DWLresearch

Would you self-publish your monograph? The academic  Lesley Hulonce  has caused a stir this week by arguing for exactly that. Dissatisfied with the proposed sale price of her monograph from a traditional publisher (over £60) Hulonce decided to publish the book herself  through Amazon self- publishin g. Read more about her experience  here .  Other academics have  expressed dissatisfaction with publishers; price and the quality of e-books seem to be a particular bug-bears. These are both issues that librarians sympathise with.  Some authors and imprints have been experimenting with different kinds of publishing.  Zero Books (and its offspring  Repeater Books ) have pioneered a model of quicker, easier publishing that also encourages more imaginative writing. Martin Parker , a Professor here at Leicester, publish...

Our first Elevenses session of the summer took place on Tuesday. Find out what you really need to know for your future publishing strategy, by watching the 30 minute webinar.  Myths and misconceptions about open access publishing Our next session is in Ogden Lewis Seminar suite (with a cuppa and homemade cakes) or online at 11am on: 8th July Who is citing who? And who is citing you? Discover how you can use Scopus, Google Scholar & Web of Science to carry out citation searches and set up citation alerts Join  the webinar Hope to see you there!

In March we attended several of the Research Festival: Focus on Funders events. Here's the tips we picked up on writing funding applications for research councils and other funding bodies. Keep up to date with the latest funding opportunities via mailing lists, twitter, RSS feeds, the Research Professional Database, and checking the funders' website regularly. Make sure you read all the funding information carefully and understand the application process thoroughly, so you can target your application correctly. Start working on the application as early as possible. Use the buzz words that appear in the call for funding and in the instructions for reviewers. Ensure your proposal is innovative, interesting, based on sound principles and fits the priorities of the funding body. Follow the application instructions completely - even if you think they are asking you to repeat information there will be a reason for it! Understand who you are writing the application for - us...

In May the thesis forum welcomed three speakers who shared their experience of completing the PhD and life on the other side. This was our second webinar (via Adobe Connect) and once again we welcomed a good number of off-campus students. Rahma (Media & Communications) Rahma passed her APG in 2011 and is now in her final year. She started with the positive aspects of doing a PhD such as enjoying the chance to learn and the experience of being a student. While you might think your contribution to knowledge is small, it will be significant. She advised sticking to highly relevant literature at the start and ensuring you keep a tight focus. If you struggle with the literature, don’t blame yourself. It might be that you lack background context or the author hasn’t made themselves clear. International students can have the additional problem of the language barrier.. When it comes to your fieldwork, don’t shy away from sensitive or difficult areas. They might be the potential s...

*WEBINAR INSTRUCTIONS* The webinar will use Adobe Connect. You will not need any specific software, however, you will need speakers or a headset to hear the webinar, and you can participate in discussion by typed chat. Adobe Connect works fine on Windows and Macs, and any browser. Use with a Linux computer may be possible but is not recommended due to uncertain results. If you have any technical problems, email Terese Bird     For best results, follow these steps: 1) Make sure any required equipment is physically plugged into your computer first, then launch your browser and go to: https://connect.le.ac.uk/thesisforum14-5/   2) Select Enter as Guest, type your name, and click Connect. It may take a minute or so for Adobe Connect to load up, and you will be in the meeting room.   3) Under 'Meeting' at the upper left, select Audio Setup Wizard. Go through the wizard, making sure everything works. Please note that Audio Setup Wizard should be d...

The Festival of Postgraduate Research offers a great way to develop your presentation skills and communicate your research to a non-specialist audience. The ninth annual Festival will take place on Thursday 27th June and feature the work of fifty of the University's postgraduate researchers. For a chance to be one of them you will need to apply by 5pm on Friday 15th February . The event is open to researchers from any discipline but you will need to be in at least the second year (full-time) or third year (part-time) of your research degree. More details about how to apply can be found on the Graduate School webpage You can view last year's winning posters here: http://www2.le.ac.uk/research/festival/2012/winners

The Careers Service’s Enterprise Inc project is seeking applications from graduates and postgraduates (taught and research) who want to set up their own business ventures.  If successful with gaining a place you will receive a cash bursary of £2,500 and a training and support package valued at £2,500 which includes: A series of specialised workshops to help and develop necessary business skills On-going access to coaches and mentors Access to a wide student enterprise and business network Further details and links for applicants are available from the Graduate School website: http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/gradschool/news/enterprise-inc

Cumberland Lodge, Berkshire Cumberland Lodge is offering its expertise and its facilities to post-graduate students and early career researchers to run an interdisciplinary conference. This is an ideal opportunity to add depth to a CV, forge new collaborations, and create new research networks.   The next deadline for Colloquia submissions is 5 th November 2012. Successful applicants should expect to hold their event in June or October 2013. To find out more or to submit a proposal, visit the Cumberland Lodge website

For those of you who are approaching the end of your studies or have recently finished, there are plenty of resources out there to help with the transition. Dr Katherine L Wheat, a postdoctoral researcher at Maastricht University writes the Life After Thesis blog. Take a look at her post on the Top 10 Post-PhD Resources . Her suggestions cover all elements of post-PhD life including how to prepare for an academic career, dealing with uncertainty and finding a strong support network. The new twitter chat for early career researchers - #ECRchat - is intended for the discussion of post-PhD career issues. The next chat takes place on Thursday 6th September, so join in! PhD2Published features on our blog roll and is a great resource for early career academics seeking to publish their first book. The site also offers tips and advice on: Pitching to publishers Designing a publishing strategy Presenting at conferences Writing articles and books Writing grant proposals Using soci...

A quick reminder about the Postgraduate Enterprise Fellowships on offer. Training will be starting in mid September but you still have time to apply. Email Rajinder Bhuhi (Enterprise Learning Officer) or Tas Gohir (Intellectual Property Manager) for further information.   Internships are a great way to enhance your employability and develop new skills. Keep an eye on the PhD Internships page for opportunites available to Leicester researchers.Vitae has gathered a collection of case studies if you want to read more about the benefits that placements/internships can bring.

The Postgraduate Research Policy Committee is currently seeking four research student members to join the Committee in 2012-13 and provide student input to the Committee's work. The Committee is one of the University's senior decision-making bodies and reports directly to the University Senate. Serving as one of the Committee's research student members gives you the chance to contribute to the development of the University's postgraduate research policies and is a good way to enhance your CV. To be eligible to serve as a research student member, you must be: currently registered on a University of Leicester research degree (PhD, MPhil, or professional doctorate)* willing to attend all four of the Committee's 2012-13 meetings able to contribute in a professional way to the Committee's discussions * research students in the final year of their degree are not eligible To find out more about the Committee the role of research student members visit th...

Are you a postgraduate student interested in the commercial development of cutting-edge new technologies? Maybe you are interested in learning new business skills to improve your employability? Or perhaps you have an idea of your own as a commercial proposition? A number of internship opportunities currently exist for postgraduates to work within Enterprise and Business Development to assist with the commercialisation of new technologies emerging from the University's research base. Training will be provided in the following areas: HEIF and Knowledge Exchange within the context of Universities Assessing new Technology Disclosures Intellectual Property Rights Market and Competitor Analysis Market Intelligence Resources The Process of Commercialisation Finance and Investment The training is expected to begin mid September 2012 - exact date to be confirmed. Bursaries of up to £2,000 are available. Duration of the Fellowship is 6 months and will be structured to fit aro...

Our speakers at the July thesis forum will be Dr Shujaul M. Khan (Biology) and Dr Georgios Patsiaouras (Management). Shujaul passed his viva in May so he will be able to provide a very recent account of the PhD process. Georgios completed his PhD at Leicester in June 2010 and returned as a Lecturer in September 2011. There will also be plenty of time for group discussion and informal chat. Hope to see you next Tuesday!

It can be difficult as a busy postgraduate student to think beyond your upgrade or final submission of your thesis. However, giving your post-Phd career some thought is time well spent and will help you plan ahead as much as possible. Perhaps you have changed your mind about the career you would like to pursue and are unsure how to make the transition. Maybe you are unsure which skills are important to your future employability. The Academic Practice Unit at Leicester offers a number of careers workshops tailored specifically to postgraduate students. The courses listed below are open to postgraduate students of all colleges. The full list of workshops offered can be found here . Dates for your diary! 30 March Changing Your Career 8 May The Skills Employers Want 1 June Employability Skills Boot Camp 20 June ...