becoming a professional researcher shonil bhagwat, nadia bartolini, jim mcginlay faculty of social...
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Becoming a professional researcher
Shonil Bhagwat, Nadia Bartolini, Jim McGinlay
Faculty of Social Sciences
The Illustrated Guide to a PhD
“Every [year], I explain to a fresh batch of PhD students what a PhD is.It's hard to describe it in words.So, I use pictures.Read below for the illustrated guide to a PhD”
Source: Matt Might (Computer scientist at the University of Utah) http://matt.might.net/
Imagine a circle that contains all of human knowledge…
By the time you finish elementary school, you know a little…
By the time you finish high school, you know a bit more…
With a bachelor's degree, you gain a specialty…
A master's degree deepens that specialty…
Reading research papers takes you to the edge of human knowledge…
Once you're at the boundary, you focus…
You push at the boundary for a few years…
Until one day, the boundary gives way…
And, that dent you've made is called a PhD…
Of course, the world looks different to you now…
So, don't forget the bigger picture, but keep pushing!...
The Meaning of a PhD
Professor Derek PughOpen University Business School
Adapted fromEstelle M. Phillips and Derek S. Pugh
How to Get a PhD (5th edition)Open University Press, 2010
<www.derekpugh.com>
Command of subject
• At the most basic level it means that you have something to say that your peers want to listen to.
• In order to do this you must have a command of what is happening in your subject so that you can evaluate the worth of what others are doing.
• You must have the astuteness to discover where you can make a useful contribution.
Research methods and ethics
• You must be aware of the ethics of your profession and work within them.
• You must have mastery of appropriate techniques that are currently being used, and also be aware of their limitations.
Communication to diverse audiences
• You must be able to communicate your results effectively in the professional arena.
• All this must be carried out in an international context; your professional peer group is worldwide.
• All this is to be carried out in an ever changing environment in your field of research.
Questions for Nadia and Jim
• What was your PhD about and what did you do to identify your research questions?
• How did you choose your research methods?
• How did you communicate your research to diverse audiences during your PhD?
Questions for Nadia and Jim
• Since completing your PhD, how do you keep on top of your subject and keep in touch with new developments in your field?
• If you were to do your PhD all over again, how would you change your research design or the choice of methodologies?
• What experience have you had of communicating your research and establishing yourself as a researcher since completing the PhD?
Questions for Nadia and Jim
Other questions?