Doctoral Process
YOUR RESEARCH AT WESTMINSTER, INTRODUCTION TO THE DRDP, THE ETHICAL RESEARCHER and STARTING OUT AS A RESEARCHER IN..
These workshops are primarily aimed at new students from all disciplines who have recently enrolled. New students should book for all 4 workshops – Your Research at Westminster, Introduction to the DRDP, The Ethical Researcher and Starting out as a Researcher in..(see discipline listings further below for these sessions).
Doctoral researchers are strongly encouraged to attend these workshops in their first term of study.
YOUR RESEARCH AT WESTMINSTER
This first university workshop will start to get you thinking about the kind of researcher you are. Are you goal oriented? What form of learning best suits you? How do you relate to others involved in your research? This will help you begin to answer these questions and will suggest active and productive strategies to make sure that your style as a researcher works for you.
It will also consider the activities which frame your research, but are crucial to its success, such as time management, academic writing and reading skills, networking (this is your opportunity to work with your peers from across the university), working with your supervisor, planning for the first 90 days of your doctoral degree, and much more!
Semester 1 – 4th October 2023
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Semester 2 – 31st January 2024
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INTRODUCTION TO THE DRDP and THE ETHICAL RESEARCHER
Semester 1 – 5th October 2023
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Semester 2 – 1st February 2024
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MORNING SESSION: INTRODUCTION TO THE DRDP
This workshop will introduce doctoral researchers to the importance of the UoW Doctoral Researcher Training Programme (DRDP). It will address some of the key issues in relation to the world of doctoral training and highlight why ‘training’ forms part of the contemporary PhD journey. Addressing everything from how to navigate the DRDP Website, what the workshops cover, to booking for them and the function of the Skills Assessment Form, this workshop will be discursive and informal.
With over 60 workshops on offer, it is useful to plan ahead in terms of which ones to prioritise, and how to approach different ways of thinking around gaining new skills and knowledge – these are all issues covered at the session. We will address any questions about the different workshops and also help to clarify the distinction between the workshops offered by the Graduate School and the discipline specific ones organised by the individual schools. Open to all new students, this workshop will also be a way to meet PhD students and researchers from other disciplines as well as a way to make new friends! Doctoral researchers are strongly encouraged to attend this workshop in their first term.
This session takes place on the same day and in the same venue as The Ethical Researcher, so you only need to make 1 booking for the whole day – booking link below.
AFTERNOON SESSION: THE ETHICAL RESEARCHER
All research involves important but sometimes complex engagements with other people – colleagues, supervisors, participants, interviewees, and so on. Primarily for new students and second in a two-workshop series (following Your Research at Westminster), The Ethical Researcher covers all the ways in which research demands ethical and responsible behaviours. It covers the university’s ethical approval processes, question of intellectual property, responsibility toward research participants and the secure handling of data. Discussion focuses on a series of scenarios and case studies and is always lively!
*Before attending The Ethical Researcher , please view the recordings below which provide important background to the case studies we will be exploring at the workshop. They provide key information and guidance which will inform your work as an ethical researcher at the University of Westminster.
Introduction to Research Data Management
An Introduction to Intellectual Property
Oxentia.for.Westminster.Intellectual.Property.Sep.2020
Making an Ethics Application in the VRE:
Ethics Application Part A
Ethics Application Part B
Semester 1 – 5th October 2023*
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Semester Two – 1st February 2024* TBC
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For those doctoral researchers undertaking qualitative research in the Humanities, you will find this AHRC funded Report very useful:
Rethinking Research Ethics in the Humanities: Principles and Recommendations
Kasstan, Jonathan R., Pearson, Geoff and Brooks, Victoria 2023. Rethinking Research Ethics in the Humanities: Principles and Recommendations. University of Westminster. https://doi.org/10.34737/w36yq
There is a host of useful information relating to Ethics, Data and the Research Environment available on the university website if you wish to explore further.
STARTING OUT AS A RESEARCHER
Beginning your research will involve different questions and activities depending on the nature of your work and the disciplinary area or areas you are working within. The two-day workshops below will cover questions of research skills and methods, time planning, ethics and communication strategies. If your work is interdisciplinary, it may be useful to attend more than one workshop (in the VRE Calendar, every DRDP workshop scheduled for the academic year can be viewed in date order).
This workshop is open to all but is primarily directed at new doctoral students.
Click on the appropriate link below to book a place.
Starting Out as A Researcher in Social Sciences, Humanities and Architecture (SHAPE)
Semester One
Day One – 27th September 2023: book your place here
Day Two – 28th September 2023: book your place here
Semester Two
Day One – 22nd January 2024: book your place here
Day Two – 25th January 2024: book your place here
Starting Out as A Researcher in STEMM Subjects (Life Sciences, Computer Science and Engineering)
Semester One
27th September 2023: book your place here
28th September 2023: book your place here
Semester Two
Day One – 24th January 2024: book your place here
Day Two – 25th January 2024: book your place here
Starting Out as A Researcher in Business
Semester One
26th September 2023 Day 1: book your place here
27th September 2023 Day 2: book your place here
Semester Two
23rd January 2024: book your place here
25th January 2024: book your place here
Starting Out as A Researcher in Arts
Semester One
2nd October 2023: book your place here
Semester Two
23rd January 2024: book your place here
Starting Out as A Researcher in Media and Communication
Semester One
26th September 2023: book your place here
Semester Two
24th January 2024: book your place here
PREPARING FOR ANNUAL PROGRESS REVIEWS (APRS)
You progress through your degree will be assessed each year (or every other year if you are part time) through the Annual Progress Review. Preparing for this can be daunting, so each workshop below is designed to take the mystery out of the process. Each workshop will explain how the APRs work in specific disciplinary areas and give you the information you need to approach your next APR with confidence.
Click on the appropriate link below to book a place.
Preparing for APRs in Social Sciences, Humanities and Architecture (SHAPE)
21st March 2024: book your place here
Preparing for APRs in the STEMM Subjects
20th March 2024: book your place here
Preparing for APRs in Business
19th March 2024: book your place here
Preparing for APRs in Arts, Media and Communication
Arts – 18th March 2024: book your place here
Media and Communication – 22nd April 2024: book your place here
FINALISING YOUR THESIS: PREPARING FOR SUBMISSION
Getting towards the end of your doctorate is an exciting time, but it can also be daunting. This workshop will give you all the information you need in order to stay calm. It focuses on two aspects of completion: the writing process and the submission process. The writing process will cover aspects of thesis format, style and contents, including the relationship between research and writing. The submission process will cover such aspects as responsibilities; timely completion; the timetable to completion; support for submission; the administrative processes; and application for thesis examination arrangements.
Click on the appropriate link below to book a place.
Finalising Your Thesis in Social Sciences, Humanities and Architecture (SHAPE)
29th May 2024: book your place here
Finalising Your Thesis in STEMM Subjects
29th May 2024: book your place here
Finalising Your Thesis in Business
29th May 2024: book your place here
Finalising Your Thesis in Arts, Media and Communication
28th May 2024: book your place here
GETTING READY FOR YOUR FINAL VIVA
This session runs twice a year, so you can choose which date is best for you.
11th October 2023
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or
28th February 2024
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This session helps you to prepare for the culmination of your doctoral studies – the viva voce exam. You will learn about the process in the months leading up to the viva, from the appointment of your examiners to how to submit your thesis. We discuss how you can prepare for the exam itself and what to expect on the day, including practical advice on what and what not to do. We also talk about possible outcomes and what happens next.
Full-time study mode: you may choose to attend Getting Ready for the Viva in your third year of study, too.
Part-time study mode: you are registered for a minimum of 45 and a maximum of 96 months. You may therefore attend this briefing in your fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth year depending on your progress.