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  • 9: Postgraduate Research Supervision: The Status Quo

    9: Postgraduate Research Supervision: The Status Quo
    2025/04/04
    The podcast episode features Dr Karen Clegg and Dr Gill Houston discussing their book, co-authored with Dr Owen Gower, Doctoral Supervision and Research Culture: What We Know, What Works, And Why, which was published by Routledge, Taylor & Francis in 2024. They explore the challenges and importance of doctoral supervision, highlighting the lack of research on supervisors' experiences. The conversation covers topics such as supervisor recognition, professional development, feedback incorporation, and the impact of institutional support on research culture.

    1. How can institutions better recognize and value the contributions of their doctoral supervisors?

    2. How do supervisors effectively incorporate feedback from their supervisees to improve their supervisory approach?

    3. What does Continuous Professional Development (CPD) look like for doctoral supervisors, and how can it be implemented effectively?

    4. What are the challenges and opportunities in supporting supervisors during and after the COVID-19 pandemic?

    5. What recommendations can be made to improve the research culture and support system for doctoral supervisors and their research students?

    The episode provides insights into the complex ecosystem of doctoral supervision, emphasizing the need for institutional support, peer learning, and recognition of supervisors' critical role in research development.


    Biographies and Links Dr Karen Clegg is a Reader in Doctoral Education in the School for Arts and Creative Technologies at the University of York and Co-PI/Director of the Next Generation Research SuperVision Project (RSVP), a £4.6million, Research England funded project designed to transform the practice and culture of research supervision. Recent publications include Clegg K., Quinlan L. and Palmer N. (2025) Research Supervision in the Context of REF - time for a stepchange? Wonkhe 24 January; Gower O., Clegg K. and Cleaver D. (2024) The UK Research Supervision Survey (UKRSS) 2024. UK Council for Graduate Education; Clegg K., Houston G. & Gower O. (2024) Doctoral Supervision and Research Culture: what we know, what works and why. Routledge.

    Dr Gill Houston is an independent researcher. She has worked extensively in doctoral education, culminating in the roles of vice-chair and chair of the UK Council for Graduate Education. Recent (2024) publications include: Clegg K., Houston G. & Gower O. (2024) Doctoral Supervision and Research Culture: what we know, what works and why. Routledge; Houston, G. and Lunt, I., The final examination of the UK PhD: fit for purpose? Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 49(8), 1182-1195.

    Credits
    Music by Matthew Sillence
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    1 時間 3 分
  • 8: Supporting PGR Wellbeing: Policy and Practice

    8: Supporting PGR Wellbeing: Policy and Practice
    2025/03/11
    In this episode, Dr John Turnpenny discusses his latest research on postgraduate researcher (PGR) wellbeing, focusing on policy implementation and practice. He highlights the Courage Project at the University of East Anglia, funded by the UK's Catalyst Fund, which aimed to support PGR wellbeing through various interventions. John introduces the policy capacity framework, which examines political, operational, and governance capacities at individual, organizational, and systemic levels. He notes many of the challenges to policy implementation, such as organizational marginalization, low political capacity, and fragmented governance. John also indicates how future research could explore analytical capacity and co-creation processes to improve PGR wellbeing interventions.

    What motivated research into PGR wellbeing?
    • Identified significant challenges faced by postgraduate researchers
    • Recognized a lack of focused support compared to undergraduate students
    • Aimed to explore political and organizational dimensions of wellbeing interventions
    What are the main challenges for PGR wellbeing?
    • Ambiguous status (neither staff nor student)
    • Organizational marginalization
    • Low political and operational capacity within institutions
    • Fragmented governance and limited resource
    What framework was used to analyze PGR wellbeing?
    • Policy capacity framework examining:
      • Political capacity
      • Operational capacity
      • Governance across individual, organizational, and systemic levels
    What are the future research directions?
    • Updating policy capacity framework
    • Comparing international PGR support models
    • Exploring analytical capacity in intervention design
    • Investigating co-creation processes
    Links
    • Turnpenny, J. (2025). A critical political analysis of wellbeing support for postgraduate researchers in higher education. Policy & Politics (published online ahead of print 2025). https://doi.org/10.1332/03055736Y2024D000000056
    • Catalyst fund: Supporting mental health and wellbeing for postgraduate research students - Office for Students
    Credits
    Music by Matthew Sillence
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    39 分
  • 7: Mapping Britain’s Coast: Greenvile Collins’s Legacy

    7: Mapping Britain’s Coast: Greenvile Collins’s Legacy
    2025/03/04
    In this episode, Peter Wells, a PhD candidate with a background in music, discusses his research on Greenvile Collins, a 17th-century naval officer and mapmaker. Collins's 1693 atlas, Great Britain's Coasting Pilot, was a significant contribution to naval hydrography, despite challenges like limited funding and outdated maps. His work highlighted the dynamic nature of coastal environments. Wells emphasized Collins's intellectual curiosity and connections with figures like Samuel Pepys. He aims to write an academic literary biography, blending historical accuracy with engaging storytelling, to honor Collins's legacy and its impact on British cartography.

    1. What was Peter's academic background and how did his initial interest in maps lead him to his current research project?
    2. What was the significance of Greenvile Collins's atlas Great Britain's Coasting Pilot?
    3. What were some of the key challenges that Collins faced in surveying the entire British coastline?
    4. What insights have Peter uncovered from studying Collins's journals and observations?
    5. How was Collins connected to influential networks and the intellectual environment of the time?
    6. What was the impact of Collins's work on the development of modern hydrography?
    7. How did the concept of "Great Britain" and national identity evolve during the period Collins was working?
    8. Why did Peter decide to approach this research project as an academic literary biography?
    9. What resources does Peter recommend for further learning about maritime history?
    Links
    • Baigent, Elizabeth. "Collins, Greenvile (d. 1694), naval officer and hydrographer." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 23 Sep. 2004.
    • Collins, G. (1693). Great Britain’s Coasting-Pilot Being a New and Exact Survey of the Sea-Coast of England from the River of Thames to the Westward with the Islands of Scilly and from Thence to Carlile ... With Directions for Coming into the Channel between England and France; the First Part. Printed by Freeman Collins and are to be sold by Richard Mount.
    • Hollingsworth, M. (2004). The Cardinal’s Hat: money, ambition and housekeeping in a Renaissance court. Profile.
    • The National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.
    Credits
    Music by Matthew Sillence
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    43 分
  • 6: The PGR (Digital) Toolkit

    6: The PGR (Digital) Toolkit
    2025/02/12
    Matthew Sillence discusses the importance of digital tools for postgraduate researchers (PGRs) and introduces the concept of digital minimalism, advocating for selective and intentional use of technology. He highlights the challenges of choosing tools in an ever-evolving market and emphasizes the benefits of open-source, community-supported software. Matthew recommends five tools: Obsidian for note-taking with markdown, Zotero for bibliographic management, Tropy for organizing research photos, OpenRefine for data cleaning, and WeekToDo for minimal weekly planning. He encourages listeners to share their own digital toolkit suggestions, emphasizing the importance of reducing distractions and enhancing productivity.

    Outline
    1. Introduction to Digital Tools for Postgraduate Researchers
    - Abundance of productivity apps and the challenge of choosing the right tools
    - Referencing Cal Newport's "Digital Minimalism" and its relevance in hybrid work

    2. Why Should PGRs Have a Digital Toolkit?
    - Most research work is conducted digitally
    - Benefits of having choice in digital tools beyond institutional offerings
    - Minimizing distractions from integrated networking features

    3. Deciding What Goes in the Digital Toolkit
    - Focusing on open-source, community-supported software
    - Importance of interoperability and compatibility
    - Prioritizing lightweight computing to avoid overburdening devices

    4. Understanding Digital Minimalism
    - Selective and intentional use of digital tools
    - Reducing time spent in shared workspaces
    - Staying offline when possible to focus on tasks

    5. Suggested Digital Tools for PGRs
    - Obsidian: Markdown-based note-taking with visualization
    - Zotero: Bibliographic management and citation tool
    - Tropy: Organizing and managing research photos
    - OpenRefine: Cleaning and transforming messy datasets
    - WeekToDo: Minimal weekly planner for task management

    6. Conclusion and Call for Listener Suggestions
    - Invitation to share personal digital tool recommendations
    - Instructions for submitting voice recordings
    - Promise of future episodes on research projects and doctoral supervision

    Call to Action
    Send a voice recording of a digital tool suggestion to the email address pgrmatters@pm.me with the subject line "digital toolkit".

    Links
    • Zotero
    • Tropy
    • Obsidian
    • OpenRefine
    • WeekToDo
    • Carroll, R. (2021) The Bullet Journal Method: Track Your Past, Order Your Present, Plan Your Future. The 4th Estate.
    • Newport, C. (2020) Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World. Penguin Books.
    Credits
    Music by Matthew Sillence
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    45 分
  • 5: Neurodivergence and the PGR experience

    5: Neurodivergence and the PGR experience
    2024/12/10
    In recent years, discussions of equality/equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) have emerged across the higher education sector. Recent surveys, reports and conferences have explored how EDI can be fostered in postgraduate research degree programmes. Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs), which fund and support many postgraduate researchers, have taken up the challenge within their universities. In this episode, Dr Matthew Sillence meets Cassia Hayward-Fitch, a PhD student in American Studies at the University of East Anglia. Her research focuses on comics cultures, LGBTQ+ communities, and media reception. Cassia is also the University's EDI Ambassador for the CHASE DTP, whose student conference on 6 November 2024 focused on Neurodivergence and the PGR Experience. Cassia is joined by Jess Jasper, a Learning Enhancement tutor at the University of East Anglia. Her role involves empowering learners with a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia, dyspraxia and autism to achieve their potential through using a combination of creative, person-centred and structured teaching methods. In this conversation, our guests discuss the findings from the recent conference and how consider how institutions and individuals involved in postgraduate research can better understand and support neurodivergent researchers. What do we mean by neurodivergence, and how does this relate to neurodiversity? What are the aims of the CHASE DTP EDI Ambassador role? What have you both learnt from the recent Neurodivergence and the PGR Experience event? How could a deeper understanding of neurodivergence affect postgraduate research culture? What kinds of changes can individuals and institutions make to better support neurodiversity and neurodivergence? Links Neurodivergence at a Glance – Imagine | Johns Hopkins University What is Neurodiversity? - NHS Norfolk UKCGE | Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Postgraduate Study 2022/23 EDI Ambassadors — CHASE Doctoral Training Partnership Brian Irvine Profile | University College London Explore Neurodiversity (MyUEA resource for current staff and students) UEA’s SpLD Screening Service (MyUEA resource for current students and staff) Inclusivity Network (IN) TV Channel on YouTube – bite-sized practical guidance Legault, M., Bourdon, JN. & Poirier, P. (2021) "From neurodiversity to neurodivergence: the role of epistemic and cognitive marginalization", Synthese 199, 12843–12868. Peters, L. A., (2023) "Embracing neurodiversity to enhance the post-graduate researcher experience: Reflections from a doctoral student", Fields: journal of Huddersfield student research 1(1). Neurodiversity: Sage Journals Credits Music by Leigh Robinson from Pixabay
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    49 分
  • 4: Write here, write now

    4: Write here, write now
    2024/12/03
    Academic writing is a part of academic life, but for many years it has also been one of the most challenging activities for many students and staff. So much so that authors such as Pat Thomson, Rowena Murray and many others have spent much of their careers examining the practices of writing in universities to try to understand and overcome some of the barriers that we face.

    The month of November - when this episode was recorded - is also well known globally as ‘Academic Writing Month’ or ‘AcWriMo’ for short. Established by the art historian and digital humanities scholar, Dr Charlotte Frost, back in 2011. Initially planned to support the writing of academic books, this event continues annually with scholars sharing their progress and fostering accountability on their academic writing goals. So, it seemed a good moment to reflect on the importance of creating space and time for writing amidst the many competing activities in our lives.

    To explore our topic in this episode, Matthew Sillence is joined by Nayantara Nayar, postgraduate researcher in the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing, Dr Jeremy Schildt, Head of Life and Learning (Learning Enhancement) in Student Services. Our guests have been involved in convening writing groups and bring their own perspectives to understanding the act of writing in the company of others.

    • What is a writing group?
    • Why does writing together matter now?
    • How can staff and students get involved?
    Links
    • Learning Enhancement - Student Support
    • Learning Enhancement - Student Support (MyUEA page)
    • Learning Enhancement Team – Writing Retreats (MyUEA page)
    • Writers' Groups - Faculty of Arts and Humanities (MyUEA page)
    • Aitchison, C., & Guerin, C. (Eds.). (2014). Writing Groups for Doctoral Education and Beyond: Innovations in practice and theory (1st ed.). Routledge.
    • Lee, A., & Boud, D. (2003). Writing Groups, Change and Academic Identity: Research development as local practice. Studies in Higher Education, 28(2), 187–200.
    • Professor Rowena Murray's biography
    • Professor Pat Thomson's biography
    Credits
    Music by Leigh Robinson from Pixabay
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    30 分
  • 3: Halloween Special: Adapting the Gothic

    3: Halloween Special: Adapting the Gothic
    2024/11/01
    In this Halloween episode of PGR Matters we meet with Dudlei de Oliveira, a Brazilian PhD student of Literature, who has been awarded a scholarship from the Brazilian government to undertake part of his research abroad. He is currently a visiting researcher at UEA, in the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing, under the supervision of Professor Richard Hand.

    Dudlei has a teaching degree in Portuguese, English and Literature, and a Master's degree in Literature. In Brazil, he teaches both secondary school and undergraduate courses. He is also very interested in comparative analysis of Literature and the audiovisual, and of the Gothic in literature, cinema and TV, and many of his recent academic research has involved those themes. During our conversation, we discuss the adaptation of Gothic literature in recent television series, what Gothic means to people today, and how Dudlei developed the idea for his PhD project. We also learn more about the education system in Brazil and his teaching experiences.

    • What is an adaptation?
    • Since it is Halloween, what other examples of adaptations are you interested in?
    • What do we mean by 'the Gothic'?
    • How did you develop the idea for the project in Brazil?
    • How does your interest in literature, film and television relate to your professional life as a teacher?
    Links
    • Dudlei Floriano de Oliveira, Filmes nacionais no Instituto Federal (2020)
    • IMDB entry for Contos do Edgar (2013) - episode 1, "Berê" trailer on YouTube
    • YouTube video analysis of Interview with the Vampire adaptations with Isabela Boscov "Entrevista Com o Vampiro": série vs. filme. Adivinhe quem ganha (2024)
    Content advice
    This episode contains discussion of historical race relations and gender-based violence.

    Credits
    Music by Leigh Robinson from Pixabay
    Sound effects by bbc.co.uk – © copyright 2024 BBC
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    59 分
  • 2: Beginning at the End with Dr Maria Tsimpiri

    2: Beginning at the End with Dr Maria Tsimpiri
    2024/10/22
    In this second episode of the Postgraduate Research Matters podcast, we hear from Dr Maria Tsimpiri, who was interviewed in December 2023 about her doctoral experience and life and work after the PhD. Maria's involvement in PGR representation through the Graduate School Student Forum (GSSF) while a PhD candidate, as well as her active participation in the Courage Project, shaped her interest in career prospects towards PGR matters as a whole.

    This interview focuses on life immediately after a research degree, with staff member, Dr Maria Tsimpiri, who holds a PhD in Linguistics from the University of East Anglia. The conversation covers a number of questions:

    1. Is it worth getting involved in initiatives within the University that aren’t related to your research?
    2. How does your relationship with a research degree change over time?
    3. What can you learn from working in non-academic positions in a university?

    Credits
    Music by Leigh Robinson from Pixabay
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    42 分