Dear all
May I ask your help in encouraging PhD supervisors and research students to complete a survey we are launching today as part of a RIN study into the role of supervisors in developing students' information literacy? I will outline the study below, and then suggest some text you might use, if helpful, when forwarding the survey to supervisors and students - or via your central Graduate School or College. The surveys are at http://www.rin.ac.uk/supervisor-survey and http://www.rin.ac.uk/research-student-survey. Background
Providing the best possible support to academics and research students is now a given for institutions. Research Councils are also keen to ensure that training and development opportunities are planned and provided. A notable area in which there is little prior evidence is the perspectives of supervisors (PhD and equivalent) with respect to research skills focusing on the handling of information and data. The Research Information Network (RIN) has therefore commissioned a study intended to explore and advise in this area, which is especially timely given the launch of Vitae's Researcher Development Framework (RDF). Understanding the role of the supervisor is absolutely critical in providing integrated, effective and efficient support to all research students.
The study is being undertaken by a partnership between Curtis+Cartwright and Cardiff University. The study is described at <www.rin.ac.uk/role-research-supervisors> and includes two parallel surveys, one for supervisors and one for PhD students. The two surveys, and resulting data, are not linked for individual supervisor-supervisees. We are, however, aiming for a high response rate, across all disciplines and all institutions. The results and data will be published by RIN later this year.
The surveys are being undertaken now and will run until mid-March 2011. They are reliant on your support to promote and to achieve the study's aims. Please would you distribute this survey widely and urge its completion in whatever way possible. I have provided an easy-to-email version below; please feel free to edit it to best suit your needs.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch to ask questions.
Thank you for your time and support,
Cathie
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For supervisors:
This survey investigates the experiences of supervisors with respect to their research students' (PhD, DPhil, etc) knowledge and skills in information handling. The survey should take 15-25 minutes to complete.
Benefits of completing the survey:
* you will be helping to promote good practice in developing research skills for research students
* you will be shaping recommendations on how support for supervisors and research students can be enhanced
* you will have the opportunity to enter a prize draw for a £100 Amazon voucher
Please go to http://www.rin.ac.uk/supervisor-survey to start.
For research students:
This survey investigates the experiences of research students (PhD, DPhil, etc) with respect to a particular aspect of research: the information handling skills and knowledge required in their subject. The survey should take 10-15 minutes to complete.
Benefits of completing the survey:
* you will be contributing to an understanding of best supervisory practice
* you will have a chance to reflect on your own knowledge, skills and opportunities for improvement
* you will have the opportunity to enter a prize draw for a £100 Amazon voucher
Please go to http://www.rin.ac.uk/research-student-survey to start.
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Cathie Jackson
Senior Consultant: Information Literacy
Information Services
Cardiff University
PO Box 430
Cardiff
CF24 0DE
Tel: 029 2087 5687
Fax: 029 2037 1921
Email: [log in to unmask]
Web: http://www.cf.ac.uk/informationliteracy
Welsh Information Literacy Project: http://www.library.wales.org/informationliteracy/
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