AHRC Block Grant Partnership Postgraduate Research Training 2010/11 Handbook A Partnership between the of Sunderland and
Welcome to the AHRC BGP brochure for postgraduate research training. Students at both the of Sunderland and can access the training advertised in this booklet. We hope you will make the most of the opportunities available to you! Introduction This brochure provides you with details of the opportunities on subject specific training sessions and transferable skills training that are also available. The skills training programme at both and Sunderland are designed to aid your professional and academic development and will supplement the subject specific training that relates directly to the content of your research. The Training Brochure The training brochure is designed to help you effectively organise your training and gain the most from the sessions. They have therefore been grouped into themes. These mirror the Researcher Development Framework, a national framework which all university skills training programme must comply with.
Vitae Increasingly the development of generic or transferable skills is regarded as an integral element of a research degree. Vitae courses are designed for postgraduate research students to assess and develop their personal effectiveness, networking and team working, communication and career management skills. Click on the link below for more information. www.vitae.ac.uk The Effective Researcher workshop, held at the Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle upon Tyne, 2010
Subject Specific Training A training programme for research students (working in any discipline) with an interest in the concept of practice-led research held by. Tutor: Chris Dorsett Department of Arts, School of Arts and Social Sciences January 2011 May 2011 Room 106, Squires Building, Introduction These training sessions were originally designed for doctoral students undertaking research through the practice of fine art, however the structure and content of the programme has been updated so that any research student with a creative interest in action research methodology and reflective practices will find the sessions relevant to their PhD project. The use of Rosalind Krauss influential term expanded field refers not just to cross-disciplinary research by artists, but also to the impact of art school research on the established conventions of the doctoral degree. The programme includes four tutor-led presentations with Q&A sessions, three participatory workshops, and two student-led seminars that, from different perspectives, address the problem of using creative production as a research vehicle.
Presentation 1: Exhibitions and their prerequisites Monday, January 10 th 2011-4.00pm 6.00pm This introductory slide presentation explores the question of where knowledge is made. For the art school researcher the answer is likely to involve a place of creative production (workshop, studio, exhibition venue, etc.). Exhibitions and their prerequisites compares studio and exhibition activities in the arts with fieldwork in the natural sciences and anthropology where research data is collected at remote locations and disseminated as knowledge through the medium of museum display. The presentation assesses the attitude to knowledge production in creative disciplines that examine academic achievement and research excellence through the cultural impact of public exhibitions. Presentation 2: Acts of audience in museums and galleries 24 January 2011-4.00 6.00 The second slide presentation in the programme analyses the concept of meaning-making in relation to different kinds of exhibition display. The discussion ranges from political critiques of the museum environment to the rejection of the gallery system by adherents of relational aesthetics. Against this background, the potential of practice-led research is compared with the critical impact of various forms of interpretation on art school teaching since the 1960s (formalism, feminism, postmodernism, etc.). Acts of audience in museums and galleries asks whether doctoral research by creative practitioners should support or challenge the interpretive tactics of exhibition audiences.
Seminar 1: Persuasive artist, effective scholar 7 February 2011-4.00 6.00 Why would a creative practitioner want to be both? Participants debate their own experiences. Workshop 1: Distinguishing between practice-led research and professional practice: other people s knowledge 21 February 2011-4.00 6.00 The first workshop in the programme explores the tensions between originality and influence in creative practices. Particular emphasis is given to the problems associated with literature reviews in practice-led research and the workshop is an opportunity for participants to apply themselves to the difficulty of contextualizing creative ideas. Presentation 3: Making meaning beyond display 7 March2011-4.00 6.00 The third slide presentation in the programme examines archiving as a method of constructing knowledge. Reference is made to both studio storage and museum collecting as mechanisms by which reception is purposefully delayed and meaning-making strategically manipulated. Here a storeroom full of objects can function like a library of books. There is a growing body of literature that promotes this view as part of a material turn in contemporary aesthetics and museological theory. As a result, Making meaning beyond display debates the close ties between art school research and material culture and asks if a practice-led PhD always requires a written thesis.
Seminar 2: Exhibition statement, thesis abstract 21 March 2011-4.00 6.00 What is the role of textual explanation in an exhibition? Participants debate their own experiences. Workshop 2: Distinguishing between practice-led research and professional practice: your knowledge 25 April 2011-4.00 6.00 The second workshop in the programme provides opportunities for participants to explore the use of first-person narrative in the action research process. A range of questions will be considered. For example: Do iterative cycles of planning, acting, observing, and reflecting help you uncover new knowledge? Does the reflective component of the cycle boil down to writing a good story? What is the role of self-narration in the analytical and evaluative development of a thesis? Participants test their own responses using simple technological tools offered by Microsoft Word. Presentation 4: Exhibiting knowledge, examining practice 2 May 2011-4.00 6.00 The final slide presentation of the programme focuses on the examination of a creative practitioner s doctoral work. The aim is to establish how much the practice-led exam both conforms to, and differs from, standard practices in the examining of research degrees? The topics discussed include the planning of a practiceled submission (particularly the selection of external examiners) and the different approaches to combining practical and written work that can be adopted. The viva experience is described from the perspective of both the candidate and the examiner. Exhibiting knowledge, examining practice explores the process of
interrogating and defending a practice-led thesis (the kinds of questions asked, the types of answers given) and the various outcomes that ensue. Workshop 3: Distinguishing between practice-led research and professional practice: art school knowledge in the expanded field 16 May 2011-4.00 6.00 Art School Research in the Expanded Field concludes with a workshop (the third in the programme) that invites participants to consider what a creative practitioner can do with their research once they have been awarded a doctorate. What are the right questions to ask about the professional and academic future of a piece of practice-led research. This workshop is about designing projects with specific goals that meet the requirements of career-building opportunities such as residencies, conferences, publications and teaching.
Transferable Skills Training The Research Environment How to be an Effective Researcher The Vitae Effective Researcher programme is a two day workshop for postgraduate researchers in the first year of their doctorate drawing on the experience of their first few months. The course approaches the PhD as a project and engages with students to address issues of planning, time and resource management, problem solving and creativity. Research approaches and ethical considerations This day long course will introduce participants to a number of different research approaches and the ethical issues of conducting research. Research Ethics in a Wider Context This two day intensive programme is open to students in the NE Universities. This programme provides an opportunity for you to gain awareness of ethical issues and problems that arise within the research practice in the context of contemporary society and the global economy. 24 March 2011 + 25 March 2011 (Students should attend both days) Using Enterprise Skills: Who wants to be an entrepreneur and how can enterprise skills help you in your research?
Research Skills and Management Take Control: Managing Projects for PGR Students This session will introduce students to concepts that will allow them to effectively apply project management theory through the setting of research goals, prioritisation of activities and riskvalue management. 13 October 2010 or 19 May 2011 Project Management of your PhD In this project management workshop you will examine how the theory of project management translates into your current research work. The workshop will provide a template for future project planning. Time Management: Where theory meets practice This workshop will also introduce the fundamentals of time management for future use. The session will include planning your time; keeping on track; survival strategies for dealing with paperwork; survival strategies for unexpected work and timeframes for your tasks 10 March 2011 Information Management This workshop will explore how to get the most from your time through techniques including MindMapping and speed reading. 10 June 2011 Critical thinking, critical reading In this workshop you will develop a critical approach to reading.
Effective Reading This interactive workshop is appropriate for research students who would like to read more quickly or take a more strategic approach to their reading, possibly during a literature review. Confirm Epistemology Workshops These workshops introduce students to the basis of research philosophies and paradigms. A third session will be scheduled if students would like to meet to discuss their research. 30 December 2010 + 07 December 2010 (Students should attend both days) Maintaining Motivation This session will explore strategies to keep you motivated and to will provide an opportunity to discuss problems with the process of research. 08 December 2010 or 23 March 2011 Making Connections: Networking and Working Collaboratively Networking: Learn how to manage your liaisons and introduce yourself to the right people who can help your career. Working Collaboratively: Collaborate and interact with people so that both of you get what you want (research funding, esteem) and develop partnerships that may last a lifetime or lead to better things. 07 December 2010
Research Communication Skills Academic Writing: Examining writing style This workshop aims to familiarise participants with a range of common mistakes made by writers. It will suggest things to avoid such as colloquialisms and clichés and take a closer look at sentence structure, spelling, punctuation and commonly confused words. Writing Your Research This workshop will cover the processes of academic writing, from the initial stages of identifying ideas and planning writing projects through to editing and presenting your own writing. 24 February 2011 or 05 May 2011 How to get the most out of conferences It is widely accepted that conferences are useful, but have you ever stopped to think why? Furthermore, have you identified how you can make the most of conferences that you will attend? In this workshop, you will do exactly that. A Beginner s Guide to getting published for Arts and Humanities researchers This session will provide a personal perspective on publishing in the arts and will offer the chance for students to discuss their experiences and any worries when tackling publishing. 28 April 2011 Introduction to Posters Dr Joyce Yee from the School of Design, will provide an insight into the layout and design of winning posters. 03 May 2011
Publishing Research Plan and draft a research article in a group: by transforming a research article in the popular press into a journal article, or the other way around if you prefer. During this process: you will discuss the differences in writing style, content and language use in reporting research. Identify the criteria required for reporting research in the popular press or a journal. Create a writing template and use this template to transform a research article from one form to the other. Getting Published Successfully The aim is to help you get you work published and to do so as successfully as possible. We will cover journal articles, books, and other forms of publications. Typical questions discussed are: What are the benefits of publishing your work? What publishing opportunities are there? How do you decide which journals or publishers to approach and how do you approach them? 25 February 2011 or 06 May 2011
Subject Specific Skills Training Session Date Facilitating Exhibitions and their prerequisites January 10 th 2011 Institution How to book (contact): Acts of Audience in museums and galleries January 24 th 2011 Persuasive artist, effective scholar February 7 th 2011 Distinguishing between practice-led research and professional practice: other people s knowledge Making meaning beyond display February 21 st 2011 March 7 th 2011 Exhibition statement, thesis abstract March 21 st 2011 Distinguishing between practice-led research and professional practice: your knowledge Exhibiting knowledge, examining April 25 th 2011 May 2 nd 2011 Distinguishing between practice-led research and professional practice: art school knowledge in the expanded field May 16 th 2011
Contacts: For queries relating to the PGR skills programme at please contact Laura Smailes on 0191 227 4257 or Laura.Smailes@northumbria.ac.uk For queries relating to the PGR skills programme at the of Sunderland please contact Dr Mark Proctor on 0191 515 2071 or mark.proctor@sunderland.ac.uk For queries relating to subject specific training at the of Sunderland please contact: Prof Beryl Graham Professor of New Media Art Faculty of Arts, Design, and Media, of Sunderland Ashburne House, Ryhope Road Sunderland, SR2 7EE Tel: +44 191 515 2896 Fax: +44 191 515 2132 Email: beryl.graham@sunderland.ac.uk For queries relating to subject specific training at please contact: Mr Chris Dorsett Reader in Visual Arts Squires Annexe Newcastle upon Tyne Tel: +44 191 227 3082 Email: