk, noting the contribution made to the subject area and any particular relevance or otherwise to your own research.

In addition you will assess (mark) a number of posters presented at e.g. an annual departmental PhD presentation day, a CDT Annual Conference by MSc students, or those given by final year undergraduates. This will give you practice in the evaluation of others’ research and presentation skills.

1. Presentation skills 
   Scientists, of course, have to explain their subject to a variety of audiences. The third part of the module fosters this skill. At the end of the year, as well as writing a report on the year’s work, you will produce a poster that is intended for a more general (but scientifically literate) audience or write a summary of a seminar you have intended for a general audience, and you will also have an external facing web page focused on your research.

2. Planning events
   Another crucial skill is interacting with others and planning scientific events, and you will be asked to help with the running of activities such as a conference or weekly seminar series or your research group meetings. Your contribution to these activities will be assessed by the Staff members responsible. If you are not involved in doing any such activity, you should actively look for an opportunity to be part of the scientific community.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Evaluate the work of others.
• Understand and summarise the essential features of the work of others; to write clearly at a technical level.
• Present the essential features of the research-level work of others at a level appropriate for a non-specialist.
• Demonstrate an ability to present technical material
• Present technical material verbally
• Plan one's research at the basic level and report on it; to write clearly at a technical level
• Assist with the running of scientific events.

Interdisciplinary

Communicating across disciplines with module participants from different SEM departments and CDTs

Subject specific skills

n/a

Transferable skills

1. Written communication (e.g. a report which is assessed for non-technical aspects) (1CATS)
2. Verbal communication (e.g. a group seminar)
   Analysis and understanding of technical material (e.g. discussion with academic who is not their supervisor about
   their work)
   Formulation of cogent arguments (e.g. discussion with fellow students in the presence of an academic member of
   staff) (2 CATS)
3. Planning and management (e.g. 3 month project plan and review of it during and after including equipment
   purchase, etc.) (1.5 CATS)
4. Budgeting (e.g. set up a budget for a year of their project, indicating expected expenditure on routine and unusual
   items; review of budget at regular intervals) (1 CATS)
5. Ability to understand and summarise the essential features of the work of others (e.g. by chairing group meetings
   or project planning meetings, providing feedback to project students or colleagues)
   Attend at least one seminar series, keep a record of subject matter and be able to discuss selected seminars in
   detail. (3 CATS)
6. Play a role in planning and executing an academic-related project (e.g. CDT annual conference) (1CATS)
7. Personal and research record-keeping including establishing the training record for transferable skills. (0.5 CATS)