Welcome to this month's edition of Postgraduate Researcher Training and Development Bulletin- our last edition for 2024! We hope you enjoy the festive break and have a great new year.

In the bulletin, you will find some of our courses which are coming up soon, divided into four key areas of researcher development as per the Vitae Researcher Development Framework:

• Knowledge and intellectual abilities
• Personal effectiveness
• Research governance and organisation
• Engagement, influence and impact

You will also find other training and development opportunities across the University and beyond, including a Business Engagement for Early Career Researchers Workshop taking place on Penryn Campus. The date of the next bulletin will be Wednesday 8 January 2025.

Our full list of courses can be found on our upcoming training webpage.

As a postgraduate researcher, you will have many demands on your time. Before booking onto a course it is important that you read the course description fully and consider:

• Does this course cover what you expected from the title?
• Is it relevant for you at this stage in your studies?
• Is it relevant for your discipline?
• Which courses should I prioritise (your supervisor might be able to help advise on this)?
• Can I attend the date, time and venue (the majority of our courses are online but some are in person)?

All our courses have limited spaces so it is important that you book onto the courses that are suited for your specific needs.

We appreciate that unexpected things come up and you may no longer be able to attend, or you may find that a course you have booked onto is no longer relevant to you. Please don't forget to cancel via iTrent so that someone else can book on, as our courses are in high demand.

Conducting a literature review Part 2- critiquing, structuring and writing (Tuesday 10 December 2024, 13.30-15.00 via MS Teams)

Writing a literature review is an essential starting point of good research. A thorough literature review allows you to position your work within the wider academic field and articulate the need and value of your research. This session will help you understand how to engage critically with your reading, identify a structure for your literature review and explore how to go about planning and writing.

Please note that this workshop follows on from the Conducting a literature review (Part 1): searching, reading, note-taking. You are advised to attend both sessions.

Library 101 (Thursday 16 January 2025, 10.00-11.30 via MS Teams)

This course will introduce attendees to the Library, our services and teams as well as the discovery tool Library Search.

Did you know that as a PGR at the University of Exeter, you can access the Consortium for the Advancement of Research Methods and Analysis (CARMA) though our institutional account for free? This gives you access to lots of online research methods webinars and resources. Sign up here using your University of Exeter email account (scroll down the page to ‘Find Out More’, then expand the arrow for CARMA (Consortium for the Advancement of Research Methods & Analysis) and follow the registration/sign up instructions).

How to thrive in the first year of your doctoral journey- top tips from PGRs (panel discussion) (Tuesday 14 January 2025, 11.00-12.15 via MS Teams)

This is a panel discussion featuring University of Exeter PGRs who will discuss their top tips for thriving in the 1st year of your doctoral studies. Panel members will each share their own experience of starting their PhDs, offering tips on getting started and you will then have an opportunity to ask specific questions to help you better navigate the beginning of your doctoral studies.

Being an international postgraduate research student at University of Exeter (panel discussion) (Wednesday 22 January 2025, 13.30-14.30 via MS Teams)

This is a panel discussion featuring University of Exeter PGRs who will discuss being an international student- the joys and the challenges. Each panel member will share their own experiences and you will then have an opportunity to ask specific questions about life as an international PGR.

Postgraduate research can be challenging at times, but the Wellbeing Services team are available throughout the year, to offer support if you need it. Check out the services available here.

The Wellbeing Thesis offers all sorts of useful resources to help you on your doctoral journey.

Sharing Your Research Data (Wednesday 11 December 2024, 10.30-11.30 via MS Teams)

Sharing research data is a critical part of the open data environment, and it has many benefits for both the researchers sharing the data and the wider research community.

This webinar will introduce the open data environment and explain why you should be thinking about sharing your research data.

It will also cover the different options available when it comes to sharing your data, and help you determine which is the most appropriate approach for your data.

The Role of Sustainable Development Goals in your Research (Tuesday 14 January 2025, 13.00-14.30 via MS Teams)

The course aims to help researchers understand how these sustainable development goals (SDGs) can shape and enhance the impact of their work. Key areas covered include understanding the SDGs; incorporating SDGs into research; interdisciplinary approaches; measuring impact; and funding and opportunities.

Bored of working on your own? Finding it difficult to concentrate? Looking for other people to co-work with online? Then why not join PGR Study Space, which is a welcoming and supportive environment run by PGRs for PGRs. Sign up here.

Did you know the Library runs its own training programme to help with library skills? It includes events such as:

• library research cafés where you can ask the library staff how to make the most of the Library Search service, identify and use academic databases, and build your online search skills so that you can quickly and easily find research materials to support your studies and research;
• sessions on academic writing and academic listening from English Language Skills Development Team;
• other relevant courses to familiarise yourself with key library skills.

Some courses are discipline-specific or may be aimed at undergraduates/postgraduate-taught students so don't forget to check the details before booking on.

Any questions? Click the 'Ask Us' button on the library webpages to start an online chat or email them at library@exeter.ac.uk.

We are pleased to share the Coding for Reproducible Research training offer for the start of 2025. Click on the below links for further information and registration details for our January courses. All workshops planned for the coming term are now listed on our Workshop Schedule and Sign-up page, though registration for March workshops will open in the new year.

30 spaces are available for each workshop which will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. Registration closes a week prior to the course.

• Regression Analysis in R: Adapting to Varied Data Types - Online only (1 session, 13.00-16.00, Monday 13 January 2025)

This hands-on workshop builds on participant's understanding of simple linear regression and covers how to fit a broader range of regression models with R, including logistic regression. Participants are expected to already be familiar with both the basics of R and with fitting simple linear regression models in R then interpreting the output of these.

• Introduction to Python - In-person only (2 sessions, 10.00-13.00, Friday 17 January & Friday 24 January 2025, Streatham Campus)

In this course, participants will learn the basics of one of the most popular general-purpose programming languages used in a wide range of applications, from machine learning and web development to data analysis and automation.

• Computational Thinking - In-person only (2 sessions, 10am-1pm, 28 January & 4 February, Streatham Campus)

Over two sessions, this course will introduce some fundamental principles that are the basis of writing computer code in any language and should enable participants to write, develop and debug code more effectively. This course is aimed at anyone who is currently programming or thinking about learning to program.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with the Coding for Reproducible Research initiative via CodingForReproducibleResearch@exeter.ac.uk.

Are you interested in developing your research career through business engagement?

Register for the Business Engagement for Early Career Researchers workshop, taking place on Thursday 30 January 2025, 9.00- 16.00 in person at Penryn Campus, to explore how engaging with businesses can enhance your professional development and broaden the impact of your research.

This fully funded one-day training event offers PhD students, postgraduates, and early career researchers the opportunity to gain essential skills for building research-led careers.

Why not check out some of the numerous training and development resources available through Vitae? They focus specifically on professional development for researchers and you can register for free using your University of Exeter account. Register here and then head here for general advice on various aspects of doing a doctorate and how to access further support, and guidance at all stages of your studies.