This document discusses using social media, specifically Twitter, to help develop the skills of postgraduate researchers (PGRs). It begins by outlining the challenges PGRs face and the areas of support they need. It then examines the Researcher Development Framework and the skills PGRs should be developing in areas like knowledge, personal effectiveness, research organization, and engagement. The document proposes that skills in areas like networking, evaluation, identity development could be enhanced through Twitter. It suggests researching how Twitter can build communities of practice for PGRs. Short term goals include developing a social media strategy and evaluating Twitter's impact on the learning experience and skill development of PGRs.

1. Who are
postgraduate
What skills on
Twittering and about research:
researchers (PGRs)?
abilities do they need
Using develop? media to develop
How might social
to social
media help PGRs?
postgraduate researchers (PGRs)?
What can we do to
find out?
Dr Katy Vigurs
k.vigurs@staffs.ac.uk
@drkatyvigurs
#EduConfSU

2. Where does my position on PGRs stem from?
2001
New mum
New PGR student
New to social research
2013
Postgraduate Award Leader
Doctoral Supervisor
Educational researcher

3. What challenges do PGRs face?
£££ issues –
cost of
opportunities
Is my
research
important?
Sustaining
motivation
&
enthusiasm
Completing
on time
Crisis of
confidence.
Can I do this?
Who am I?
Am I a
student or a
researcher?
Loneliness /
isolation
Feel in limbo
/ a spare part
Precarious
juggling act
Out of the loop.
Why don’t I know
what’s going on?

4. What areas of support do PGRs need?
Searching &
accessing
academic
literature
Moral /
emotional
Contacts &
networks
Critical
evaluation
of others’
research
Research
design &
management
Research
methods
theory &
application
Academic
writing
Presenting
your research
to others
Developing a
researcher
identity &
reputation
Research
ethics

5. Vitae: What skills & abilities
should PGRs be developing?
Researcher Development Framework (2010) www.vitae.ac.uk
Domain A:
Knowledge & Intellectual abilities
Domain B:
Personal Effectiveness
Domain C:
Research governance and organisation
Domain D:
Engagement, influence and impact

6. Domain A: Knowledge & PGRs develop?
What skills shouldIntellectual abilities
A1
Knowledge
base
1.
Subject knowledge
2.
Research methods:
theoretical knowledge
3.
Research methods:
practical application
4.
Information seeking
5.
Information literacy &
management
6.
Languages
7.
Academic literacy &
numeracy
A2
Cognitive
abilities
A3
Creativity
1.
Inquiring mind
2.
Intellectual
insight
Critical thinking
3.
Innovation
1.
Evaluating
4.
1.
Problem solving
Argument
construction
5.
Intellectual risk
1.
Analysing
1.
Synthesising
1.

7. What Domain B: Personal Effectiveness
skills should PGRs develop?
B1
Personal
qualities
B2
Selfmanagement
B3
Professional and
career development
1.
1.
Enthusiasm
2.
Perseverance
3.
Integrity
4.
2.
1.
Career
management
Continuing
professional
development
Preparation &
prioritisation
2.
Commitment to
research
Self-confidence
3.
Time management
3.
Responsiveness to
opportunities
5.
Self-reflection
4.
Responsiveness to
change
4.
Networking
6.
Responsibility
Work-life balance
5.
Reputation and
esteem
5.

8. Domain C: Research governance and develop?
What skills should PGRs organisation
C1
Professional
conduct
1.
Health and safety
2.
Ethics, principles &
sustainability
3.
Legal requirements
4.
IPR & copyright
5.
Respect &
confidentiality
6.
Attribution & coauthorship
7.
Appropriate practice
C2
Research
management
C3
Finance, funding &
resources
1.
Income & funding
generation
1.
Research strategy
2.
Project planning &
delivery
2.
Financial
management
3.
Risk management
3.
Infrastructures &
resources

9. Domain D: Engagement, influence develop?
What skills should PGRs and impact
D1
Working with
others
1.
Collegiality
2.
Team working
3.
Supervision
5.
Mentoring
6.
Influence & leadership
7.
Collaboration
8.
Equality & diversity
1.
People management
4.
D2
Communication
& dissemination
2.
3.
Communication
methods
Communication
media
Publication
D3
Engagement
& impact
1.
Teaching
2.
Public
engagement
3.
Enterprise
4.
Policy
5.
Society & culture
6.
Global citizenship

10. What abilities did I develop as a PGR?
Strategies for
searching &
accessing
academic
literature
Networking.
Building contacts
Critical
approach to
evaluating
others’
research
Research
design &
management
Research
methods
theory &
application
Academic
writing
Presenting
my research
to others
Developed a
researcher
identity
Ethical
approach to
research

11. How did I develop these skills?
Advice and support
from supervisory
team, academic
librarians, other
PGRs
Identified individuals, journals
& organisations central to
research interests. Followed
them.
Identified &
attended
research
conferences &
seminars
Read a lot of
texts – didn’t
read for pleasure
when a PGR
Volunteered to
help on other
research
projects
Did a lot of writing
& sought
constructive
criticism
Presented at
conferences &
seminars
Prioritised
developing a
researcher identity
– made sacrifices
Learned from
observing others’
practices
Said ‘yes’ to select
opportunities & ‘no’ to
many more

12. Did I use social media for academic
purposes? Was I a digital PGR?

13. Which skills & abilities might be
enhanced using social media?
Subject knowledge, Research methods knowledge, Info seeking & management,
Language, Academic literacy, Critical thinking, Evaluating, Inquiring mind, Intellectual
insight, Argument construction.
Enthusiasm, Self-confidence, Self-reflection, Responsibility, Preparation &
prioritisation, Commitment to research
Ethics & principles, Respect, Co-authorship, Appropriate practice, Research
Strategy, Project planning, Funding generation, Infrastructure & resources
Collegiality, Team working, Supervision, Mentoring, Collaboration, Communication
methods & media, Publication, Teaching, Public engagement, Enterprise, Policy,
Society & culture, Global citizenship

14. How do I use Twitter for academic
purposes?
 Find out what other people are thinking & doing in your area
of research & professional practice: identify & follow
academics, researchers, policy makers, teachers, educational
organisations, colleagues & students. Locally, nationally &
internationally. Respond to their questions & ideas.
 Make yourself & your practices visible: Tweet regularly about
what you are thinking & doing (academically & professionally)
 Rally up support: Tweet questions at those you follow and your
followers. Have conversations with your followers.
 Share unique content: Tweet interesting & relevant links
whenever possible.
 Learn from others: Observe others’ critical thinking in action on
your subject area.
 Respond to opportunities tweeted by others

15. So how might we investigate the value of
social media for developing PGRs?
Potential Research Questions
 In what ways is the use of Twitter (within and
beyond the classroom) of value for processes of
doctoral learning?
 In what ways does Twitter usage by doctoral
students and staff allow the building of
communities of practice:
 within a cohort of learners?
 between two cohorts of learners?
 between learners and a range of academics, practitioners
and doctoral students beyond the University?

16. Proposed Objectives:
 To produce an initial Doctorate in Education (EdD) Social Media
Strategy, particularly focusing on the use of Twitter for effective
doctoral learning.
 To use this initial EdD Social Media Strategy to run a staff
development workshop for the EdD programme team in 2013-14.
 To use this initial EdD Social Media Strategy to run a ‘Twitter for
Doctoral Purposes’ workshop for the EdD students in 2013-14.
 To trial the use of Twitter for doctoral learning within the
professional doctorate classroom with a cohort or Year 1 EdD
students and a cohort of Year 2 EdD students.
 To trial EdD students’ use of Twitter for doctoral learning outside
the classroom.
 To evaluate from both staff and students’ perspectives the process
and value of using Twitter, within and beyond the classroom, to
build an effective, active and engaged community of practice.

17. Short term: Intended outcomes
 To impact positively on the doctoral learning experience
of EdD students by introducing and developing their use
of Twitter for academic purposes
 To impact positively upon their dialogic interaction with
their peers and staff, as well as other
academics, professionals and doctoral students outside
the University.
 To develop their confidence and autonomy in relation to
‘becoming a researcher’, as well as being able to
practice their ‘critical voice’ in a public sphere.

18. Short term: Intended outputs
 Draft School of Education Social Media Strategy for PGRs
 Project Blog
 Project Evaluation Report
 Presentation of findings at a range of Faculty and
University events.

19. References

Burgess, H., Sieminski, S. and Arthur, L. (2006) Achieving your Doctorate in Education, London: Sage.

Crossouard, B. and Pryor, J. (2008) Becoming researchers: a sociocultural perspective on assessment, learning and the construction of identity in a professional doctorate,
Pedagogy, Culture and Society, 16 (3), 221-237.

Drake, P. (2011) Practitioner Research at Doctoral Level, Abingdon: Routledge.

Green, B. (2009) Doctoral education in transition, in D. Boud and A. Lee (Eds) Changing Practices of Doctoral Education, Abingdon: Routledge.

Minocha, S. and Petre, M. (2012) Handbook of social media for researchers and supervisors: digital technologies for researcher dialogues, Cambridge: Vitae.

Lee, N. (2009) Achieving your Professional Doctorate, Maidenhead: OU Press.

Lee, A. and Aitchison, C. (2009) Writing for the doctorate and beyond, in D. Boud and A. Lee (Eds) Changing Practices of Doctoral Education, Abingdon: Routledge.

Leonard, D., Metcalfe, J., Becker, R. and Evans, J. (2006) Review of the literature on the doctoral experience for the Higher Education Academy, Cambridge: Institute of
Education and UK GRAD Programme.

Leonard, D. and Becker, R. (2009) Enhancing the doctoral experience at the local level, in D. Boud and A. Lee (Eds) Changing Practices of Doctoral Education, Abingdon:
Routledge.

Mollet, A., Moran, D. and Dunleavy, P. (2010) Using Twitter in university research, teaching and impact activities: A guide for academics and researchers, London: LSE
Public Policy Group.

Vitae (2010) Researcher Development Framework, Cambridge: Vitae. Available at http://www.vitae.ac.uk/CMS/files/upload/Vitae-Researcher-DevelopmentFramework.pdf