Module Information
Module Identifier
PGM2310
Module Title
Research Skills and Personal Development (Science) (2310)
Academic Year
2025/2026
Co-ordinator
Semester
Semester 2 (Taught over 2 semesters)
Reading List
Other Staff
- Professor Alison Kingston-Smith
- Professor Joe Gallagher
- Dr Dylan Phillips
- Dr Ian Archer
- Professor Neil Glasser
- Miss Lisa Fisher
- Dr Mitch Rose
- Dr Ruth Wonfor
- Miss Morwenna Jeffery
- Dr Jenny Mathers
- Dr Christine Zarges
- Dr Wayne Aubrey
- Dr Yasir Saleem Shaikh
- Professor Andrew Evans
- Dr Dylan Gwynn Jones
- Dr Huw Morgan
- Dr Jose Goni Perez
- Professor Richard Marggraf Turley
- Professor Reyer Zwiggelaar
- Professor John Doonan
- Dr Maurice Bosch
- Professor Stephen Tooth
- Dr Tristram Irvine-Fynn
- Professor Bernie Tiddeman
- Professor Peter Brophy
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Essay OR Presentation Presentation designed to demonstrate awareness of the key areas covered in the module, OR 2,000 word Abstract related essay | 50% |
| Semester Assessment | Reflection on workshops attended 1000 Words | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Essay OR Presentation Presentation designed to demonstrate awareness of the key areas covered in the module, OR 2,000 word Abstract related essay | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Reflection on workshops attended 1000 Words | 50% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Demonstrate a range of bibliographic and computing skills
Demonstrate skills in a range of dissemination strategies, including writing, oral presentation, internet usage, media usage
Demonstrate an awareness of the key skills involved in teaching in a higher education context
Work as part of a team
Show an appreciation of the issues involved in managing a long-term research project
Brief description
This module will form an integral part of a suite of RT masters courses being developed across the University. Through this module Masters and PhD students will gain a broad knowledge of a range of transferable skills which they can apply in a variety of research contexts.
Aims
This module aims to give research students a broad knowledge of a range of transferable skills that they can apply in a variety of research interests. In
particular, it will develop the ability of students to undertake independent research projects. To this end, students will be required to submit independent work, which is linked to their own particular research topic, and their ability to formulate independent research projects will be assessed. The module will also cover personal development. Students will be given skills in networking, teaching skills and presentation skills. The module also contains IT skills, both for general career development and in an applied research context.
particular, it will develop the ability of students to undertake independent research projects. To this end, students will be required to submit independent work, which is linked to their own particular research topic, and their ability to formulate independent research projects will be assessed. The module will also cover personal development. Students will be given skills in networking, teaching skills and presentation skills. The module also contains IT skills, both for general career development and in an applied research context.
Content
This module is delivered as a series of independent workshops, each of which can be between one and four hours long, of which there is a requirement to attend a minimum of 8 workshops.
The following themes are covered:
* Research management - including time management, stress management, risk management, supervisor skills, reference management
* Communication Skills - including writing skills, conference skills, public engagement, talking to the media,
* Research Skills and Techniques - including using archives, literature reviews, LATEX, R Stats, Linux, blogs
* After your PhD - including networking, funding, Continuing Professional Development, Transferable skills, planning your career progression
The following themes are covered:
* Research management - including time management, stress management, risk management, supervisor skills, reference management
* Communication Skills - including writing skills, conference skills, public engagement, talking to the media,
* Research Skills and Techniques - including using archives, literature reviews, LATEX, R Stats, Linux, blogs
* After your PhD - including networking, funding, Continuing Professional Development, Transferable skills, planning your career progression
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | |
| Communication | Written communication will be developed in a dedicated section of the course covering writing skills. In addition to covering traditional academic concerns such as preparing, publishing and disseminating research findings, this section of the course will also cover media awareness, and public dissemination. Thus a range of writing strategies will be covered, and these will be linked to different audiences. Oral presentations will be covered in a dedicated section of the module, where students will be introduced to a range of presentation skills. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | One explicit aim of the module is to develop the ability of students to undertake independent research projects, and a large element of the student learning will be directed to this end. Students will also be required to submit independent work which is linked to their own particular research topic, and their ability to formulate and manage independent research descriptions will be assessed. |
| Information Technology | This concentrates on bibliographic skills and information handling, including the identification of library resources; techniques for managing literature sources; use of journals and conference proceedings and the maintenance of a personal research bibliography. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | A section of this module will cover personal and career development. This includes the skills to manage effectively both career progression and development. In terms of the latter, students will be given skills in negotiation and networking; self-awareness and career evaluation; self-promotion and personal marketing. |
| Problem solving | One explicit aim of the module is to develop the ability of students to undertake independent research projects, and a large element of the student learning will be directed to this end. Students will also be required to submit independent work which is linked to their own particular research topic, and their ability to formulate and manage independent research projects will be assessed. |
| Research skills | The whole module has an emphasis on providing students with a range of transferable skills to enable them to manage their own research and their own career development. |
| Subject Specific Skills | It is expected that the transferable skills and personal development aspects of the module are applied to the student’s research project. |
| Team work | Team-working skills will be covered in the module in terms of the skills needed to conduct and administer group research. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 7