More than a 'talkfest'

 by Keely Blanch, Kim Brown, Rafaella, Sarah Bartley, Maxine, Shannon, Byron, Prof. John Tarter, and Dr. Keryn Pratt.

This post is a collaborative effort from the last session of our research symposium. We asked the attendees at this final session to join us in blogging about what they had taken from the day. 

We've put this post together after spending the day at the inaugural UOCE Education Graduate Research Symposium. Kim Brown has written in the previous post about the value of research symposia as a way of drawing upon collective knowledge to iron out some of the issues in your research. As she noted in her post, Kim saw this concept in action in another department and, luckily for us, imported it into the UOCE.

As well as providing an opportunity to discuss our research, the 'talkfest' let us meet new people, hear about a variety of research topics and approaches, and create a collegial atmosphere. We've already started discussing when we will repeat the experience later in the year - although there are a few points noted by the experienced academic researchers who attended.

Kim:

Finding commonality of experience takes effort. To learn that there are people encountering similar dilemmas or challenges means making the time to listen. Talking about research with peers and academics does not avoid asking the hard questions, but provides the opportunity to ask in a supportive way. 

Rafa: 

It has been a very fruitful experience because the forum gave me the opportunity to debate issues of my research and gave new perspectives for my research problem. In addition, discussing other people's studies provided me with numerous methodological insights.

Sarah:

Today was a great opportunity to hear the 'process' and journey and pain of the other postgrads. It gave me a real sense that I wasn't alone in my struggles with the aspects of research like methods design and question design. As a new research student, it is easy to get the impression that everyone else has it all sorted. 

Maxine:

I found today helped me consolidate some of my thinking and provided me with new ideas to consider in my research. I thought today was timely to get me back into study for the year. It was also a good time to reconnect with people and share ideas about a range of different topics. 

Shannon:

The research forum today was a good use of time as it sparked new questions and introduced other ideas and methodologies which could be applied to my own thesis. The informal nature of the setting (around the table, not standing up in front of others) and the varied methods of sharing ideas (writing/ pairs/ chatting/ discussing) added to the ease in which ideas could be discussed. Great coffee and food too!

Byron:

Benefits included the identification of a research community of people on the same path; sharing of ideas and troubleshooting, but always allowing me to reflect on my own research. The topics may not all be linked, but methodologies, theories etc could be exactly what you're looking for; friendly faces that you now feel you can ask, "Hey, where is....?" or "How do I....?"; a chance to 'escape' journal articles, library shelves and office space for the day. 

John:

Some tips: in presenting a study, use a theoretical framework - why would one expect a given outcome from a study? The question presupposes a rationale that argues for the 'so what' of a study; give a conceptual definition of the idea being considered and if possible, an operational one as well; research should try to look at the relationship between two variables at a minimum.

Keryn:

It's been great to have an informal opportunity (i.e. not lots of preparation) to get feedback from people in a wide variety of areas/ expertise.There is a danger though that it could be distracting/ confusing to students, especially those new to the research process!

Keely:

There is a risk when introducing something new that the proposed concept may not be clear, and thus not valued as a beneficial form of research engagement. I admit that, even though I had seen a similar format of this in action as an observer, I underestimated the benefits of participating in a symposium. I would say that I am now convinced that no matter how far through the research/thesis process you are, a symposium like this can be helpful. For instance, the discussion in response to my question was robust (and at times put me on the spot!), and the points raised initially mirrored what I had been reading and writing about. However, I also came away with new leads, new phrasing to search, and questions that hold implications for my data analysis. It can be easy in thesis study to become immersed in our narrow fields of knowledge. For me, the research symposium allowed me to draw upon the collective knowledge of people with different theoretical frameworks, methodological understandings, and research experiences.