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Article
Publication date: 16 November 2018

Seeking “better ways”: early career faculty researcher development

Claire K. Robbins and Lucy A. LePeau

Researcher development is an important but underexplored topic with implications for knowledge production, graduate education, faculty development and equity in higher…

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Abstract

Purpose

Researcher development is an important but underexplored topic with implications for knowledge production, graduate education, faculty development and equity in higher education. The purpose of this constructivist instrumental case study was to understand how the process of writing and publishing from qualitative dissertations sparked researcher development among two pre-tenure faculty members in higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

Two researchers and seven data sources (i.e. six essays and one dialogue transcript) were used to construct the case. Researchers first inductively and independently coded the data sources. Researchers then collectively used the constant comparative technique (Charmaz, 2014) for data analysis.

Findings

Data analysis uncovered an iterative, three-phase process of seeking “better ways” (Evans, 2011) to translate dissertations into publications. This process included (1) recognizing one or more issues in the research design or conveyance of data, (2) rallying in a multitude of ways to seek better ways to address the issue(s) and (3) resolving the issue(s) by following internal voices and finding “better ways”.

Originality/value

Findings offer implications for faculty members’ approaches to mentoring and graduate preparation, and for postdoctoral and early career scholars’ agentic approaches to publishing, teaching and reflecting on one’s own researcher development.

Details

Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, vol. 9 no. 2
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/SGPE-D-17-00029
ISSN: 2398-4686

Keywords

  • Graduate student development
  • Qualitative research
  • Faculty development
  • Researcher development
  • Faculty socialization
  • Graduate education
  • Graduate socialization

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Article
Publication date: 11 November 2011

The scholarship of researcher development: mapping the terrain and pushing back boundaries

Linda Evans

This paper represents a written, expanded, version of a keynote address presented at the Vitae Researcher Development International Conference, at the midland Hotel…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper represents a written, expanded, version of a keynote address presented at the Vitae Researcher Development International Conference, at the midland Hotel, Manchester, UK, in September 2011. It is intended both to contribute towards defining researcher development as a field of research and scholarship, and to motivate those with an interest in the field to go beyond mere description and to incorporate clarity, rigour and analytical depth into their work. Its specific objective is to propose a research agenda for researcher development and to present the case for this agenda.

Design/methodology/approach

This is an analytical and conceptual paper. It presents the author's subjective views, illustrated, where appropriate, with examples of the author's conceptual and theoretical work. These underpin the research agenda for the field of researcher development.

Findings

There are no “findings” as such, only the author's perspective and observation that, as an emerging field of research and scholarship, researcher development must follow the path of academic rigour (e.g. analytical depth, conceptual clarity, definitional precision, and the development of theory and theoretical perspectives) if it is to achieve credibility within the academic community. The field also needs to widen its focus, it is argued, reflecting a broad interpretation of the concept of researcher development.

Originality/value

This is the first paper dedicated to an attempt to define the field. Its value also lies in its definitions and conceptualisations of researcher development, and its presentation of a taxonomy that deconstructs researcher development, revealing it to be multidimensional.

Details

International Journal for Researcher Development, vol. 2 no. 2
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/17597511111212691
ISSN: 2048-8696

Keywords

  • Researcher development
  • Professional education
  • Definition of researcher development
  • Behavioural development
  • Attitudinal development
  • Intellectual development
  • Scholarship of researcher development
  • Professional development

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Article
Publication date: 20 May 2011

A changing environment: narratives of learning about research

Arwen E. Raddon

The literature demonstrates how the environment for and value of research is changing. The purpose of this paper is to explore the narratives of 30 UK researchers and…

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Abstract

Purpose

The literature demonstrates how the environment for and value of research is changing. The purpose of this paper is to explore the narratives of 30 UK researchers and academics to consider how they learned about the nature and value of research through the researcher development process and within this broader context of change.

Design/methodology/approach

A biographical‐narrative approach is adopted, emphasising subjective experience and meaning and how this is shaped by wider social structures.

Findings

Respondents' stories highlight the continued informality of much of the development process and how a lack of systematic support can leave much to chance, potentially undermining future views of professional development. Data from respondents across generations also enable examination of some of the changes that have taken place over time in the higher education (HE) environment and the impact this has had on individuals' understanding of research. In particular, changes such as the introduction of the Research Assessment Exercise/Research Excellence Framework appear to have had a significant – and not entirely positive – shaping influence on how individuals perceive, and experience, research and its aims, leading to an emphasis on outputs over knowledge building.

Research limitations/implications

A biographical‐narrative approach necessarily involves a smaller sample, nevertheless, shared themes were generated by this size of sample and inferences can be drawn.

Practical implications

Despite increased emphasis on research and publishing in the UK, these stories across generations suggest that training and development for researchers often remain very informal, with much left to chance. A more overt approach to researcher development, such as through a “scaffolded” learning process, in which an experienced colleague guides development activities, could help to avoid negative early experiences and increase the likelihood that individuals will develop their own sense of a “culture of developmentalism”.

Originality/value

Focusing on what individuals learn about the nature and value of research as they go through the development process adds to our understanding of researcher development and how this is situated within the wider HE context. Data from respondents across generations equally enable examination of some of the changes that have taken place over time, and how these re‐shape researcher development.

Details

International Journal for Researcher Development, vol. 2 no. 1
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/17597511111178005
ISSN: 2048-8696

Keywords

  • United Kingdom
  • Higher education
  • Professional education
  • Researcher development
  • Biography
  • Narratives
  • Research Assessment Exercise
  • Informal learning

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Article
Publication date: 16 November 2018

Researcher development in Malaysia: a reflection-on-action

Ismail Ait Saadi, Heidi Ellise Collins and D.P. Dash

This paper aims to share reflections on a collaborative researcher development initiative in Malaysia – the Borneo Research Education Conference (BREC) series. Although…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to share reflections on a collaborative researcher development initiative in Malaysia – the Borneo Research Education Conference (BREC) series. Although the immediate focus is on graduate students, the intention is to trigger wider discussions of researcher development theory in the context of policy and practice in the region.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper takes a reflection-on-action approach. Reflecting on experience and sharing the lessons learned in a variety of contexts is vital for the development of this emerging field.

Findings

Introducing researcher development programs requires careful consideration of the social, institutional and practical contexts in which it takes place. Although transformation of the field is a long-term process, this process can start with small intentional practices.

Research limitations/implications

The analyses and recommendations arising from the BREC experience are context-specific and therefore cannot be generalised. However, the paper offers guidance for other researcher development initiatives, especially in contexts where the field is not well established.

Practical implications

Deliberately designed practices, such as including a broad range of researchers and creating a safe space for active engagement in developmental activities, can have a positive impact on participant’s researcher identities, self-confidence and sense of belonging.

Social implications

Policymakers are encouraged to consider a more inclusive notion of researcher development, focussing both on the product and the process of doctoral education.

Originality/value

Documenting and sharing reflections of a researcher development initiative in a “developing country” context allows for the comparing and contrasting of experiences in other settings.

Details

Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, vol. 9 no. 2
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/SGPE-D-18-00013
ISSN: 2398-4686

Keywords

  • Malaysia
  • Doctorateness
  • Researcher development
  • Transformative practice
  • Doctoral education
  • Academic praxis
  • Conference design
  • Reflection on action

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Article
Publication date: 11 November 2011

Towards a framework for research career development: An evaluation of the UK's Vitae Researcher Development Framework

Robert Bray and Stuart Boon

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the use of a framework and planner for researcher development introduced into the United Kingdom in 2010 by Vitae: an organisation…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the use of a framework and planner for researcher development introduced into the United Kingdom in 2010 by Vitae: an organisation whose purpose is to support the development of UK researchers.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative and quantitative data from two cohorts participating in an accredited researcher development course designed and delivered by the Centre for Academic Practice and Learning Enhancement at the University of Strathclyde were analysed.

Findings

Participants reported that the Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF) personal development planner (PDP) was useful in facilitating career development. Most found it relatively easy to use once initial perceptions of the tool as being overly detailed and complex were overcome. In addition, some technical problems with the software were identified. There was great variation in the manner in which the RDF was used (for instance in the number of descriptors selected). Although use was highly individualised, the full range of descriptors was used between the course participants.

Practical implications

The results suggest that the RDF PD planner has great potential in supporting researcher development, provided certain specified conditions are met – in particular the need to ensure individualisation, support, and researcher ownership of the outcomes. Further evaluation is necessary.

Originality/value

This is the first report on the RDF PDP being used in a researcher development course.

Details

International Journal for Researcher Development, vol. 2 no. 2
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/17597511111212709
ISSN: 2048-8696

Keywords

  • United Kingdom
  • Researcher development
  • Career development
  • Professional development
  • Early career researchers
  • Research staff
  • Vitae
  • Training

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Article
Publication date: 18 May 2012

Developing the capacity of researchers for collaborative working

Peter Kahn, Christos Petichakis and Lorraine Walsh

The complexities and challenges inherent in research often require collaborative rather than solitary or team‐based forms of working. This paper seeks to open new…

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Abstract

Purpose

The complexities and challenges inherent in research often require collaborative rather than solitary or team‐based forms of working. This paper seeks to open new perspectives onto the nature of collaborative research and onto strategies for developing the capacity of researchers to engage in it.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper outlines a speculative model of collaborative working in higher education that is rooted in critical realist perspectives, using it to ground a conceptual analysis of a stage model of expertise for collaborative working taken from the researcher development framework (RDF) developed in the UK by the organisation Vitae.

Findings

The paper highlights the contribution that theory can make to the practice of researcher development, drawing out the relevance of personal engagement, professional dialogue and collaborative vehicles to support shared practice in pursuit of mutual goals. In this way, it identifies gaps within the stage model that pertain to relational, disciplinary, situational and other elements. The paper articulates insights for the development of the capacity of researchers for collaborative working that prioritise dialogue that is situated within given contexts for research. The analysis draws out implications for the development of collaborative capacity of such notions as corporate agency and collaborative reach.

Originality/value

This paper articulates a novel approach to conceptualising capacity for collaborative research and offers a theoretical critique of a given descriptor taken from Vitae's RDF. As such it assists in developing the scholarly basis for the field of researcher development.

Details

International Journal for Researcher Development, vol. 3 no. 1
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/17597511211278643
ISSN: 2048-8696

Keywords

  • Collaborative research
  • Critical realism
  • Professional development
  • Researcher development framework
  • Scholarship of researcher development
  • Research work
  • United Kingdom

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Article
Publication date: 9 November 2012

Doctoral students' key learning experiences in the natural sciences

Jenna Vekkaila, Kirsi Pyhältö, Kai Hakkarainen, Jenni Keskinen and Kirsti Lonka

This article is intended to contribute towards furthering the understanding of researcher development as demonstrated by doctoral students' learning within scholarly…

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Abstract

Purpose

This article is intended to contribute towards furthering the understanding of researcher development as demonstrated by doctoral students' learning within scholarly communities. The article does this by reporting the findings of a study that explored the students' key learning experiences during their doctoral journey.

Design/methodology/approach

The 19 participants were natural science doctoral students from a top‐level research community in Finland. The data were collected through interviews that were qualitatively content analysed.

Findings

The participants emphasised the significance of participation, development as a scholar, developing specific research competences as well as learning to balance between doctoral research and other institutional tasks. They situated the key learning experiences in collaborative academic contexts such as research activities, taking courses, and academic meetings. The participants generally perceived their experiences as positive and enhancing.

Originality/value

Significant learning experiences identified by natural science doctoral students themselves are rarely studied. The results of the study reported in this article may be used by doctoral trainers, supervisors and students to create environments that foster students' learning and researcher development through their participation in scholarly communities.

Details

International Journal for Researcher Development, vol. 3 no. 2
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/17597511311316991
ISSN: 2048-8696

Keywords

  • Academic practices
  • Doctoral education
  • Doctoral experience
  • Key learning experiences
  • Natural science
  • Scholarly community
  • Experiential learning
  • Finland

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Article
Publication date: 1 November 2010

Well rounded Postdoctoral Researchers with initiative, who are not always “tied to the bench” are more successful academically

Lucy J. Lee, Isobel Gowers, Lorraine Ellis and Ilaria Bellantuonoa

This article reports the development, application and results of a baseline investigation of contract research staff in 2007 in the Medical School at the University of…

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Abstract

This article reports the development, application and results of a baseline investigation of contract research staff in 2007 in the Medical School at the University of Sheffield which was carried out in order to develop a specifically tailored training and career development programme and allow for future impact evaluation of the scheme. Postdoctoral researchers reported on their perceived skill levels, academic achievements, career motivations and the current research environment. Results indicated that transferable skills related to communication and awareness of the process of research (i.e. the process of acquisition of funding, commercialisation of research outputs) were lacking. Furthermore, these skills were associated with higher publication outputs, and improved with mobility between institutions at postdoctoral level. This paper also describes how the findings from the baseline evaluation were used to develop a programme to address the lower ranking skills and evaluate the impact of the programme.

Details

International Journal for Researcher Development, vol. 1 no. 4
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/1759751X201100021
ISSN: 2048-8696

Keywords

  • Career development programme
  • Transferable skills
  • Training
  • Research outputs

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Article
Publication date: 13 May 2019

Supports and barriers to new faculty researcher development

Laura M. Gonzalez, Kelly L. Wester and L. DiAnne Borders

Depending on their institutional context, for new faculty members to successfully manage their transition from doctoral studies to early career, they must show potential…

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Abstract

Purpose

Depending on their institutional context, for new faculty members to successfully manage their transition from doctoral studies to early career, they must show potential as researchers. The purpose of this study was to learn about supports and barriers to researcher development in new faculty members.

Design/methodology/approach

The investigators solicited open-ended responses from early career faculty members (N = 49) in an online survey. Content analysis was used to provide an initial categorization of supports and barriers identified by the participants.

Findings

Ten barrier categories (e.g. lack of resources, previous training, lack of mentoring, workload) and eight support categories (e.g. effective research collaborations, supportive university environment, funding) were identified.

Research limitations/implications

Findings were framed with a social cognitive conceptual model, which parallels previous studies in doctoral research training environments and research productivity and builds on our knowledge of early career faculty development. The study was limited in terms of number of participants and online response format.

Practical implications

Practical implications to minimize barriers and enhance supports for new faculty researcher development were identified (also drawing from the conceptual model, SCCT).

Originality/value

Thus, the study has value for university policymakers, administrators, faculty peers, research mentors and assistant professors or doctoral students seeking to develop as researchers.

Details

Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, vol. 10 no. 1
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/SGPE-D-18-00020
ISSN: 2398-4686

Keywords

  • Researcher development
  • Social cognitive career theory
  • Early career faculty

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Book part
Publication date: 15 March 2007

Researching for Change

Mary Mellor

Change is integral to the concept of development. Research in the development process is therefore implicitly, if not explicitly, directed to achieving change. What is…

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Abstract

Change is integral to the concept of development. Research in the development process is therefore implicitly, if not explicitly, directed to achieving change. What is important is how far development researchers see themselves as agents of change. In some cases they are helped by methodologies such as action research and participatory action research (PAR) that have change as integral to the research design. However for qualitative research methods in general there is no necessary connection with change. In fact, for many qualitative methods the aim of the researcher is to have as little impact on the research process and the people being researched as possible. In much ethnographic work, the research scene is to be represented in as “natural” a way as possible. This is very different from the development context where a process of change is assumed to be ongoing, or is encouraged to be so. The role of the researcher in relation to change has become even more marked with the advent of more participatory approaches to development. Research participants are no longer seen as passive objects of research but as active agents in creating their own knowledge and action.

Details

Negotiating Boundaries and Borders
Type: Book
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1042-3192(06)08009-8
ISBN: 978-0-7623-1283-2

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