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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 competencies mapped out by this framework.

You will have the opportunity to reflect on your self-assessment to identify target areas for improvement and start seeking opportunities to develop these skills. By providing examples that demonstrate your existing skills, you will also create a useful reference for crafting applications in the future.

This is a highly recommended courses for all postgraduate students, as it forms the basis upon which you should plan all of your researcher development! We encourage you to take this course at the beginning of your studies, but also once a year thereafter, to guide your researcher development throughout your time here and ensure you are still working towards your evolving goals.

Outcomes

• Understand the key skills needed by a professional researcher
• Reflect on your existing skillset through mapping against these key competencies
• Plan your development for the coming year

How to Access the Course

Enrol onto the Skills Analysis Survey (Moodle)

A CRSid / Raven password is needed to access this online course. If you don't have one, please get in touch at researcher.development@admin.cam.ac.uk.

Please note this workshop has limited spaces and we request a pre course questionnaire is completed.

This Methods Workshop welcomes participants who are interested in acquiring skills related to Open Data Kit (ODK), a tool that facilitates the implementation of low-cost digital recording for field surveys. ODK is an open-source data collection platform, that can be used on mobile devices, offering a wide range of features for the development of customised digital survey forms. It allows users to collect geotagged photos, sketches, location coordinates, load pre-existing data, implement skipping logics, write questionnaires in multiple languages and more.

These forms are made using XLSForm standards which offers an easy to understand and simple way of authoring forms using Excel. ODK users can also collect data offline and send it to server when a good internet connection is available, allowing data to still be collected in areas of low internet connectivity. The collected data is submitted to the server from where it can be downloaded for analysis or further processing. In this workshop, you will be able to learn end-to-end ODK form development, deployment, setting up on a mobile device and analysing collected data. With these skills, you will then be able to design your own personalised field data collection system as per your research/project requirements.

Note: ODK Collect (mobile application) is currently only available for android devices. However, the forms can also be accessed using Enketo web forms in a browser on a laptop or on a mobile device e.g., iOS. Enketo web forms and ODK Collect are expected to have different appearance for survey forms as these are developed and maintained by different teams.

The module aims to provide students with an introduction to semiotics and cultural semantics. It will overview semiotic and cultural sematic approaches to cultural, literary, and social studies. The focus is on key aspects of semiotics and cultural semantics, including their key concepts and usage in research design and objectives. The module will explore the differences between approaches as opposed perspectives on cultural symbolism. While illustrative examples are mainly drawn from cultural, visual, and literary research, the skills acquired through this module are also applicable to other topics and areas in the social sciences.

Outline

The module is structured into two lectures and two workshops, each lasting two hours:

• Lecture 1: Introduction to Semiotics and Cultural Semantics
• Lecture 2: Key Semiotic and Cultural Semantic Concepts and Methods
• Workshop 3: Reconstruction of Cultural Code
• Workshop 4: Social Semiotic in Visual Studies

Contents

Lecture 1 will cover a brief overview of semiotics and cultural semantics, introducing key terms and distinctions between semiotic and semantic approaches to cultural studies. It will address strategies for investigating cultural symbolism and the meaning-making process.

Lecture 2 will delve into widely used concepts in both fields, such as cultural meaning, cultural text, symbol, sign, elementary communication structure and sign structure. This focus is on understanding cultural semiosis, symbolisation, and the meaning-making process. The lecture will explore both approaches in discussing cultural values, meanings, texts, and artifacts.

Workshop 3 will teach students how to reconstruct cultural code as a key structure for understanding cultural symbolisation. It will include the practical examples of reconstructing the cultural code related to single motherhood through literary texts.

Workshop 4 will introduce recent studies in visual grammar, drawing on surveys in children’s picturebooks. This session aims to explore the application of social semiotics in visual studies, emphasizing the analysis of visual elements in cultural symbolism and meaning making.