In August we are wishing the very best of luck to all our 3 Minute Thesis entrants, who are competing in the heats this month. The finals will be held on Friday 13 September during Research Week – both in person on the City campus, and livestreamed. You can register to attend here.
Speaking of AUT Research Week: the full programme is now online, featuring over 20 events all about AUT’s research and, in particular, our research partnerships. Come along from 9-13 September to learn new research skills, connect with other scholars, and engage in thoughtful conversation. Be sure to browse the programme and register for your choice of events.
In the meantime, there is a great selection of postgraduate workshops in August. If you are in the early stages of your research, check out the workshop on literature reviews, plus a special 3-part series on Systematic Literature Reviews. If you’re in the later stages of writing up, you might love the ‘Thesis Formatting: BYO Text’ session, where you can bring your thesis and get personalised help with all your formatting woes. There’s also a bumper crop of workshops tailored for qualitative researchers!
Last but not least, a huge congratulations to those graduating at the winter graduation ceremonies in August; and good luck to our talented AUT students and alumni competing in the Olympic Games in Paris – we’re cheering you on from Aotearoa!
Postgraduate Research Workshops in August 2024
| What? | Where? | When? |
|---|---|---|
| Recording your research impact This workshop will explore traditional metrics for evaluating your publications’ academic impact; alternative metrics for monitoring your publications’ societal impact; and other tools to explore broader attention on your research, including how research is cited in policy around the world. | Online | Thu 1 Aug, 5:30pm – 7:30pm |
| Thesis writing: Connecting chapters, sections and paragraphs Explores how we can organise research writing so that our readers clearly see how sections within a chapter and different chapters connect. Participants will use the principle of ‘writing in layers’ to critically examine their own reading and writing samples. You will need a device to participate in reading and writing activities. | Online and City campus | Thu 1 Aug, 5:30pm – 7:30pm and Tue 27 Aug, 2:00pm – 4:00pm |
| Getting started with library research A Library workshop for new AUT postgrads or those returning to study. We aim to give you a good understanding of the types of resources available from the Library and databases and/or search engines you may use in your literature research. | Online | Tue 6 Aug, 5:30pm – 6:30pm and Tue 27 Aug, 5:30pm – 6:30pm |
| Thesis writing: Connecting parts to the whole Discusses how the different parts of a thesis connect to each other. Participants will analyse examples relevant to them and practice using language to clearly show how existing knowledge connects to their new research, to what others may do with it in the future, and where that information gets organised across a thesis. Bring an article you have read recently and a sample of your own writing. | Online and City campus | Tue 6 Aug, 5:30pm – 7:30pm and Thu 29 Aug, 2:00pm – 4:00pm |
| Thesis writing: Conclusions An overview of the structure of a Conclusion section of a thesis. Identifies typical functions and distinctive features of this section in relation to the whole research project. Participants analyse and discuss text examples and relate these to their own writing. | Online | Wed 7 Aug, 2:00pm – 4:00pm |
| Growing your research impact Research impact defines the way in which your research influences and creates benefits to society, the environment, culture and innovation. This Library workshop provides practical tips for growing your research impact. Learn how to plan for research impact; make your research accessible and easy to find; and communicate your research findings effectively. | Online | Wed 7 Aug, 5:30pm – 7:30pm |
| Thesis writing: Discussions Provides an overview of the structure of discussion sections within a thesis. Identifies typical functions and distinctive features of this section in relation to the whole research project. You will analyse and discuss text examples and relate these to your own writing. | Online | Thu 8 Aug, 2:00pm – 4:00pm |
| Thesis formatting: BYO text This practical, computer-based workshop is designed for research students who have started writing their dissertation/thesis in Microsoft Word and are having problems formatting their document. Learn the solutions to your issues and ways to prevent future problems. Note: You are encouraged to bring your work along; get hands-on assistance by solving your dilemmas. | City campus | Sat 10 Aug, 9:00am – 1:00pm |
| What’s so good about open access? What’s so good about open access? 72% more citations is just one answer! To find out more, join the Research Services librarians as they demystify the jargon and confusing rules around open access and explain how you too can reap the benefits of publishing openly. | Online | Mon 12 Aug, 12:00pm – 1:00pm |
| Thesis writing: Highlighting research significance Explores where and how you can make your research findings stand out. Participants will consider ‘what matters’ and ‘who cares’ and where this information goes. Bring an article you have read recently and a sample of your own writing. Suited to PG research students who already have their research findings. | Online | Tue 13 Aug, 12:00pm – 2:00pm |
| Designing research posters that pop Posters can be a great way to provide a powerful, visual backdrop when discussing, informing and promoting your research at conferences and events. This workshop will help you tailor your poster content to emphasise your key points, and provide you with practical tips for designing an effective and dynamic poster that grabs the attention of your audience. | Online | Wed 14 Aug, 5:30pm – 7:00pm |
| Thesis writing: Introductions An overview of the structure of an Introduction section of a thesis. Identifies typical functions and distinctive features of this section in relation to the whole research project. Participants analyse and discuss text examples and relate these to their own writing. | Online | Thu 15 Aug, 12:00pm – 2:00pm |
| Session 1: Systematic Literature Review (SLR) – curious! Fully booked; waitlist available Part one of a series of three workshops exploring systematic reviews. How is a systematic review different from a literature review? Why do people have different ideas on what a SLR actually is? Is it the right type of research for me? | Online | Thu 15 Aug, 5:30pm – 7:30pm |
| NVivo quick start This course is targeted at researchers wanting an efficient means of handling and analysing their qualitative data. No prior knowledge of the software is assumed; however a basic understanding of qualitative analysis procedures would be helpful. | Online | Tue 20 Aug, 10:00am – 3:00pm |
| Writing clear and persuasive arguments Considers fundamental differences between writing descriptively and persuasively. Participants will look closely at why some arguments are easy to follow. We also consider the way language enables us to control how much we align with other points of view. Bring an article you have read recently and a sample of your own writing where you are either writing about past literature or discussing your research findings. | Online | Tue 20 Aug, 2:00pm – 4:00pm |
| Generating content for online researcher profiles Focuses on thinking through who you are as a researcher for the purpose of generating and refining content for research profiles. Engage in practical activities to identify and reflect on what you research, how and why you research it, and who is in your research network. Bring a device and be prepared to log in to AUT’s Microsoft 365 during the workshop. | Online | Wed 21 Aug, 12:00pm – 2:00pm |
| Getting smarter with your data: Using the AUT DMP tool In this practical face-to-face library workshop, participants will learn about AUT’s data management tool, working through the requirements step-by-step. The session is a great opportunity to start your first data management plan, continue a current one or just to have a play and learn about the tool, and the process for collecting, organising, storing and preserving your research data. | South campus | Wed 21 Aug, 12:00pm – 1:00pm |
| Thesis writing: Literature reviews An overview of the structure of literature reviews within a thesis. Identifies typical functions and distinctive features of this section in relation to the whole research project. Participants analyse, discuss and relate text examples to their own writing. Systematic reviews are not covered. | Online | Thu 22 Aug, 5:30pm – 7:30pm |
| Session 2: Systematic Literature Review (SLR) – A deep dive into search techniques Building on the content covered in session one, this workshop will take you through an advanced literature searching process. Learn how to develop a search strategy, how to search databases in a systematic way, where to locate existing systematic reviews, how to create alerts and learn best practices for recording and managing results. This is an interactive session. | Online | Thu 22 Aug, 5:30pm – 7:00pm |
| Qualitative analysis for beginners This workshop provides a focused introduction to qualitative data analysis, and will cover the key stages in the process such as data preparation, coding, and identifying patterns in your data. It is interspersed with practical tips and aims to leave attendees feeling more confident in approaching this vital—but inevitably messy—stage of the research cycle. | Online | Wed 28 Aug, 10:00am – 12:00pm |
| CV, cover letter & job interview tips for academic roles Getting a job in academia is hugely competitive. If you want to stand a chance of succeeding, you’ve got to stand out. This workshop can help you understand what you should be adding to your CV or articulating in a job interview for a role in the academic world. | Online | Wed 28 Aug, 10:00am – 12:00pm |
| Thesis writing: Using literature to support your view Discusses writing strategies and reasons for bringing in past research to support your own arguments. Participants will practice precise language that changes the extent to which you may agree or disagree with the views of others. Bring an article you have read recently and a sample of your own writing. | Online | Wed 28 Aug, 12:00pm – 2:00pm |
| Qualitative writing for beginners This training course covers tips and tricks for writing up qualitative research, as well as techniques for getting started and keeping going. A demonstration of the writing process is also provided. There will be guidance on representation of the researcher’s voice, which can be a challenge for those new to qualitative approaches. Practical ideas for working with NVivo outputs, and effective use of verbatim extracts will also be covered. | Online | Wed 28 Aug, 1:00pm – 3:00pm |
| CV, cover letter & job interview tips for working in industry This workshop can help you understand what you should be adding to your CV or articulating in a job interview for a job in industry. | Online | Thu 29 Aug, 10:30am – 12:30pm |
| Session 3: Systematic Literature Review (SLR) – Writing the Introduction and Method Provides an overview of the structure of introduction and method sections for a systematic literature review. Identifies typical functions and distinctive features of these sections. Participants analyse and discuss text examples and relate these to their own writing or reading. | Online | Thu 29 Aug, 5:30pm – 7:30pm |
