Getting organised: from doing research to communicating your findings Emma Coonan Information Skills Librarian

Objectives What do you need to organise? Managing evolving research Visualising your research writing Tips and strategies

What do you need to organise? ‘Victorian mindmapped man’ by LukePDQ flickr.com, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 flickr.com

Evaluating formats and sources Evaluating resources including non full-text material Evolution of your research topic Saving, storing, futureproofing Strategic reading and notemaking Referencing and attribution practices Using a research method/s Managing your time Using evidence and finding your own voice Academic writing conventions Synthesising multiple views Managing your supervisor Presenting and communicating your research ? Managing data (all forms) Systematic literature searching

Activity Which 3 aspects do you already manage well? How do you achieve that? Which 3 aspects are not working so well for you just now? Why not? Is there any aspect you hadn’t thought of until now? What will you do to manage it?

Sources of expertise Information sources, research question development, literature searching - Faculty Librarians Referencing and attribution practices, academic writing, synthesizing, presenting and communicating - Learning Enhancement Team (DOS) Time management, supervisors – DOS; PPD co-ordinator Saving, storing, futureproofing; managing references – Info Skills Librarian Research data management – Anna Collins, REN Further PPD sessions, e.g. ‘How to write the thesis’ (SCI) Fellow students and researchers

Managing evolving research

Stages in research Orientating yourself in your field, working out what to say Experimenting, data generation, coding, analysis Communicating your research

Where are you at? Orientating yourself in your field, working out what to say Experimenting, data generation, coding, analysis Communicating your research

Research evolves as you do it (1) Graphic by Capella University LibraryCapella University Library

Ability grouping in schools What are the effects of ability grouping in high schools? What are the detriments of ability grouping in high school advance placement classes? Developing focus Example from Capella University, Library Research HandbookLibrary Research Handbook

Type 2 diabetes Patient adherence in type 2 diabetes sufferers Alcohol consumption and adherence to self-care behaviours in type 2 diabetes: the inclusion of brief interventions for alcohol in diabetes care Katy Knott (2013) University of Leicester PhD thesis Developing focus

Mind the gap(s) What’s stopping you from writing up right now? Lack of data? Lack of research context? Unfocused research question?

Alon, ‘How to choose a good scientific problem, Molecular Cell (2009) Research evolves as you do it (2)

What-why-how tool

What is your research? What question are you answering (or asking)? Why are you doing it? Why will it make a difference to your field? How are you doing it? What’s your approach or method?

Visualising your research writing

Henry Doktorski, CC BY-SA Stretching and squeezing

Whole thesis

Stretching and squeezing Whole thesis Title

Stretching and squeezing Whole thesis Abstract Title

Stretching and squeezing Whole thesis Chapters or sections Abstract What – why – how Title

Stretching and squeezing Whole thesis Reverse outline (first line of each paragraph) Chapter/section plans, headings Chapters or sections Abstract What – why – how Title

Tips and strategies

Big picture strategies Time planner Chapter planner Literature map Topic diagram

Reproduced with the permission of the author

Day-by-day strategies Time of day File management Research diary Free-writing and flat-packing

© Jorge Cham, reproduced with permission

The "vehicle for ordered creativity" (Schatzman & Strauss 1973: 105)

Free-writing ‘Flat-packing’

Objectives What do you need to organise? Managing evolving research Visualising your research writing Tips and strategies

Session evaluation ‘Noi la pensiamo cosi – Wall di post-it’ by Francodavi Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Wikimedia Commons

portal.uea.ac.uk/library/information-skills UEA Information Skills