Queen’s University PRDP Course Overview
Additional courses will be added to the calendar over the course of the
year so keep an eye on the online calendar.
Only courses in semester 1 are open for booking. Semester 2 courses
will be open for booking in December 2013.
IT courses listed below will be repeated throughout the year.
You can book your place on any of these courses through your QSIS
account. Having logged into QSIS select Self Service-Student CentreEnrol-Search By My Requirement. Courses appear under the four
domains detailed in the diagram. Once you have selected your course
and time, click next to add further classes, and confirm classes to finish
enrolling. You will see a green tick beside the course to indicate
enrolment has been successful.
For further information on courses, how to enrol, and to access the
course calendar, please visit the PRDP website: www.qub.ac.uk/prdp
Should you require additional support, contact the PRDP Training
Team (pg.training@qub.ac.uk )
Page 1 of 34
Domain A
Title and Code
Academic
Plagiarism: What
it is and how to
avoid it
S0193
Academic &
Speed Reading
S0163
Adobe
Photoshop 1:
Basic Digital
Image Editing
Summary
Academic plagiarism, accidental or otherwise, is of serious concern to
academics and students, and detection is facilitated by software such as
Turnitin. However, many students may not be fully aware of what
constitutes plagiarism, nor do they have the strategies to avoid it.
This course aims to ensure that participants can be more confident in the
integrity of their academic work.
By the end of the course, they will understand the concept of plagiarism and
how Turnitin works. They will be aware of what constitutes common
knowledge and how to avoid patch writing. They will be more familiar with
strategies for integrating their readings into the construction of new texts:
paraphrasing, summary writing, text reformulation, using direct quotations,
acknowledging sources and creating/maintaining references/bibliographies.
Date/s
18/11/2013 am
18/11/2013 pm
03/02/2014
31/03/2014 am
31/03/2014 pm
Designed for/pre-requisites
All students across all faculties
What is reading? How do we read? What is its history and what are its
20/11/2013
mechanics? Reading is one of the activities associated with learning that most 26/02/2014
enthuses and discourages students: whilst exciting and accessible texts can
increase your interest, difficult texts are a key reason why you may be put off
a topic. Since much reading at an academic level is challenging, it is important
to reflect upon how texts are best approached – doing this can increase your
enjoyment and understanding of academic reading. This practical workshop
addresses these issues by exploring the history, philosophy and nature of
reading with an eye towards subsequently improving your reading
comprehension and reading speed.
All students across all faculties
This is an introduction to Adobe Photoshop which is a popular and
professional package for working with images. This is an opportunity to
become familiar with the Adobe Photoshop environment, and learn how to
edit images. You will learn how to use the frequently used tools (e.g.
marquee, lasso, crop, pen, paintbrush, shapes, erase, clone, eyedropper).
All students across all faculties.
S0110
Page 2 of 34
15/10/2013
05/11/2013
04/02/2014
18/02/2014
Pre-requisite:
Familiarity with a Windows
environment and with file management
is essential
Title and Code
Adobe
Photoshop 2:
Further Topics
S0096
Adobe
Photoshop 3:
Digital Skills &
Efficiencies
S0116
Beyond Google
S0167
Summary
This course provides a continuation of the Adobe Photoshop 1, for those
wishing to further their knowledge of the popular image manipulation
software. Topics covered include how images from Photoshop can be used in
applications such as Word, PowerPoint or Publisher and how to save images
using different image formats and colour modes for printing and Web
content. Along with demonstrations, the session will involve practical work on
projects (to be decided by the group) and will cover more advanced topics
including working with layers, colour management, image repair and
improvement, and other manipulation effects.
Date/s
22/10/2013
12/11/2013
04/03/2014
15/04/2014
Designed for/pre-requisites
All students across all faculties.
This course is a continuation of the "Further Topics" course and it presents an
opportunity to enhance your skills and gain knowledge on (as yet) unexplored
functions that optimise your time whilst minimising repetitive keystrokes /
mouse usage. Various technical, graphical, photographic and fonts skills will
be covered within the course to help you best prepare images for inclusion in
flyers, adverts, leaflets or as web buttons. Additionally the course will include
additional image enhancements, colouring up and introduction to colour
wheels, monochromes and paths (for selection and text). To help make your
Photoshop sessions more efficient you will learn how to
 use and create actions for general purpose tasks (cropping, resizing,
colour toning, inverting, saturating or de-saturating, bordering, etc.).
 create a web gallery using a folder of images that allow web users to view
image information and provide feedback.
 use time savers such as Actions and Batch Processing.
03/12/2013
11/03/2014
29/04/2014
All students across all faculties
Search engines such as Google Scholar do not cover a large amount of the 27/11/2013
academic information available on the web. This includes the content of
many databases, e-journals, e-books and other research resources such as
newspaper archives. This course will enable you to access and search this
hidden information.
Content
 Google Scholar
 SciVerse - a search engine which incorporates information from the
ScienceDirect e-journal service and Scopus database
 QCat Discover - the new library catalogue
All students across all faculties
Page 3 of 34
Pre-requisite:
Attendance at the Adobe Photoshop 1:
course or a similar level of familiarity.
Pre-requisite:
This course requires prior knowledge of
the Adobe Photoshop 2 (or similar level
of familiarity)
Title and Code
Summary
 LibGuides - the Library’s subject guides covering databases, e-journals, ebooks and other research resources
Conducting
Fieldwork in
Conflicted or
Transitional
Societies
Conducting fieldwork in conflicted or transitional regions is both stimulating 06/02/2014
and exciting; however, it more often than not draws on great personal
resolve in order to guarantee success. The training is pitched towards
doctoral candidates hoping to embark on a period of fieldwork in areas where
the threat of conflict remains particularly pronounced. The aim of the
training seminar is to debunk the mystery associated with fieldwork, but
more importantly, to highlight issues that should be considered at each stage
of the fieldwork journey. Issues that will be discussed include: planning,
preparation and practicalities of entering the field; thinking ethically before
and during the fieldwork; data management, storage and security; and exit
strategies for when departing the fieldwork setting.
This course is for any student hoping to
engage in fieldwork in
conflictual/transitional environments.
This course is designed to help postgraduate research students plan and
conduct focus group interviews.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this session, participants will:
 Understand how to plan and prepare for interviews
 Be aware of the issues involved in recruiting and preparing interview
participants
 Appreciate the skills required to facilitate discussion
 Explore the range of techniques and methods used to investigate a topic
area
 Carry out a live focus group simulation to assist in identifying and
overcoming potential problems
All students across all faculties
S0224
Conducting focus
groups for
research; a
comprehensive
introduction
S0126
Page 4 of 34
Date/s
28/11/2013
14/02/2014
Designed for/pre-requisites
Exclusion: probably would not be
suitable for anyone whose research or
degree course was primarily
quantitative or hard science only.
Title and Code
Creating
Interactive
Learning
Resources using
Excel 2010
Summary
This course is aimed at PGRs who would like to use Excel 2010 to develop
interactive spread sheets for use as models and quizzes. In this practical
workshop participants will be introduced to some of the advanced features of
Excel 2010 which can be used to create interactive spread sheets suitable for
simple quizzes or basic models. Participants will be given the opportunity to
try out some of the form tools available in Excel including Combo Boxes,
S0205
Check Boxes, Spin Buttons and Option Buttons. Practical exercises will also
involve creating nested IF statements to generate feedback and how to
format and protect worksheets in order to hide content.
Creating Posters
This course provides an overview of how to present research material as a
Using Powerpoint poster presentation, including tips on how to create an effective poster and
on printing posters at the University. Participants will learn how to add text
S0020
and images to a poster, how to create simple diagrams and how to format
text boxes and poster backgrounds
Date/s
12/03/2014
Creating Screen
Shots using Word
and Snagit
05/12/2013
02/05/2013
S0102
This course is aimed at Postgraduate students who may have to devise user
guides for software systems either as part of their thesis or to help them in
their support of teaching.
Snagit is a popular application for capturing screen images for use in printed
documents or the Web. Most training materials produced by the IT Training
and Assessment Unit are created using SnagIt and Word. SnagIt can also be
used to record mouse movements and capture onscreen activity in the form
of a video file or to capture text from a screen or the images from a Web site.
This course provides an introduction to using Snagit and will cover topics such
as capture profiles, profile settings, saving in different formats, resizing
images, using special effects and paint tools. The course will also cover how
to create a set of instructions/practical documents using Word and the Snagit
captures
Page 5 of 34
Designed for/pre-requisites
All students across all faculties
Pre-requisite:
This is an advanced Excel course
therefore participants should have
significant previous experience of using
Excel 2010.
11/11/2013
03/03/2014
All students across all faculties.
Pre-requisite:
Participants should be familiar with
basic file management techniques and
have previous experience of using
Microsoft PowerPoint 2010.
All students across all faculties
Title and Code
Creativity and
Problem-Solving
S0057
Diagrams made
easy in Word and
Powerpoint
S0094
Excel 1: Essentials
S0060
Summary
“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve
always got.”
Have you ever found yourself, stuck in a rut, having the same thoughts again,
and again, when what you really need are fresh insights, new concepts and
original ideas?
We are trained to be logical, rational and meticulous – and yet some of the
greatest leaps forward in research and discovery reputedly have arisen
through spontaneous thought: Newton’s infamous apple / gravity moment;
Watt’s steam condenser was inspired by a walk in the cold countryside;
Poincaré stumbled upon his one of his major functional theories as he
boarded a bus; Kekulé happened upon the design for the benzene ring as he
dozed by the fire.
What these convenient stories often omit is that the great academic ideas
come because additionally the thinker had immersed themselves in the
problem, studied in great depth and incubated their thoughts for many years.
This one-day workshop will:
 explore the relationship that you have with your creativity;
 help to build a toolkit of problem solving devices to help you to reexamine the world in fresh new ways.
Date/s
09/12/2013
25/02/2014
Designed for/pre-requisites
All students across all faculties
Microsoft Office includes a variety of tools for creating high impact text and
diagrams in documents. This course will look at creating and formatting
shapes including block arrows, flowchart shapes and callouts and inserting
and formatting WordArt text for emphasis or headings. Participants will also
be introduced to the SmartArt feature available in Office 2007/2010 which
can be used to create high impact lists and diagrams.
29/11/2013
13/03/2014
All students across all faculties
This practical course is the essential starting point for anyone interested in
learning how to produce Spreadsheets using Microsoft Office Excel 2010 and
forms an ideal basis for further courses in Excel. As Excel 2010 introduces
some changes to the user interface and some new features and
enhancements, this course is also suitable for those needing to update their
skills so that they can make efficient use of the latest version of this popular
Spreadsheets application. Excel 1: Essentials covers the basics of how to
create, save and edit Spreadsheets before progressing participants onto the
28/10/2013
21/11/2013
10/03/2014
All students across all faculties
Page 6 of 34
For students with little or no previous
experience of using Microsoft Excel
2010
Title and Code
Summary
creation of basic formulas and charts. The new cell and table styles will be
introduced and participants will learn fundamental techniques such as
sorting, naming ranges, find and replace, changing the page setup and
renaming worksheets.
Date/s
Designed for/pre-requisites
Excel 2:
Managing Data
This course follows on from the Excel 1: Essentials course and will introduce
participants to some of the more advanced features of Excel 2010. Through a
series of practical exercises, participants will learn about a variety of
techniques which can be employed to make spreadsheets more
comprehensible, such as sorting, basic and advanced filtering, conditional
formatting, and custom number and date formats. Participants will also learn
how to create custom lists and how to apply data validation to cells to create
dropdown lists or control what can be entered.
31/10/2013
10/03/2014
All students across all faculties
This intensive course follows on from the previous Excel courses introducing
students to more of the advanced features of Excel 2010. Participants will
learn how to use a variety of what-if analysis tools that can be employed in
data analysis and decision making, such as Data Tables, Scenarios, Goal Seek
and Solver. In addition, the course will cover a wide range of useful functions,
including text, logical, financial, lookup, and date and time functions, which
can be used to manipulate spreadsheet data. An introduction to PivotTable
and PivotChart reports is also included. The second half of the course will
concentrate on statistical functions in Excel which can be used to produce
frequencies and descriptive statistics
25/11/2013
30/04/2014
Participants will be shown how to create and edit various types of charts
including bar, column, pie, scatter and line graphs. The course will also look at
the different ways charts can be formatted in Excel and how to add features
like legends, trend lines, equations and error bars.
21/10/2013
14/04/2014
S0061
Excel 3: Data
Analysis & Basic
Statistics
S0108
Excel Charts
S0043
Page 7 of 34
Pre-requisite:
Prior attendance at Excel 1 or significant
experience of using Excel
All students across all faculties
Pre-requisite:
Prior attendance at Excel 1 and Excel 2
is strongly recommended or significant
experience of using Excel.
All students across all faculties.
Pre-requisite:
Prior attendance on the Excel 1:
Essentials course or experience of using
Excel
Excel Pivot Tables
S0115
Fundamentals of
High
Performance
Computing
S0092
The Basics of
Graphic Design
S0051
PivotTables are a popular Excel tool for dynamically exploring and analysing
large datasets in order to summarise data and make informed decisions.
PivotCharts are interactive charts that can be used to visualise PivotTable
reports to convey information about patterns and trends within the data.
PivotTables can take their source data from within Excel or from external
sources like databases, Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) cubes and text
files and allow users to analyse data without altering the original data source.
This course will provide participants with an introduction to PivotTables and
will include topics such as adding and removing fields, applying styles,
filtering data, changing field settings and creating PivotCharts. The course will
involve using PivotTables to analyse large datasets and display information
graphically. This is a half day course that includes a presentation and a variety
of practical exercises.
17/10/2013
28/04/2014
The aim of this course is to give researchers hands-on experience using the
centrally managed High Performance Computing (HPC) systems at QUB. The
course covers the following topics: What is HPC?; HPC resources available at
QUB; Running serial and parallel jobs on the Dell Cluster; Using the Windows
Compute Cluster. The benefit of using HPC is that researchers can use these
systems to solve compute and data intensive problems in their field of work.
The systems each have a wide range of scientific software and libraries
already installed.
22/11/2013
All students across all faculties
For many, good graphic design is in the eye of the beholder – one person’s
ideas around good design are abhorrent to another! However, these are
some basic principles that underpin the placement of figures and text on a
page. Whether it’s a PowerPoint presentation, a conference poster, a PhD
thesis or a website, it is really important that the elements of design do not
detract from the message you want to communicate. In fact, good design
should go a long way to grabbing the attention of your audience, allowing
them to easily extract the relevant information. In this full-day course, you
will learn about the basic elements of good graphic design, including
proximity, alignment, contrast, repetition and font selection. The course will
primarily revolve around extensive hands-on computer tutorials (using
Powerpoint or other preferred software) where you will first learn to
recognise elements of good design and then have the opportunities to apply
06/11/2013
19/02/2014
All students across all faculties
Page 8 of 34
All students across all faculties.
Pre-requisite:
Prior attendance at Excel 1: Essentials
or significant experience of using Excel
Pre-requisite:
Experience with use of Microsoft
Powerpoint.
the concepts. Students have the option of using their own laptops, although
desktop computers loaded with Powerpoint will be provided.
Interactive
powerpoint for
academic
presentations
S0028
International
Students Academic Writing
S0039
International
Students –
Academic Writing
Half Day
S0233
This course provides participants with an opportunity to learn about more
advanced features in PowerPoint 2010 in order to incorporate interactivity
and multimedia in presentations. Intended for participants who are already
familiar with the basic concepts of creating PowerPoint presentations, this
practical course will enable participants to create sophisticated presentations
that make full use of the software’s functionality. Topics covered will include
flow charts, tables, action buttons, working with images and shapes and using
master slides and templates. Participants will also gain experience of linking
to other documents, multimedia, creating customised slide shows and saving
presentations as image files or to the Web.
18/11/2013
17/04/2014
All students across all faculties
International students can find academic writing extremely challenging. This
course familiarises them with features of academic writing at sentence and
paragraph level. It includes organisation, style, register (formal), grammar,
coherence and cohesion. It also addresses strategies for correct citation and
referencing skills, to help students create texts that meet the standards
required at a UK university.
11/11/2013
10/03/2014
All international students across all
faculties
03/02/2014
10/02/2014
International post-graduate students
across all faculties
International students can find academic writing extremely challenging. This
course familiarises them with features of academic writing at sentence and
paragraph level. It includes organisation, style, register (formal), grammar,
coherence and cohesion. It also addresses strategies for correct citation and
referencing skills, to help students create texts that meet the standards
required at a UK university.
Page 9 of 34
Introduction to
Social Media
S0198
Introduction to
Stata
S0125
Introduction to
thematic analysis
S0127
Introduction to
Unix
S0036
This half day course is aimed at anyone interested in using social media,
either personally or professionally. The course will include an overview of the
history and concept of social media and a discussion of popular social media
sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Participants will be
given the opportunity to compare social media tools and discuss the factors
which should be considered when deciding which tool(s) to use. The session
will conclude with practical advice on setting up a social media account and
protecting your online profile.
06/02/2014
This two-day course provides an overview of the Stata statistical software.
This course is aimed at people with no previous experience of using Stata, or
who would like to refresh their knowledge. The course will cover features of
Stata version 12 and version 13.
Learning Outcomes
Participants will learn how to open and create datasets, data manipulation
and data management techniques, simple analysis commands, creating
graphs, and automating processes using .do and .ado files.
21/11/2013 – 22/11/2013 All students across all faculties
10/03/2014 – 11/03/2014
Pre-requisite:
This course is aimed at people who
have some familiarity with statistical
theory and data management
techniques.
This course is designed to provide clear guidance for those wanting to
conduct thematic analysis. Using example transcripts, this course contains
hands-on step-by-step guidance of how to thematically analyse data in a
rigorous way.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
 Outline the three broad levels of qualitative data analysis
 Define thematic analysis and outline each phase in the process
 Know how to generate initial codes and search for themes within data
 Understand how rigour can be maximised in qualitative data analysis
 Understand the fundamentals of qualitative report writing
28/11/2013
14/02/2014
This is an introductory course which introduces the basic utilities and
commands required by the novice user of a UNIX type operating system. The
course includes practical exercises using Red Hat Linux, however the skills
acquired are applicable to most variants of UNIX. Temporary accounts will be
available for students to use on the day.
All exercises work at the Command Line Interface (CLI), i.e., work will not be
carried out in a GUI windows-like environment.
15/11/2013
Page 10 of 34
All students across all faculties
All students across all faculties
Exclusion: probably would not be
suitable for anyone whose research or
degree course was primarily
quantitative or hard science only.
Pre-requisite:
Some qualitative data collection
experience would help
All students across all faculties
The course should be especially of interest to researchers coming from a
Windows/Mac background to one of the following High Performance
Computing systems: Dell Cluster, HP Research (XC) and SGI Altix.
IRAS (Integrated
Research
Application
System)
S0201
Labels and Mail
Merge using
Word
S0122
An Overview of
LaTex - (2 day
course - must
attend both days)
S0050
The Research Governance Team is offering IRAS training to staff and students.
 Are you planning research involving health and social care patients or
clients?
 Do you need to seek R&D permission from a Trust for research involving
their staff?
 Will you be undertaking a clinical trial of a medicinal product?
If the answer is yes, you will be required to complete an IRAS application
form. IRAS is a single system for applying for the permissions and approvals
required for health and social care research in the UK. It enables you to enter
the information about your project once by using filters to ensure that the
data collected and collated is appropriate to the type of study and the
permissions and approvals required.
17/10/2013
03/02/2014
12/05/2014
All students across all faculties
This course is aimed at Postgraduate students who would like to learn more
about the merging tools available within Microsoft Word particularly those
who wish to optimise their survey administration or utilise merging
techniques to bring together data and pro-formas. The course is highly
practical and at the end of the course you should be able to use Word’s mail
merge feature in order to efficiently create, save and print personalised
letters, envelopes and labels.
06/11/2013
18/03/2014
All students across all faculties.
LaTeX is a typesetting language aimed at technical users rather than a word
processing program. It produces very high quality output and can handle
automatically many tedious but routine tasks like cross-referencing, indexing
etc. This course will give an overview of how LaTeX is used and of the kind of
input needed to make use of it.
At the end of the course participants should be in a position to start learning
to use LaTeX for themselves.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course participants should be in a position to start learning
to use LaTeX for themselves.
04/12/2013 – 05/12/2013 All students across all faculties
Page 11 of 34
Pre-requisites:
You must be planning to undertake
research in the health and social care
setting.
Students should set-up an IRAS account
before attending
Pre-requisite:
Delegates should be familiar with the
basics of using Word.
Pre-requisite:
A reasonable general mathematical
background is required for this course.
Library support
for Humanities
Research
S0071
Library support
for Social
Sciences
Research
S0128
Open Access
1st year students from the Schools of
Creative Arts; English; History and
Anthropology; Modern Languages;
Politics, International Studies and
Philosophy
1st year Students from the Schools of
Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work;
Education, Management; Politics,
International Studies and Philosophy;
and Law
An introduction to Library Services supporting PhD research, including:
• Specialist subject librarians
• Subject databases
• Effective search techniques
09/10/2013
10/10/2013
An introduction to Library Services supporting PhD research, including:
• Specialist subject librarians
• Subject databases
• Effective search techniques
• Requesting Inter-Library Loans
10/10/2013
16/10/2013
The course is aimed at researchers who would like an overview of open
access and institutional repositories.
24/10/2013
All students across all faculties
Induction workshop for new postgraduate research students.
Content:
What is a doctorate?; Team exercise; The Rules of the Game; Working with
supervisors; Case study: teams; Managing your degree; Questions to Panel;
Plans of action; Evaluation
09/10/2013
All students from AHSS faculty
Induction workshop for new postgraduate research students.
Content:
What is a doctorate?; Team exercise; The Rules of the Game; Working with
supervisors; Case study: teams; Managing your degree; Questions to Panel;
Plans of action; Evaluation
10/10/2013
All students from EPS faculty
S0225
Content:
 What is open access and why is it important?
 Using institutional repositories and the Research Portal at Queens
 RCUK Policy on Open Access
 Applying for RCUK funding for open access
Help and advice provided by the Library
Postgraduate
Induction for
AHSS
S0195
Postgraduate
Induction for EPS
S0196
Page 12 of 34
Postgraduate
Induction for
MHLS
S0197
PGR Welcome &
Induction
S0204
Qualitative
Analysis using
NVIVO
S0114
Using Qualitative
Methods in
Research
S0146
Induction workshop for new postgraduate research students.
Content:
What is a doctorate?; Team exercise; The Rules of the Game; Working with
supervisors; Case study: teams; Managing your degree; Questions to Panel;
Plans of action; Evaluation
11/10/2013
All students from MHLS faculty
Induction workshop for new postgraduate research students.
Content:
What is a doctorate?; Team Exercise; The Rules of the Game; Working with
Supervisors; Case Study: Teams; Managing your Degree; Questions to Panel;
Plans of Action; Evaluation
19/02/2014
All students from across all faculties
This workshop aims to provide a thorough introduction in the use of NVivo, a
leading software designed to assist with the management of qualitative data
analysis.
Learning Outcomes:
Students will see the basic tenets of qualitative data analysis as they are
applied in and assisted by the software. They will learn a transferrable skill,
useful in many research contexts. They will appreciate and learn in a timely
manner the potential of better and more efficient data management in a long
term research project.
24/03/2014
This course is for 2nd and 3rd year PhD
Students who must be involved in
research which has a qualitative phase
or element.
This course is designed to help postgraduate research students understand
when qualitative methods can be used in research and some practical issues
that need to be considered
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, participants will:
 Appreciate the differences between qualitative and quantitative research
methods
 Be aware of the choices in qualitative data collection
 Understand the practicalities relating to data collection and storage
Understand how qualitative methods may be used in their own project
14/11/2013
12/02/2014
Page 13 of 34
Pre-requisite:
This course is for 2nd and 3rd year PhD
Students who must be involved in
research which has a qualitative phase
or element
All students across all faculties.
Using
Quantitative
Methods in
Research
S0181
Refine and
consider the
quality of your
web searches
S0022
RefWorks
S0112
RefWorks for
Humanities
This course is designed to help postgraduate research students understand
quantitative research methods and the selection of appropriate statistical
analysis
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, participants will:
 Appreciate quantitative research methods and experimental designs
 Be aware of the choices in quantitative data analysis from t-tests to
regressions
 understand how to select appropriate statistical tests for their
experimental designs
 Understand how quantitative methods may be used in their own project
21/11/2013
13/02/2014
All students across all faculties
This course incorporates 1) various useful tips for making better use of search
engines. The session will 2) provide an opportunity to look at the issues
around determining the quality of information on the Internet. Participants
will review quality assured reference sites and will explore and discuss the
factors which help users judge the relative quality of Web sites and Webbased material. Participants should have a basic familiarity with Web
browsing.
04/12/2013
06/03/2014
All students across all faculties
RefWorks is a reference management service that enables you to create a 05/11/2013
personal database of references, automatically format citations and compile 07/11/2013
instant bibliographies. This can save you hours spent interpreting citing and 13/11/2013
referencing styles and typing citations and references.
This introductory course will include demonstrations and practical work.
Content
 Creating an account
 Importing references from databases
 Creating folders
 Deleting duplicate records
 Producing a bibliography in a Microsoft Word document
Please note that subject-specific versions of this course are available –
contact your Subject Librarian for further details.
All students across all faculties
This session will be a very practical introduction to Refworks, an online
bibliographical management system.
1st/2nd year students from the Schools
of Creative Arts; English; History and
Page 14 of 34
30/10/2013
08/11/2013
S0088
The course will show students how to:
•
Import bibliographic information from a variety of sources (including the
Arts and Humanities Citation Index, Philosophers Index, QCat, OCLC,
EBBO etc.).
•
Use Refworks to create your own bibliographic information for works
not available via catalogues or databases.
•
Create bibliographies for articles, thesis and books
Anthropology; Modern Languages;
Politics, International Studies and
Philosophy
By the end of the course students will have a practical knowledge of
RefWorks
It would be beneficial to attend ‘Library Support for Humanities’ If you are
not already aware of the journal article databases available in the humanities.
RefWorks for
Medicine, Health
and Life Sciences
S0084
RefWorks for
Science and
Engineering
S0090
This course aims to introduce you to RefWorks, a web-based bibliographic
management service which allows you to create a personal database of
references and compile instant bibliographies in a variety of styles.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course you will be able to:
• create an account
• import references from medicine and health sciences bibliographic
databases
• input references manually
• create folders and organize references
• delete duplicate records
• produce a bibliography in a Microsoft Word document
• create in-text citations using the Write n Cite tool
06/11/2013
12/02/2014
RefWorks is a reference management service that enables you to create a 25/10/2013
personal database of references, automatically format citations and compile
instant bibliographies. This can save you hours spent interpreting citing and
referencing styles and typing citations and references.
This introductory course will include demonstrations and practical work.
Content
• Creating an account
• Importing references from engineering and physical sciences databases
Page 15 of 34
Postgraduate Students from the
following Schools: Medicine, Dentistry
& Biomedical Sciences, Nursing &
Midwifery, Pharmacy and Biological
Sciences.
All years; Students from the following
Schools; Chemistry and Chemical
Engineering; Electronics, Electrical
Engineering and Computer Science;
Geography, Archaeology and
Paleoecology; Mathematics and Physics;
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering;
Planning, Architecture and Civil
•
•
•
•
RefWorks for
Social Sciences
S0097
Research
Methods with
Children & Young
People
Inputting references manually
Creating folders and organizing references
Deleting duplicate records
Producing a bibliography in a Microsoft Word document
Engineering; Psychology
Experience of: using Windows and the
web; searching the Library's
bibliographic databases; using Microsoft
Word
RefWorks is a bibliographic management service that allows you to create a
personal database and compile instant bibliographies in a variety of styles. It
is web-based so it can be accessed from any computer with an internet
connection. Participants will learn how to set up a RefWorks account, create
folders, input and organise references, create a bibliography and integrate
RefWorks with MS Word. Refworks will also be compared with Zotero
shareware software. It would be beneficial to attend ‘Library Support for
Social Sciences Research’ If you are not already aware of the journal article
databases available in the social sciences.
30/10/2013
08/11/2013
1st/2nd year students from the Schools
of Sociology, Social Policy and Social
Work; Education, Management;
Politics, International Studies and
Philosophy; and Law
The course will explore and critically evaluate methodological approaches to
researching children’s everyday lives and experiences and assess the extent
to which research with children is different from research with adults.
19/02/2014
All students whose research is regarding
children and young people
25/03/2014
All students across all faculties
All years but particularly relevant to students prior to carrying out fieldwork.
S0169
SCOPUS
S0124
Scopus (http://www.scopus.com) is the world’s largest bibliographic and
citation database and the source of the citation data used by some of the
Research Excellence Framework (REF) assessment panels.
The course is aimed at researchers who wish to develop their knowledge of
the content and functionality of Scopus.
Course participants will learn how to:
 search Scopus and manage search results
 view citation counts and h-index scores
 assess journal quality using the journal analyser feature
 search SciVerse - a search engine which incorporates information from
the web, the ScienceDirect e-journal service and Scopus
Page 16 of 34
SPSS 1:
Introduction to
SPSS
S0168
SPSS 2: Data
Analysis using
SPSS
S0173
This course aims to provide participants with an introduction to data
management and basic statistical output in SPSS. Participants will have the
opportunity to complete a number of practical exercises.
Learning Outcomes
Participants will:
 Develop their knowledge of data analysis and management
 Have the skills to create an SPSS file, including importing pre-existing data
 Learn about the coding of data
 Learn how to perform simple data modifications
 Increase their understanding of simple descriptive statistics.
23/11/2013
10/05/2014
All students across all faculties
The course is designed for students who have some knowledge of SPSS and
statistical analysis. The course aims to provide participants with knowledge of
how SPSS can be used to conduct data analysis. Participants will have the
opportunity to complete a number of practical exercises.
Outcomes
Participants will:
• Increase their knowledge of descriptive statistics (measures of central
tendency and dispersion)
• Develop their ability to select the appropriate statistical tests
• Learn how to test for significant differences between means using the
t-tests
• Will use cross tabulations for testing of significant relationships with
chi-square
• Assess relationships between continuous variables through plots and
correlation
• Use non-parametric tests
• Develop their skills to graphical display of results
07/12/2013
17/05/2014
All students across all faculties
Page 17 of 34
For those new to SPSS the SPSS 1:
Introduction to SPSS course is essential.
SPSS Refresher
S0178
Tables and Form
Design Using
Word
S0056
Turbo Charging
your Writing
S0206
This course is for people who have previously used SPSS and wish to refresh
their skills. The session will focus on the basics of creating an SPSS file,
inputting data and producing some preliminary output. You will have the
opportunity to complete a number of practical exercises. Researchers who
have never used SPSS should attend the SPSS1: Introduction to SPSS course.
Outcomes
Participants will:
 Have the skills to create an SPSS file, including importing pre-existing data
 Learn about the coding of data
 Learn how to produce some preliminary output
 Learn how to perform simple data modifications.
Microsoft Word can be used to create forms for completion on a computer
that allow users to enter text or select options without altering the structure
of the form. This course looks at some of the tools available in Word 2010
which can be used to create forms, including text, checkbox and drop-down
list fields. Participants will also learn how to create tables in Word and how
tables can be used in the layout of forms. Along with the basics of creating
forms, the course will cover how to add instructional text to form fields, how
to protect the form and how to export data from forms to a Spreadsheet file.
Aimed at:
Students who are experienced at using Word 2007 or 2010 to edit and format
documents and wish to learn how to create tables and data capture forms
using Word. The course may also benefit those intending to take the ECDL
Advanced module in Word Processing.
Would you like to know the secret to high output, low stress scholarly
writing? In academia it is often assumed that writing comes naturally.
However, an overwhelming body of research shows that there are very clear
and practical strategies that can greatly increase your writing productivity.






This workshop will help you to understand:
Why it's hard to get started;
How we deliberately use distractions to slow down writing;
The principles of quick starting;
How to deal with destructive internal beliefs;
How to set achievable goals by writing in a silo;
Page 18 of 34
09/11/2013
25/01/2014
All students across all faculties
Pre-requisite:
Experience of using SPSS
17/10/2013
10/04/2014
All students across all faculties
Pre-requisite:
Experience of using Word 2007 or 2010
to format documents and create basic
tables.
19/02/2014
All students across all faculties


Working with
long documents
How to greatly increase the number of actual words you produce;
How to clarify your thinking, and improve the quality of your work.
This course provides useful tips and guidelines on how to use Word efficiently
and effectively to manage long documents such as theses or dissertations.
Participants will learn how to add figure and table captions, an index and a
table of contents, all of which will update automatically. Cross referencing
techniques will also be covered along with creating bookmarks and using
heading styles to ensure layout consistency
24/10/2013
21/03/2014
28/04/2014
All students across all faculties
Starting to write
A PhD, in whatever discipline, is a large document and that brings with it a set
in the first year of of unique demands. The period of study is long, maybe three to five years.
your PhD
The research should be significant, comprehensive and original. However,
your knowledge evolves over the course of the study: what you know in your
S0066
third year is not what you know in your first few weeks after registering as a
doctoral candidate. Many research students feel they have nothing to say in
the early weeks and months of research, when they are still battling with ‘the
literature’. The goal of this workshop is to show you that you can start
developing yourself as a research writer even in the earliest days of your
doctorate; in fact, it is better to start now as you can develop effective skills
early on which will save you time and improve your writing in the long run.
This workshop looks at:
• Writing critically about ‘the literature’ and developing your thinking
through writing activities
• Defining academic writing and whether there are any generic aspects
to it
• Specifying who we write for and what they expect from our writing
• Developing effective writing strategies, which can be put to use in
academic writing
• Basic components of good writing, namely sentence and paragraph
structure
• Referencing published work and the importance of getting the
correct tone in your writing when discussing the literature.
08/11/2013
04/12/2013
24/01/2014
13/02/2014
06/03/2014
02/04/2014
08/05/2014
04/06/2014
1st year students across all faculties
S0067
Page 19 of 34
Participants must be familiar with using
the basic features of Microsoft Word
2007 or 2010.
Writing in the
second year of a
PhD
S0068
Writing in the
final year of your
PhD
S0070
This is a one day workshop for doctoral students in the middle period of their
studies. There is no teambuilding and no icebreakers. All the activities are
practical and relevant to finishing a thesis and have been shown to help
research writers. Particular emphasis is given to difficult aspect of writing a
thesis, such as managing an evolving structure, understanding the demands
and structure of research writing and applying that knowledge.
This workshop looks at:
• writing introductions and conclusions
• planning the structure of your thesis
• developing your academic voice and good writing styles
• critically evaluating and synthesising ‘the literature’
14/11/2013
20/02/2014
09/05/2014
All 2nd year students across all faculties
A one day workshop for students in the final stages of writing up a doctoral
thesis. The workshop will cover:
 Helping students produce a detailed plan of what they have achieved and
what they have left to do
 Create a timeline for a schedule of works
 Create a synopsis of their thesis so far
 Give tips on editing and formatting a thesis for examination
 Shed light on important procedural issues around submission and
examination.
The workshop is for doctoral researchers in the final. This workshop is not for
students in the earlier years.
15/11/2013
21/02/2014
15/05/2014
3rd/final year students across all
faculties
Page 20 of 34
Domain B
Title and Code
Date/s
Designed for/pre-requisites
007 Themed
In these evening workshops we will explore ways of thinking faster and
Creative Thinking further than anyone else. Professor Curious will challenge the audience to
think differently. In collaborative teams you will discover new ways of thinking
S0026
and explore unusual topics. You will receive a ‘License to Think’ on
successfully completing the secret tasks.
27/11/2013
All students across all faculties
Assertiveness &
Confidence
Building
Assertiveness training aims to equip postgraduate students with tools to deal
effectively with situations which require clear, confident communication.
This session provides techniques to help articulate thoughts and ideas even in
difficult situations, using assertive language and voice and body awareness.
Learning Outcomes
• An understanding of what drives assertive behaviour and the impact of
assertive behaviour.
• Learned & practised assertiveness techniques including using body
language & voice
• Developing an awareness of tools for developing & maintaining
confidence
Discussion, interaction & feedback will be part of the session which has an
experiential approach. Participants will be encouraged to learn from each
other and to apply learning from the session to facilitate positive outcomes
for themselves and others.
12/11/2013
29/01/2014
All students across all faculties
For those considering working beyond academia, this interactive workshop
explores how best to communicate the relevance of your skills and experience
to external employers. The programme will consider what employers are
looking for and identify the value of research skills. Participants will receive
tips for completing CVs and application forms and will have opportunity to
practice application skills.
27/11/2013
16/01/2014
11/03/2014
19/05/2014
S0024
Communicating
Postgraduate
Research Skills to
Employers
S0217
Summary
Page 21 of 34
Pre-requisite:
Students are required to fill in a needs
analysis questionnaire and attend for a
brief interview prior to the programme
All students across all faculties
Effective
Academic
Applications
S0030
International
Students –
Effective
Academic
Applications
S0033
Exploring Career
Options – Arts,
Humanities &
Social Sciences
S0215
Exploring Career
Options –
Science &
Engineering
S0216
Exploring
Research Career
Options
S0218
This interactive workshop will consider the key skills and activities required to
successfully complete the academic application process, focusing mainly on
the UK context. Participants will explore how to construct effective academic
CVs, application forms and cover letters. The workshop will include top tips on
how to present relevant skills and experiences and participants will have
opportunity to review sample CVs and practice application writing skills.
19/11/2013
22/01/2014
13/03/2014
21/05/2014
All students across all faculties
This interactive workshop will consider the key skills and activities required to
successfully complete the academic application process, focusing mainly on
the UK context. Participants will explore how to construct effective academic
CVs, application forms and cover letters. The workshop will include top tips on
how to present relevant skills and experiences and participants will have
opportunity to review sample CVs and practice application writing skills.
20/11/2013
This course is specifically designed for
International students as delivery will
consider the UK process from an
International perspective
Not sure what your career options are? This interactive workshop will explore
relevant career options for postgraduate research students from Arts,
Humanities or Social Science backgrounds. Potential areas of employment,
vacancy sources and job search strategies will be discussed. We will also
consider how to evaluate options and make informed career choices.
02/12/2013
27/02/2013
All students in Arts/Humanities/Social
Sciences disciplines
Not sure what your career options are? This interactive workshop will explore
relevant career options for postgraduate research students from Science and
Engineering backgrounds. Potential areas of employment, vacancy sources
and job search strategies will be discussed. We will also consider how to
evaluate options and make informed career choices.
03/12/2013
28/02/2014
All students whose discipline is Science
or Engineering related
For those who want to use their research skills in their future career and
consider research-related career options. This interactive workshop will
explore the range of research opportunities across the public, private and
voluntary sectors. Potential areas of employment, vacancy sources and job
search strategies will be discussed. We will also consider how to evaluate
options and make informed career choices.
05/12/2013
All students across all faculties
Page 22 of 34
Mindfulness for
Stress Reduction
S0025
Personal
Marketing &
Professional
Projection
S0027
Postgraduate
Researcher
Development
Planning
Mindfulness for Stress Reduction aims to help you better understand the
source and impact of stress in the PhD environment. You will get an
opportunity to try out a number of techniques to help deal with stress
effectively. Learning what works for you and how to build relaxation into your
lifestyle is a key part of this session.
Discussion and interaction will be part of the session which has an
experiential approach. Participants will be encouraged to learn from each
other and to apply learning from the session to facilitate positive outcomes
for themselves and others.
Drop-in sessions
advertised throughout
the year
All students across all faculties
You are a walking ambassador for your area of expertise and for your own
career. Get it right and you increase your chances of success, get it wrong and
frustration will become your constant companion.
This is a practical workshop that examines the whole area of personal and
professional projection. It is based upon the three pillars of personal success:
Projecting confidence
Developing and maintaining trusting relationships
Projecting quality
TBC
All students across all faculties
This interactive session will identify how focused development planning
facilitates growth as a researcher and drives career development. Participants
will be introduced to Postgraduate Researcher Development Planning at
Queen’s and will provide guidance on how to identify development needs, set
personal development objectives and select relevant development activities.
24/10/2013 am
24/10/2013 pm
29/10/2013 am
29/10/2013 pm
13/11/2013
25/11/2013 am
25/11/2013 pm
12/12/2013
04/02/2014
24/02/2014
25/03/2014
27/03/2014
28/01/2014
09/04/2014
October sessions opened to 1st year
only. Later sessions opened to all
students
S0222
Preparing for
Academic
Interviews
S0210
This interactive workshop will explore how to effectively prepare for academic
interviews. The workshop will outline what to expect in terms of interview
format and types of questions, focusing mainly on the UK context. Participants
will gain insight on how best to prepare for interview questions and
presentations. There will also be opportunity to practice interview skills and
Page 23 of 34
All students across all faculties
to receive feedback.
Page 24 of 34
International
Students –
Preparing for
Academic
Interviews
S0220
Preparing for
Interviews
Outside
Academia
S0211
International
Students –
Preparing for
Interviews
Outside
Academia
This interactive workshop will explore how to effectively prepare for academic
interviews. The workshop will outline what to expect in terms of interview
format and types of questions, focusing mainly on the UK context. Participants
will gain insight on how best to prepare for interview questions and
presentations. There will also be opportunity to practice interview skills and
to receive feedback.
10/04/2014
This course is specifically designed for
International students as delivery will
consider the UK process from an
International perspective
This interactive workshop will explore how to effectively prepare for
interviews, focusing mainly on the UK context. The workshop will outline what
to expect in terms of interview format and types of questions. Participants will
gain insight on how best to prepare for and respond to interview questions
and presentations. There will also be opportunity to practice interview skills
and to receive feedback.
11/02/2014
All students across all faculties
12/02/2014
This course is specifically designed for
International students as delivery will
consider the UK process from an
International perspective
19/11/2013
19/02/2014
All students across all faculties
This interactive workshop will explore how to effectively prepare for
interviews, focusing mainly on the UK context. The workshop will outline what
to expect in terms of interview format and types of questions. Participants will
gain insight on how best to prepare for and respond to interview questions
and presentations. There will also be opportunity to practice interview skills
and to receive feedback.
S0221
Work and
Supervisory
Relationships
S0013
Excellent professional relationships are a key factor in workplace success.
Similarly, a postgraduate student’s relationship with their supervisor is an
important factor in the successful progression of the PhD. This session looks
at what influences a good working relationship, from effective communication
to personality type. Participants will get the opportunity to use the MBTI
(Myers Briggs Type Inventory), a tool widely used in the corporate world, to
enhance awareness of their own communication style. This will be of benefit
when working with others in teams or in reporting relationships.
Discussion and interaction will be part of the session. Participants will be
encouraged to learn from each other and to apply learning from the session
to facilitate positive outcomes for themselves and others.
Page 25 of 34
Pre-requisite:
Pre course meeting to discuss
participants’ needs & completed MBTI
questionnaire
Domain C
Title and Code
Summary
Date/s
Designed for/pre-requisites
Ethics in
Research
This course explores what 'research ethics' is and why all researchers should
ensure that their research approach is consistent with appropriate ethical
guidelines. The aim is to inform students of the ethical issues arising in the
design, conduct, and dissemination of research projects.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, participants will:
• Be aware of QUB research ethics guidelines
• Have knowledge of the genesis of research ethics and professional body
guidelines
• Be familiar with the philosophies underpinning research ethics and
cognizant of the ethical challenges at each stage of the research process
• Have the necessary skills to produce and carry out ethically approvable
projects
18/10/2013
07/03/2014
All students across all faculties
This half day course has been developed specifically to introduce PhD
students to the practical issues involved in getting their work published in
books and journals. Topics covered will include targeting and approaching
editors and publishers, presenting book proposals, submitting articles to
journals, dealing with proofs and the implications of publication choices on
academic career development. The course is led by a member of staff with
experience in academic journal editing, and in editing a monograph series for
an academic publisher.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, participants will:
• Be aware of the various considerations that should determine their
choice of what to publish from their Ph.D. work and which presses or
journals to target.
• Be aware of what they will need to do in preparing and submitting their
work for publication.
• Be aware of the issues involved in “Open Access” publishing and their
implications for the early career researcher.
• Understand the processes involved in seeing a book or an article through
the press.
04/12/2013
30/04/2014
All 2nd/3rd/final students from Arts,
Humanities & Social Sciences
S0021
Getting your
Work Published A Publisher’s
Perspective
S0046
Page 26 of 34
•
Peer Assisted
Learning for the
Viva Voce Exam
S0194
The Part time
PhD: All in One
Day
S0059
Have gained an appreciation of the perspective of academic publishers
and journal editors.
We are now in a position to offer Peer Assisted Learning for the Viva to late
cycle PGR students who are approaching the VIVA*. The Peer Assisted
Learning course offers final year postgraduate research students the
opportunity to work in a small group with other students at the same stage.
The facilitators have successfully completed PhDs and will offer support in
exploring anticipated problems, developing strengths and providing
opportunities to practise for the key elements of the viva.
16/10/2013
“There are no “right” answers. Everyone has to find within themselves ways of 10/12/2013
working on their own pieces of research which both fit with the rest of their
lives and - at least at times - bring about a sense of progress. All this is very
difficult. The creative process itself is notoriously capricious.”
Adapted from Salmon 1992
Are you a part time research student? Do you want to know more about:
managing your research and time, coping with isolation and communicating
effectively with your supervisor? Would you like to explore the issues
surrounding completing a thesis and passing the viva? … All in One Day?
Depending on your needs and your questions, this session MIGHT cover,
Project Management for PhD
Planning and time-management for research and writing
Communicating with your supervisor and managing the student-supervisor
relationship
The Nuts and Bolts of the PhD thesis
Completion of the PhD dissertation and the Viva examination
It certainly WILL BE all about the things that matter to you and your projects.
We look forward to meeting you on the day.
Page 27 of 34
All 3rd/final year students who have
submitted or will be submitting their
thesis
Pre-requisite:
In order to be eligible for this course,
postgraduate research students must
have submitted their thesis or their
intention to submit form.
All students across all faculties. Parttime students only
Introduction to
Project
Management
S0040
Intermediate
Project
Management
S0001
An introduction to the process of managing projects and the tools to assist in
planning and tracking progress; this course is intended to be immediately
applicable to planning and managing academic and research project as well as
commercial projects. It covers the theory and principles of project
management within the context of the Project Management Institute.
During this 1-day course, participants will:
• Learn the basics of the project planning process and receive a set of
checklists and guidelines that you can use immediately on any project
• Appreciate the fundamental principles of a well-led and well directed
project, such as identifying and scheduling tasks, activities, milestones
and understanding and managing stakeholders
• Be aware of the critical factors that will influence whether a project will
be successful or not, including identifying and managing risk
• Use practical, group-based exercises to reinforce and enhance the skills
learned
• Create work breakdown structures, network diagrams, critical path and
PERT analysis, Gantt charts and other techniques that ensure robust
project control
04/11/2013
05/11/2013
09/12/2013
13/01/2014
All students across all faculties
A more in-depth and hands-on experience of Project Management, where
delegates practice and integrate previous project management training and
techniques. This event uses applied learning to further embed project
management skills and knowledge in reference to the Project Management
Institute.
During this 1-day course, participants will:
• Follow a case study from initial conception through to full project
initiation and implementation using practical, group-based exercises to
apply learning to ‘real world’ situations and requests
• Practice more advanced work breakdown structures, network diagrams,
critical path and PERT analysis, Gantt charts and other techniques that
ensure robust project control
• Demonstrate planning a project from initiation to completion
• Manage and adapt the plan to meet challenging requests in terms of
scope creep, resource change, change requests, and cost/budget
challenges
• Understand the impact of human “utility” on project planning and
06/11/2013
10/12/2013
14/01/2014
03/03/2014
All students across all faculties
Page 28 of 34
Pre-requisite:
Introduction to Project Management
•
•
Advanced
Project
Management
S0093
management
Learn techniques to identify risks, quantitatively and qualitatively assess
probability and impact and use a 5-point assessment matrix to categorise
risk and then undertake a proactive, detailed risk analysis of the case
study by following a rigorous and robust risk management process
Be able to calculate and justify EMV and project contingency
The delegate will be introduced to tried and tested management techniques
for dealing with complex and ill-defined projects. It focuses on the remaining
material needed for the CAPM exam.
During this 1-day course, participants will:
• Learn about initiating complex projects and programmes including
reconciling stakeholder priorities and constituting the project board
• Prioritise multiple projects, establish the project slate and calculate the
cost of changed priorities
• Be aware of phased project delivery, distinguish needs and wants and
avoiding "gold plating"
• Understand establishing a project office, defining function and
responsibility, recruiting appropriate staff and identifying training and
certification needs
• Explore how to manage change effectively in a project environment
• Learn effective work allocation including scheduling multiple tasks and
Goldratt's Theory of Constraints
• Understand different project types and alternative project management
methodologies
• Learn to employ Earned Value Analysis (EVA), computing CV, SV, CPI, SVI,
and predicting likely outcomes
• Appreciate ethics and professionalism in projects and the need to comply
with rigorous standards of behaviour
Page 29 of 34
11/12/2013
04/03/2014
13/05/2014
All years
Pre-requisite:
Introduction to Project Management
plus Intermediate Project Management
(required route for CAPM certification)
or Intermediate Project Management
CAPM Exam Prep
Day
S0107
The Strategic
Researcher
S0223
The delegate will be introduced to tried and tested management techniques
for dealing with complex and ill-defined projects. It focuses on the remaining
material needed for the CAPM exam.
During this 1-day course, participants will:
• Learn about initiating complex projects and programmes including
reconciling stakeholder priorities and constituting the project board
• Prioritise multiple projects, establish the project slate and calculate the
cost of changed priorities
• Be aware of phased project delivery, distinguish needs and wants and
avoiding "gold plating"
• Understand establishing a project office, defining function and
responsibility, recruiting appropriate staff and identifying training and
certification needs
• Explore how to manage change effectively in a project environment
• Learn effective work allocation including scheduling multiple tasks and
Goldratt's Theory of Constraints
• Understand different project types and alternative project management
methodologies
• Learn to employ Earned Value Analysis (EVA), computing CV, SV, CPI, SVI,
and predicting likely outcomes
• Appreciate ethics and professionalism in projects and the need to comply
with rigorous standards of behaviour
15/01/2014
14/05/2014
Are you wanting to get a grant, but not sure how to approach it strategically?
Or despite getting the grant and getting the research done, do you find it hard
to achieve the publication outputs? And if you do publish, how strategic are
you about it - do you just do the next paper on the list or do you think about
which one will help with your next grant or be read by more people or have
greatest impact?
19/02/2014
In relation to the team you work in, are you being as productive as possible,
for example using all team members or colleagues in a way that increases
your publication output and theirs? Do you use the limited resources in the
most effective way possible?
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All years
Pre-requisite:
Introduction PM plus Intermediate PM
plus Advanced PM (required route for
CAPM)
All years
Domain D
Title and Code
Summary
Date/s
Designed for/pre-requisites
Applying your
Research to
Policy
This training course will assist participants to understand what policy is, the
process through which it is developed and the most effective ways to
influence it. Practical sessions will be interwoven throughout the session,
giving participants the opportunity to draft and refine their own actions plans
to influence policy through their own research.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, participants will:
• Expanded their paradigm of ‘policy’
• Learned how to prepare stakeholder maps
• Mapped and prioritised the stakeholders who are relevant to their policy
area of interest
• Identified, in a very practical way, how they will approach the task of
influencing the influential stakeholders regarding their particular research
and the corresponding policy(ies)
04/11/2013
20/02/2014
All students across all faculties
Publication of research is crucial in an increasingly competitive job market.
This course aims to enhance students’ skills in reworking a conference paper
for publication, and in evaluating the range of publication outlets available.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, participants will
• Have improved their knowledge of the nature and rationale of peer
review
• Have enhanced their skills in terms of selection and evaluation of
different publishing outlets [conference proceedings, journals -electronic
and print]
• Have enhanced their understanding of how to adapt text for print,
incorporating readers’ reports and negotiating revisions.
13/02/2014
All 2nd/3rd/final year students
S0177
From Conference
Paper to
Publication
S0083
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Pre-requisite:
This course is for 2nd and 3rd year PhD
students from Arts, Humanities and
Social Sciences disciplines only
Making an
Impact? Publicly
Engaged
Research for
Postgraduates
S0208
Preparing &
Delivering a
Conference
Paper
S0042
This course will offer postgraduate research students an opportunity to
consider how their research may be relevant and interesting to society. There
will be an opportunity to discuss the growing importance of Public
Engagement with research and how this links to research impact. The
workshop will be led by Beatrice Korc, Director, Science and Society
Department, University of Lyon in France. There will also be contributions
from Dr Catherine Bates, Co-ordinator of Students Learning with Communities
at Dublin Institute for Technology and Queens who will share examples of
public engagement in postgraduate research projects. The course will be
facilitated by Eileen Martin and Emma McKenna, who manage the Science
Shop at Queen’s University Belfast.
TBC
Effective project planning and the communication of research results are
26/03/2014
fundamental to researcher development. This workshop focusses on a central
activity of researchers in higher education, the preparation and delivery of a
conference paper, beginning with the proposal and submission of an abstract
to the drafting of a text and strategies for its oral delivery.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course participants will:
• Have identified appropriate communication mechanisms, particularly in
oral modes, for different audiences
• Have identified appropriate project planning strategies including the
recording and critical synthesising of data
• Have developed a confident, positive approach to conference
participation
Page 32 of 34
All students across all faculties
All students across all faculties
Pre-requisite:
This course has been designed for 2nd
and 3rd year students in humanitiesrelated areas. As noted above this
course is only relevant to students in
AHSS.
Presentation
Skills 1: An
Introduction to
Planning,
Designing &
Delivering
S0174
Presentation
Skills 2: Design,
Practice and
Deliver (a second
stage workshop)
S0175
Researcher
Lunchtime
Seminars:
Developing your
Networks
An introductory course in presentation skills for postgraduates in the early
TBC
years of their research PhD. This course will prepare you for both academic
and non-academic presentations. We will explore and develop your own
unique personal, academic and professional communication styles. In this
respect we look at examples from influential TED talks and other professional
presentations. You will be encouraged to practice key techniques and prepare
powerful visual aids and openings. We will also explore different structures
and timings.
This is an essential first stage course and part of a series of two. For
participants on the Level 5 Certificate in Leadership & Management (ILM
qualification) programme we will also explore themes of collaboration and
leadership in presentations. This is the first stage on your journey to delivering
an assessed professional presentation later in the year.
This course will help you prepare for your first year review, seminar or
conference.
All 1st & 2nd year students across all
faculties
A second-stage workshop designed for PhD candidates who have attended
Presentation Skills 1: An Introduction. In this workshop we will develop ideas
of leadership, confidence and control and explore new presentation trends
and visual communication styles, especially techniques associated with
narrative structures and storyboarding. We will practice creativity and
leadership and apply them to your own research messages. We’ll also explore
communicating to a variety of audiences who are ‘stakeholders’ in your work
and its impact on society.
The course will focus on all presentation situations but the techniques are
essential to all forms of academic and non-academic communication. This is
an interactive course and you will be required to work on a presentation
about your research interests. Participants in the Level 5 Certificate in
Leadership & Management (ILM qualification) will be encouraged to prepare
for their assessed presentations later in the year.
TBC
All students across all faculties
Networking is important to a researcher; in conducting research and
developing links with potential employers inside and outside academia. This
session will provide insights into networking in an academic context and
beyond. There will be a number of talks on:
•Why is networking important to your research? How researchers can
07/03/2014
Page 33 of 34
Pre-requisite:
Must have attended Presentation Skills
1 course.
All students across all faculties
S0214
develop academic networks, key skills and practical experience.
•How researchers develop networks with potential employers in order to
investigate and broaden their awareness of a range of career options.
The session also include the chance to meet with researchers from across
Queen’s and includes a speed networking exercise to develop your
networking skills. A light lunch will be provided.
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