North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership
Trip to the National Archives, Kew
Emily McIndoe, Economic and Social History, University of Liverpool, 2017 Cohort
I have always thoroughly enjoyed archival research trips, especially to the National Archives in Kew, there’s something incredibly exciting about getting away from your desk to go and find your own primary sources. I find it such a satisfying process, although trying to explain to other people exactly what is exciting about sifting through boxes of government documents can be somewhat of a challenge. When I booked to go to the National Archives at the end of August, I knew it was going to be a different experience and I wasn’t sure what to expect, or even if I would find what I was looking for.
Best Paper Award 2019 for a Systematic Literature Review on Collaborative Problem Solving
Sofia Eleftheriadou, Educational Research, University of Manchester, 2017 Cohort
In September 2019, I presented my paper titled “Conceptualisation and measurement of collaborative problem solving: a systematic review of the literature” at the Emerging Researchers’ Conference (ERC) in Hamburg, organised by the European Educational Research Association (EERA). I attended the conference with support from the Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) offered to NWSSDTP-funded students.
Read MoreReflections on Will Medd’s Summer Writing Retreat
Will Medd ran an online Write Here, Right Now Retreat on the 21st July for NWSSDTP-funded students. This day-long session offered a uniquely formatted writing retreat, bringing together the traditional space of such a writing retreat with the provocation of live coaching experiments, to enhance and sustain an effective writing experience. The retreat provided a powerful format to get writing done, harnessing the collective energy of the group, while the live coaching invited greater awareness of how to shape the writing experience. Several attendees have provided their feedback below on what they took away from this session with Will.
‘I was initially unsure about taking a whole day out to attend training on writing. I thought that perhaps I could use the time better if I simply put my mind to writing for the day! However, I can safely say that attending this writing retreat was very worthwhile. I’m coming to the end of my 2nd year of the PhD and am conscious that next year will involve a lot of writing. This course has given me some valuable tips and tools for writing effectively and it has helped me better understand what works best for me in terms of a writing schedule. Will was informative, kind and open to many questions. The day was filled will plenty of practice time and it was well-paced. By the end of the training I had written far more than I anticipated and had also learned a lot. I highly recommend this course.’
Victoria Hirst, Educational Research, University of Manchester, 2018 Cohort
The benefits of working from home and the advantages of online conferences
Evanthia Koukouli, Social Statistics, Lancaster University, 2018 Cohort
Many things have changed due to the pandemic, one of which is our working life. Even though I used to think that working from home wouldn’t be a problem for me, it ended up being far more challenging. For a long time, I alternated between working for more than 10 hours per day and not working at all due to lack of motivation and tiredness. In particular, during the first weeks, the change to my working environment made me super productive. After a while, though, things started to go in the opposite direction. My concentration became worse than ever and I felt that I was beginning to lose my motivation. Nevertheless, there were a lot of things that helped me stay calm, confident and positive.
North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership 