Research Retold
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Our review of 2020
Read more: Our review of 2020It’s that time of the year when we can look back and reflect on how 2020 has been for us. In this blog post, we share the highlights of our year and some honest reflections on how it’s been. A huge thank you to our clients, new and old associates and blog contributors, for being part of the team and for collaborating with us this year. We look forward to working again in 2021! A review of the year This year started with the wonderful news of our director Mihaela Gruia welcoming a new addition to her family. This meant…
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Our unique collaboration with McMaster University in Canada
Read more: Our unique collaboration with McMaster University in CanadaIn this blog post, we share our first and unique collaboration with McMaster University. We cover the context of the collaboration, the unique format and content that we delivered for them, and the impact it has achieved. We hope this blog post inspires you to think creatively about your collaborations and to take full advantage of the possibilities offered in our current virtual climate. The initial enquiry of support In February 2020 we were approached by a representative from McMaster University enquiring about our research communication workshops. The plan was for our director Mihaela Gruia to travel to Canada to deliver…
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Making research accessible: Six top tips for accessible communication
Read more: Making research accessible: Six top tips for accessible communicationIn this blog, Josephine Haagen shares her top six tips for making research accessible. Josephine is a recent Liberal Arts graduate from the University of Leeds, and she is passionate about research communication and working with data. Research and accessible communication In 1995, the Disability Discrimination Act was passed in parliament, paving the way for a number of protections for disabled people in their everyday lives. Today, 25 years later, it’s worth taking stock of the ways we can make our work more accessible to the 14 million disabled people in the UK, who make up 20% of the country’s…
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Five tips for effectively engaging with businesses
Read more: Five tips for effectively engaging with businessesIn this post, we share five tips for effectively engaging with businesses, as revealed in a recent workshop with members of York Management School. Engaging with businesses is important to ensuring research has an impact. It can lead to interesting projects that respond to real-world problems. Collaboration enables you to understand the challenges businesses face and identify opportunities for research. To be in the best position to engage with businesses you have to pay attention to your online visibility, stay patient and seek support. Let’s unpack that. Tips for effectively engaging with businesses Tip 1: Be visible Make it clear that you are…
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Inclusive science communication: Lessons from studying police officers
Read more: Inclusive science communication: Lessons from studying police officersIn this post, Claire discusses lessons learnt during her studies about how to improve communication between groups using inclusive science communication. Claire Förster recently finished her PhD at Swansea University. She used ethnographic methods to explore how emotions affect interactions between police officers and the public. Inclusive science communication: Collaborating with South Wales Police officers During my PhD studies, I wanted to understand what it meant to be both a professional police officer in the South Wales Police (SWP) and an ‘emotional human’. To do this, I used ethnographic research methods, whereby I fully immersed myself in the SWP. I became…
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Presenting for audiences outside of academia
Read more: Presenting for audiences outside of academiaIn this blog post, Julian Gosliga discusses the topic of presenting for audiences outside of academia. Julian is a Research Associate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Sheffield. In his current role and during his PhD, Julian has regularly been involved in communicating his research to the public. Specifically, his research examines ways to create and compare abstract (graph) representations of engineering structures to improve the availability of structural health monitoring data. Julian was a participant in our ‘Communicating Research Beyond Academia’ workshop in June 2020. He ‘enjoyed having focused time to think and discuss how and why…
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Starting a postdoc in a pandemic
Read more: Starting a postdoc in a pandemicTo discuss the unique aspects of starting a postdoc in a pandemic, we’re collaborating with Dr Ben Purvis, from the University of Sheffield. Ben is an early career researcher in sustainability science, urban studies and modelling in the School of Architecture. He attended our ‘Communicating research beyond academia’ workshop following which we agreed to collaborate on starting a postdoc during a pandemic. He has learned a lot from his journey and has a lot to share with fellow researchers navigating these uncertain times. Starting a postdoc in a pandemic In April, mid-pandemic, I started my first post-doctoral research role, based at the University…
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The benefits of virtual networking for researchers
Read more: The benefits of virtual networking for researchersTo discuss the benefits of virtual networking for researchers we’re collaborating with Mariam Abood from Scientistt. Mariam is a Masters student of Women’s Studies at the University of York and Content Manager for Scientistt.net. Scientistt is an exciting new platform that offers virtual networking for researchers. You’ll learn more about the platform and its features later in this blog. Isolation and social media for researchers The life of a writer and a researcher can often be a solitary experience (Ahmed, 2006).1 According to a 2019 research study published in Nature2, ‘more than one-third of respondents (36%) said that they have sought help…
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Diversifying your skill set during your PhD
Read more: Diversifying your skill set during your PhDTo discuss the importance of diversifying your skillset during your PhD, we’re collaborating with Cher Farrugia from the University of Sheffield. Cher is a PhD student in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health. Her work investigates the role of oral microorganisms in the initiation of cardiovascular disease. Cher attended our ‘Communicating research beyond academia’ workshop following which we agreed to collaborate on this blog about diversifying your skill set during your PhD. Cher has experience in developing her own rich PhD journey and we’re delighted to learn from her today. PhD perceptions and misconceptions We generally associate PhDs with long hours of lab…