researcher's learning needs

SCONUL Conference June 2008

Researchers? Who are they and what are their learning needs?

Moira Bent

Newcastle University


What is research? Researchers said ..

Research is Theory-led; Data-led; Scholarship Grounded in disciplines; multi / inter /

trans disciplinary Investigation; interpretation; gathering

evidence A holistic activity; a set of transferable

skills Collaborative / solo activity Related to self Validated by peer group Made meaningful by an external

audience


What are researchers? Researchers said..

Researchers are: Usually recognised within organization and… people who find out new things, reflect and take action at different levels and career stages working in different disciplines obliged to share what they find – to put knowledge into the

public domain ready to be challenged making connections passionate ambitious


The seven ages of research

Masters students Doctoral students Contract researchers Early career researchers Established academic staff Senior researchers Experts

New Review of Information Networking (2007) 13 (2) : 81-99

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Early

Apprenticeship - influenced by supervisors / tutors / mentors

Skills and competences are defined (also funded and monitored)

Different levels of control Transition from structured learning to self-organization Interaction between personal life / prior experiences Managing different roles e.g. other jobs, developing

teaching skills Information consumer, objective is production


Early

I consider myself to be at the start of my research career, although I have been doing research for about 4 years. [Recent PhD graduate, South Africa]

I don’t think I was a good researcher for my PhD. You need to have a mentor to show you the ropes and the pitfalls. You can train for some things. The best is to work alongside someone successful and learn from them. [Dean of Research, UK]

I reckon I spent nearly all my first year reading journal articles. [Computing Sciences Final year PhD]


Mid

Moving field / moving role / learning a different landscape Balancing teaching and research support / info guiding work management in different

circumstances situating yourself / making your name / establishing

credentials locally (e.g. in department) wider research community

Need to be adaptable / avoiding isolation Starting to supervise other researchers Starting role in management / administration Information production and consumption Shift from systematic to pragmatic information retrieval


Mid

I hardly ever use databases, probably because I’m not usually starting from a position of knowing nothing. I tend to start with a few key papers and then follow up their references. [Senior lecturer in Biology]

I used to be focused in my approach to finding mainstream resources, now I’m less so, more explorative. I guess looking for inspiration for my more mainstream ideas. [Senior Research Fellow in creative technologies] p.158


Late / Senior

• Developing into/ having a significant role in research leadership and administration

• Leading research teams / research centres / research projects / mainstream management

• Supervising and examining theses• Teaching research methods• Plenary conference speaker• Editorial board of journals etc.• Refereeing / peer reviewer / specialist assessor• Disseminating research practice or defining their field

• Different IL skillsets for range of activities


Late

I have 5 years to retirement but research is becoming more important in my career. I still have one, even though retirement is looming [South African researcher]

If I couldn’t find it myself on the Internet, then I’d ask my students first, my RAs, then I’d come to the library. The RAs live and die finding info. [Professor of Industrial Statistics, UK]

These days all my papers are invited plenaries and similar tertiary reviews. [Retired Professor of Chemistry, UK]

As a researcher, the difference is that I know how to do research and I am connected into all the networks. [Dean of Research, Humanities, UK]


What are researchers’ learning needs? Librarians said…

Research methodology - how to do it

Updating skills for older/ experienced researchers

Awareness of needing to know

Understanding scholarly communication issues

Effective use of sources, inc people

Supervisors & librarians - skills assessment

Access to resources Separate study spaces


Researchers said..The Library is good for my research

because… Access - hours/ open access Electronic resources Time saving Friendly professionals / advice

Speed of service Research library atmosphere/‘Wow’ factor Escape from phone/ colleagues Browsing/ serendipity Library as university “icon” – to be proud of


Researchers saidI have concerns about

No full text access Missing / unavailable material English as language of scholarship Access issues Noisy study spaces Management of data REF, measuring my impact Repositories, keeping track of my publications

accurately, organising information Time wasting, quantity of information “E” limits research to what is easy


How is research changing?Researchers said…

More accountability / Fewer blue sky opportunities

More targeted outcomes More collaboration (UK, overseas, across

different types of organisation) Multidisciplinary research areas Data archives – data mining, data storage E science / grid Repositories / Open access mandates Harder to know all that is happening,

especially in China, India etc


What I like to do most of all is spend all day in the library and

then go home for tea

Bill Bryson (Centre for Life 2001)

researcher's learning needs

Education

sconul conference

research career

dean of research

research practice

research leadership

research methodology

senior research fellow

research support info