What’s on in September for AUT postgrad students? Eeeeevvvveeerrrrryyyyything!
This is by far the biggest month in the postgraduate calendar. We have:
- the finals of the 3 Minute Thesis competition – register to attend here
- the Postgraduate Research Symposium with ~50 presentations – register to attend here
- dozens of other symposia, workshops, and seminars as part of AUT’s annual Wiki Rangahau / Research Week, such as:
- the *new* African PG Research Symposium
- Ngā hua a Tāne-te-wānanga: Māori Research Symposium, in Te Reo Maori with English translation
- the AUT Innovation Showcase, demonstrating products & businesses that have emerged from AUT research
- a talk on data-driven research strategies from the Pacific Tourism Data Initiative
- research showcases from multiple schools, including Communication Studies, Art & Design, Engineering, Computer & Mathematical Sciences, and Future Environments
- a special workshop on creating ‘research reels’ for social media
- research ethics interactive events at City, Akoranga & South
- plus SO much more in the Research Week programme
- AND all the usual workshops throughout the month (see below)
Honestly, with all the things going on in September, you could pretty much hop from one event to another and feast on ideas (and free food) all month long. We hope to see you all out & about at Research Week events, and in any of the workshops below that might help you progress in your research and writing.
Postgraduate Research Workshops in September 2025
| What? | Where? | When? |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to research data management (Part 1) This introductory workshop covers the basics of what is research data, its lifecycle and what it takes to have good data management. Writing a Research Data management plan (DMP) enables you to be able to describe your data and detail the appropriate storage, access, publication and sharing of it, along with any legal, ethical and funder requirements. This workshop introduces you to the world of research data, and what you should consider when planning your research project. | Online | Tue 2 Sep 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM |
| 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 2 Sep 2025, 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM |
| 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, and explore how Copilot can assist with the research writing process. Systematic reviews are not covered. | City campus | Wed 3 Sep 2025, 12:00 PM – 2:30 PM |
| Developing a systematic search strategy to find literature – for postgrads and staff This Library workshop will take you through a systematic literature searching process: developing a search strategy; using different search techniques; and best practices for recording and managing results. | Online | Wed 3 Sep 2025, 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM |
| SPSS quick start SPSS is designed to assist researchers in the analysis of quantitative data, and is one of the most user-friendly and popular packages on the market today. This training course will teach participants how to successfully set-up SPSS data files and also run some basic analyses. No statistical knowledge is required for this workshop; however, the focus of the session will be on the SPSS software rather than statistical theory. | Online | Thu 4 Sept 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM |
| Thesis writing: Connecting results and literature review sections Provides 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. You will analyse and discuss text examples and relate these to your own writing. We also explore how Copilot can assist with the research writing process. | Online | Thu 4 Sep 2025, 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM |
| Thesis formatting: The works This workshop focuses on the best ways to use Microsoft Word to handle a long document such as a thesis. Topics covered will include: using styles, section breaks, table of contents, page numbering and using various techniques to move around a long document easily. | City campus | Sat 6 Sept 2025, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM |
| 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. We also apply knowledge from the workshop to explore how Copilot can assist with the research writing process. Bring your device! | Online | Thu 11 Sep 2025, 10:00 AM – 12:30 AM |
| Thesis writing: Connecting sections and chapters Explores how we can organise research writing so that our readers clearly see how paragraphs and 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. This principle can be applied to writing theses, dissertations, book chapters, and journal articles. We also explore how Copilot can assist with the research writing process. | Online | Thu 11 Sep 2025, 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM |
| Thesis writing: Discussions Discusses writing strategies and choices 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. We also explore how Copilot can assist with the research writing process. Bring your device, plus an article you have read recently and a sample of your own writing. | Online | Tue 16 Sep 2025, 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM |
| Publishing Part 1: Open Access – the benefits and options 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 | Wed 17 Sep 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM |
| 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. We also apply knowledge from the workshop to explore how Copilot can assist with the research writing process. Bring an article you have read recently and a sample of your own writing. | Online | Thu 18 Sep 2025, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM |
| Copilot writing lab: Using GenAI for Discussion sections Explores how we can use Copilot for aspects of the research writing process. We begin by summarising important knowledge about Discussion sections and then introduce a ‘choice map’ to outline the types of tasks we could ask Copilot to perform. Together we will craft and refine prompts and continuously critique responses. Bring your own reading and writing. | City campus | Mon 22 Sept 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM |
| Session 1: Systematic Literature Review (SLR) – Curious! 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 | Tue 23 Sept 2025, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM |
| Thesis writing: Understanding thesis structure Discusses how the different parts of a thesis connect to each other. We will analyse examples and practice using language to clearly show how existing knowledge connects to new research, to what others may do with it in the future, and where that information gets organised across a thesis. We also apply knowledge from the workshop to explore how Copilot can assist with the research writing process. Bring your device, plus an article you have read recently and a sample of your own writing. | Online | Wed 24 Sept 2025, 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM |
| 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 | Wed 24 Sept 2025, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM |
| 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. | City campus | Thu 25 Sept 2025, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM |
| 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. We also apply knowledge from the workshop to explore how Copilot can assist with the research writing process. Bring your device! | Online | Thu 25 Sept 2025, 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM |
| Publishing Part 2: Finding and evaluating journals to publish in This Library workshop is designed to guide you through the process of finding relevant and credible publications for your research. Understand elements of a publishing strategy; use databases and online tools to find relevant journals to publish in; and evaluate journals for suitability and quality. | Online | Thu 25 Sept 2025, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM |
| 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. | City campus | Fri 26 Sept 2025, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM |
| Responsible use of AI in research This workshop will introduce a range of popular AI tools and their applications in conducting research and help you to critically evaluate their uses. The session will also explore ethical and academic integrity considerations in AI use with reference to AUT’s current guidelines. | Akoranga, Online | Tue 30 Sep 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM |
