Browse or search for courses

This course seeks to help students develop their critical reading skills, and to deploy tactics and strategies that can accelerate the process of literature-based research without sacrificing detail and depth necessary for a doctoral thesis.

The course is aimed at first year students, but all are welcome.

Getting published is a central part of being a researcher. Peer-reviewed publications allow researchers to communicate their research to the broader research community, and thus, make a contribution to the body of work within their field.

This workshop is divided into two interrelated components. The first concerns the question of ‘high impact’, whilst the second concerns the process of peer-review and manuscript preparation.

It is possible to attend this as an individual workshop, although we would recommend that you try to attend the series starting with Getting published I: Writing for publication

Please note: This course does not offer bespoke or 1-1 support for manuscript preparation.

This is the first of two workshops designed to develop your understanding of the technicalities and the process of getting your research published.

In this workshop, we examine the technical aspects of writing up your research in a format appropriate for publication. You will learn about the importance of following journal guidelines and house style, and the value of using a clear structure to frame your paper. You will also receive guidance on how to produce clear writing in a register appropriate for the readership.

It is possible to attend this course as an individual workshop, although we would encourage you to attend the second workshop in the series Getting published II: Impact and Peer-review.

Please note: The course does not offer bespoke or 1-1 support for manuscript preparation.

Research in the 21st century is global, and research teams are intercultural. 35% of Cambridge research students are from outside the EU; and postdocs are the most diverse group by nationality, representing almost 100 countries. This diversity is one of the University’s biggest strengths. Yet intercultural communication is not without its pitfalls and misunderstandings. It takes conscious discipline to think about one’s own cultural assumptions and to try to make sense of others'.

This two hour workshop will give you some tools to help identify where national culture might be having an influence on your professional and social interactions, where common misunderstandings can occur, and how to address potential challenges, especially when the majority of it is now happening online. The content of the session is informed by research form intercultural studies and refers to culture as a framework of shared values, attitudes and behaviours. It explores the nature of generalisations and the relationship between culture and personal values.

A recommended course by the Researcher Development Programme as part of the University of Cambridge's subscription to LinkedIn Learning.

The course can be accessed here.

A curated collection of recommended courses by Researcher Development as part of the University of Cambridge's subscription to LinkedIn Learning.

The collection can be accessed here.

A curated collection of recommended courses by Researcher Development as part of the University of Cambridge's subscription to LinkedIn Learning.

The collection can be accessed here.

A curated collection of recommended courses by Researcher Development as part of the University of Cambridge's subscription to LinkedIn Learning.

The collection can be accessed here.

A curated collection of recommended courses by Researcher Development as part of the University of Cambridge's subscription to LinkedIn Learning.

The collection can be accessed here.

A recommended course by the Researcher Development Programme as part of the University of Cambridge's subscription to LinkedIn Learning.

The course can be accessed here.

Managing a project is a key skill for an effective researcher, yet project management is often poorly understood.

This can lead to projects running out of time or money, or overworking people. This online course gives you the foundational project management knowledge needed to complete your research project successfully, as well as the opportunity to implement and thereby embed this knowledge.

Outcomes:

• Understand how to define, plan and implement a project
• Know how to manage yourself and others effectively
• Be able to identify and plan for risks and cope with challenges

How to Access the Course

In order to enrol onto Managing a Research Project, you will need an enrolment key. Please use the appropriate key for your School.

Postgraduate School of Life Sciences: PSLS-mrp20
Physical Sciences and Technology: SPST-mrp20
Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences: AHSS-mrp20

You can access the course and enrol at the following link: https://www.vle.cam.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=135202

Why it’s hard and what you can do to make it (a bit) easier?

The thing with writing is that by the time we’ve got to graduate level, we feel that we should be able to do it well. This has the knock-on effect that we tend to see any difficulties that we’re facing almost as personal flaws – no-one else is facing these challenges? Right? Well, no, actually. You’re certainly not on your own – and even seasoned academics will still be facing some of the same difficulties that you are right now.

In this session, we’ll start by taking a step back and looking at why writing at this level is hard – to which the simple answer is that, well, you aren’t just writing (you can all do that already) – you’re actually creating knowledge – and that’s hard. We’ll then take a look at how English works – not grammatically or syntactically – but the language’s rhetorical paradigm: when the language is ‘clearly written’, what’s going on and why? And we’ll also take a look at how other languages have other rhetorical paradigms. We’ll then close by having a look at some strategies that you can employ to keep your writing on track, as well as get some tips

Do you get the results you want from your communication with others at work? Are you able to talk with confidence in meetings and interviews? Do you have a high level of impact when speaking in public?

This individually focused and completely confidential one-to-one coaching session will help you refine your presentation skills, help you speak more confidently as an emerging leader in your research field, and develop new approaches to your communication in a wide range of professional situations.

Constructive feedback will give you insight into your speaking style, how you come across to others, and how well your ideas are communicated. Coaching will focus on your individual requirements ranging from practical points about elocution and vocal projection, to holding the attention of a room, to structuring a compelling presentation.

You've got interesting research to share, but is anyone listening?!

Presenting your research is an essential skills for a researcher, be it with your peers, at a major conference, or even to a room full of schoolchildren. This online toolkit covers a whole range of performance and presentation techniques for you to work through and incorporate into your presentations, in your own time. From crafting a story to handling the dreaded Q&A, there’s guaranteed to be something there to help you improve your presentations.

If you particularly struggle with the performance aspects of giving a presentation and don't feel comfortable talking in front of others, then you may also like to attend the Better Presentations workshop.

Outcomes:

• Understand how to create a compelling presentation
• Know some practical tips for giving an engaging performance
• Understand how to continue improving with each presentation

How to Access the Course

In order to enrol for the Presentation Skills Toolkit, you will need an enrolment key.

Please use the appropriate key for your School.

Life Sciences: PSLS-pst20
Physical Sciences and Technology: SPST-pst20
Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences: AHSS-pst20

You can access the course and enrol at the following link: https://www.vle.cam.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=129841

Whether you are new to presenting, looking to speak at your first conference, or wanting important tips to finesse your delivery, this is the course for you.

Before attending this online session you will have to prepare a 5 minute presentation. You will deliver your presentation to the rest of the participants and receive feedback.

For this event, we are joined by Clare Trowell, Marshal Librarian at the University of Cambridge. The focus will be on Accidental Plagiarism, Self-Plagiarism and techniques for avoiding both.

Journalist and broadcaster Emma Baker talks about how to harness the art of great storytelling to effectively communicate your research to a range of audiences. From building an engaging narrative to tailoring your story to a variety of situations, this session will aim to inspire you to realise the true potential of your research, by telling its story with power and authenticity.

Are you completely overwhelmed by the reading that you have to do? Would you like to be able to scan long documents for the important points?

This online course can help you to make the most of the time available to you by ensuring that your reading isn't slowing you down, and that you are reading strategically. You can complete the course at your own pace.

Outcomes:

• Identify what holds back your personal reading speed
• Practise techniques for improving your speed
• Learn how to read articles strategically

How to Access the Course

In order to enrol for the Reading Efficiency Toolkit, you will need an enrolment key. Please use the appropriate key for your School.

Postgraduate School of Life Sciences: PSLS-ret20
Physical Sciences and Technology: SPST-ret20
Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences: AHSS-ret20

You can access the course and enrol at the following link: https://www.vle.cam.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=134122

This course seeks to provide you with an overview of the principles, responsibilities and importance of research integrity. We will cover what research misconduct looks like, how it can be avoided and reported, and where you can find help for maintaining and promoting integrity in your research work.

This course is not intended to replace discipline specific or more comprehensive integrity training, but rather to provide the minimum level of knowledge that all employees and research students engaged in research at the University of Cambridge are expected to possess. It is particularly suitable for new staff or PhD students, and anyone wishing to develop their awareness of research integrity.

This 2 half-day course focuses on the structure of good scientific writing using writing exercises as an integral part of the workshop. The course will look at the practical process of writing, the nature of scientific publishing, and the importance of editing. The day will include editing sessions in which you apply the ideas you have learnt to your own writing.

For this, you will need to write a 300-word abstract about your work in advance and have it available to work on during the workshop (see 'Prerequisites' below for details).

It’s that time of year: the report is looming on the horizon and the reality of writing is here!

This ‘hands on’ session focuses on helping you plan and structure your first year report. In the first 15 minutes, we will discuss the function of the first-year report and in the remaining time you will have the opportunity to work on your report and write.

This online course introduces you to the Cambridge Researcher Development Framework and then asks you to complete a short self-analysis quiz, where you will assess your existing skillset against the key skills identified by the CamRDF and identify target areas for improvement. You are asked to provide examples that demonstrate your skills, to justify your answers and provide a useful reference when creating applications in the future.

This is really the basis upon which you should plan all of your researcher development, so it is a highly recommended course for all postgraduate students! We encourage you to take this course at the beginning of your studies, but also each year thereafter, to guide your researcher development throughout your time here.

Outcomes:

• Understand the key skills needed by a professional researcher
• Assess your existing skillset against these key skills
• Plan your development training for the coming year

How do I sign up?

To enrol onto the course, you will need to follow the link below.

You will be asked for an enrolment key: AHSS-sas20

https://www.vle.cam.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=125101

This online course introduces you to the Cambridge Researcher Development Framework and then asks you to complete a short self-analysis quiz, where you will assess your existing skillset against the key skills identified by the CamRDF and identify target areas for improvement. You are asked to provide examples that demonstrate your skills, to justify your answers and provide a useful reference when creating applications in the future.

This is really the basis upon which you should plan all of your researcher development, so it is a highly recommended course for all postgraduate students! We encourage you to take this course at the beginning of your studies, but also each year thereafter, to guide your researcher development throughout your time here.

Outcomes:

• Understand the key skills needed by a professional researcher
• Assess your existing skillset against these key skills
• Plan your development training for the coming year

How do I sign up?

To enrol onto the course, you will need to follow the link below.

You will be asked for an enrolment key: PSLS-sas20

https://www.vle.cam.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=125101

This online course introduces you to the Cambridge Researcher Development Framework and then asks you to complete a short self-analysis quiz, where you will assess your existing skillset against the key skills identified by the CamRDF and identify target areas for improvement. You are asked to provide examples that demonstrate your skills, to justify your answers and provide a useful reference when creating applications in the future.

This is really the basis upon which you should plan all of your researcher development, so it is a highly recommended course for all postgraduate students! We encourage you to take this course at the beginning of your studies, but also each year thereafter, to guide your researcher development throughout your time here.

Outcomes:

• Understand the key skills needed by a professional researcher
• Assess your existing skillset against these key skills
• Plan your development training for the coming year

How do I sign up?

To enrol onto the course, you will need to follow the link below.

You will be asked for an enrolment key: SPST-sas20

https://www.vle.cam.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=125101

Time management is just something you do... who would spend precious time on getting better at it?

You might already be the most effective person you know, or you might instead be struggling under a pile of to-do lists and missed deadlines. Whatever your background, this online toolkit will give you some new ideas to think about and try out. Each tool provides some information and examples, and then sets you the challenge of seeing if it works for you in real life.

Outcomes:

• Understand how to use several different time management techniques
• Identify which of these help you to be more effective
• Feel more in control of your time

How to Access the Course

In order to enrol for The Time Management Toolkit, you will need an enrolment key. Please use the appropriate key for your School.

Postgraduate School of Life Sciences: PSLS-tmt20
Physical Sciences and Technology: SPST-tmt20
Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences: AHSS-tmt20

You can access the course and enrol at the following link: https://www.vle.cam.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=128701