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There are more than a few debates about what precisely constitutes a \u2018positive research culture\u2019.<\/p>\nThere are more than a few debates about what precisely constitutes a \u2018positive research culture\u2019.<\/p>\n
PGR students Arwa Omar and Ruth Squire, 2nd and 1st year PHD students in SIoE respectively and student representatives for the Institutes PhD students, looked at the importance of research culture at SHU for\u00a0postgraduates following discussions in their regular PG Rep meetings.<\/p>\n
Both have had positive experiences of research culture\u00a0at Sheffield\u00a0Hallam University\u00a0but wanted to explore what that\u00a0meant for them and fellow PGR’s, draw attention to what already exists and challenge colleagues to consider where PGR’s fit in their understanding of research culture.<\/p>\n
‘It\u2019s something we are asked about in the PRES and, however cynical we might be about another HE metric, with good reason. Both of us can see the benefits of the research environment we have engaged with for our development and for our research. But we feel it works best when the culture and experience for PGRs isn\u2019t isolated from the wider research culture. It\u2019s about creating a vibrant and inclusive undergraduate, postgraduate and professional research community.<\/p>\n
Currently, the institute offers several opportunities for PGRs to be part of the wider research community, with events that bring together researchers and academics at different stages of their careers. Last year, SIoE hosted the annual Doctoral Research Conference<\/a>, which brought together researchers and academics from Sheffield Hallam and neighbouring institutions (including members of the White Rose DTP) to discuss their latest research and to celebrate their achievements. The conference served as a platform to share current research at the SIoE as well as other regional institutions. Importantly, though designed with Doctoral researchers in mind and providing them a platform to share their research, academic staff also attended as presenters and colleagues. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Many attendees said that they found the opportunity to listen to other researchers at different stages of their doctorates and careers helpful for their own study and felt reassured that their journeys were not that different. They valued the networking opportunities, and the wide variety of topics covered during the presentations \u2013 including research methodology, ethics and analysis. Most importantly, and what we think is a core component of a positive research culture, many praised the informal and supportive environment of the conference. This year\u2019s conference will take place on 30th November 2019 and we hope will continue to be valuable for all involved.<\/p>\n We are both regular attendees at a seminar series<\/a> aimed at PGRs, where researchers at every stage present their work and enable us keep up to date with what colleagues are working on. The SIoE also has (at least!) two research groups (the Language and Literacy Education Research Group and The Practice, Innovation and the Professional Learning Research Group) as well as special interest groups (SIGs) which PGRs have been invited to participate in and we believe will offer greater opportunities for us to develop and share.<\/p>\n As researchers whose work also extends into departments beyond education, we also take advantage of opportunities that span disciplines and fields of expertise, including the CRESR seminar series<\/a> and the university-wide SHU Creating Knowledge Conference<\/a>. Events like this provide an avenue for students to present their work to a wider audience and offer new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations. PGRs also have distinct opportunities to come together as a research community, such as through the SHU Postgraduate Student Conference<\/a>; this year\u2019s event is on \u2018Invisibility: The Absent, the Unseen, and the Forgotten\u2019. The Sheffield Institute for Policy Studies (SIPS) also hosts a PGR poster competition<\/a>, which we will both be presenting at this year.<\/p>\n