Category Archives: Graduate School
Research trip/Guilt trip
Mention a trip to the Arctic and people’s eyes generally widen a little. For some, the Arctic conjures images of heroic explorers manhauling sledges in a blizzard: for others, Instagram photos of the northern lights come to mind. Either way, visiting the far North has connotations of adventure, mystery, and perhaps, danger. When I explain the reason for the visit is to further my understanding of the lives of the women who have inhabited the Arctic, as part of my postgraduate research project, I get mixed responses.
I don’t need, or seek, other people’s approval, so why am I made to feel a little bit guilty about my self-funded, week-long research trip?
Firstly, it’s comments about my responsibilities. How on earth can my husband look after the dogs and carry out grandparent duties to our two-year-old grandson, as well as cook, clean, and get the shopping? I point out that my husband is extremely capable and hasn’t once complained about the hours I need to devote to my research. (Interestingly, he was never asked how I was managing when he was commuting to London to work twelve-hour shifts for the London Fire Brigade while I was going slightly insane looking after twin babies and a two-year-old toddler at home in Northampton.)
Secondly, maybe I’m just a product of an education system that was stuck in the past regarding women’s potential. My girls’ grammar school still taught how to make a bed, how to iron men’s trousers, and how to cook a nutritionally balanced three-course meal for a family. It wasn’t until my children were all at school that I decided I was worthy of studying for a degree. Despite going on to achieve my Master’s, am I still harbouring concerns that I’m over-reaching?
Yet, despite more guilt – this time about my carbon footprint – I boarded my WhizzAir flight to Tromso. I’d planned my research trip to coincide with the week of the Sami Festival, which gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in multiple cultural events: I learnt about the traditional Sami music, the joik, and went to a performance by a Sami choir ; I chatted to reindeer herders, who explained about the effects of climate change on their animals and their way of life; I practiced crafts at a workshop run by the Sami community, and I also spent hours in the numerous museums, researching not only about the lives of the Sami but also that of Wanny Wolstad, the first lady taxi driver in Tromso and the first female hunter-trapper of the high Arctic. It was invaluable to my research project to access such a wealth of historical artefacts and information.
And, yes, I witnessed the mysterious Northern Lights as they lit up the sky above the Lyngen Alps and, yes, I fell in love with the reindeer that were roaming the hills around the coastal village of Sommaroy, and, yes, I was emotionally moved by the sublime beauty of the snow-covered mountains and the ice-crusted fjords.
I don’t think I should feel guilty for any of that.
Blog post written by: Clare Moss
The PhD Process: Five years of banging on about the same thing
I initially became a student at the university way back in 2014, starting my BA in Media Production and Creative Writing; before then, I had held the belief that I had zero academic potential. Three years later, I had a First-Class degree and was pleased to have been proven wrong. It goes without saying that the first obvious step was continuing my education through a Masters, which I did, gaining an MA in Contemporary Literature at a Merit. I was burnt out at that stage. I knew I needed to take some time out from academia. So, I focused on my marketing career, developing and learning more about that.
Then Covid. It seems weird that the thing that put me back onto the research path was such a massive event; it impacted so many people in so many ways. For some, this impact was a heartbreaking loss or the struggle between distance and isolation. For me, I was made redundant – there was no need to market when the market was shut.
But redundancy was the catalyst. After some encouragement from my husband, I started drafting my research proposal. I already knew what topic I wanted to explore, so expanding that was easy…almost. It had been over two years since I had read critically and deliberately. But it was like slipping on an old, favourite jumper. In October 2020, I started my PhD.
I was unprepared for the next handful of years; I had committed to a part-time course, which meant 6 years. Tens of thousands of words in 6 years sounds straightforward at the start. In practice? Not so straightforward. But I was persistent – taking on the familiar adage which was repeated to me by every PhDer and numerous staff members – “it’s a marathon not a sprint”. Some years were more productive than others, it took me the whole of 2021 to get my literature review drafted, but in 2024 I drafted two of my analytical chapters. 2025 is off to a slow start, with me putting it on the back burn as work and personal situations took up more of my time. But I am looking at the finish line. It’s a year or so in front of me but within touching distance.
I was told that if I didn’t hate my subject by the end, I was doing the PhD wrong. This is meant to comfort people who have lost that passion. Spending half a decade with one topic is exhausting, particularly when the project’s scope has changed from what you initially plotted out.
My friends, I am pleased to say I am doing it wrong. I am still as fascinated by my subject as I was 5 years ago. But I am incredibly fortunate to have the time to do this, albeit squeezing it in the evenings and weekends or my lunch breaks if I have a deadline looming. My key lesson from nearly 5 years as a PhD student is that 5 years is not at all as long as I thought. I was the one who first thought about the project, shaped it, grew with it, changed
it, and I will be the one to complete it. I want to enjoy it. So, I have done everything I can to make this thesis the thing I still get excited about after all this time. I make pretty notes. I reward myself with lil treats when I finish a chapter draft, or do well in a supervisor meeting. But mostly, I don’t punish myself if I lag behind slightly or need more revisions – and yes this is what I am passionate about and I want to do well with. But we cannot be at 100%, 100% of the time.
So to anyone starting a PhD, or in the middle of one, or head-in-hand-just-had-enough of this thesis. Just take a breath and remember: it’s your project. You’re doing it!
Blog post written by: Bethany McTrustery
Claire’s Adventures in PhDland
It took me two years to get to my actual research question and to feel like I knew what I was trying to investigate. There were the obvious things of life – work, family, health, money – but I felt like I was wading in academic treacle to get anywhere. I went down what felt like thousands of rabbit holes, trying out different perspectives around my theme, and created a plethora of conceptual models (once I had figured out what one was). I read. A LOT. It felt very tangled and messy and, looking back on it, I needed all that time to get my head around what I was actually doing.
As I was working out what I was actually looking at, I talked to many many people. My supervisors, of course, held me accountable in academic terms to the level and quality of PhD research, even if they haven’t necessarily understood exactly what I was exploring at the time. My family often look at me as if I have finally lost it, particularly when I get excited about a bit of analysis that gives an interesting insight, but they also ask questions which make me think from a different perspective and bring me coffee too! My industry network is a fantastic sounding board, making sure that my research is grounded in practice and generating insight that is applicable and impactful for the events industry.
At various points through the process, new collaborators have emerged, offering opportunities to explore new areas or engage industry in my research in a different way. These have been, and are, incredibly exciting and perhaps a little distracting. It has led to me being part of a national network and now leading on their industry research activities, and I am part of a team developing AI-driven experiential learning to apply the findings of my research. However, all of this has taken a lot of time and energy and, at times, has torn me away from focusing on my research and prioritising it.
There is something wonderful about people being interested in one’s research and creating something that has value and impact on the industry that I love being part of. Inadvertently, I seem to have built a new reputation and profile for myself that is based on my brain and insights, less so on my event management skills and capabilities. Not having yet completed my PhD, I feel somewhat an imposter but I am taking a moment in this blog to realise how far I have come from those first months of nervous excitement and confusion as I started, through developing my question, to collecting data and now to analysis and writing up.
I know I still have a long way to go to complete my PhD but I know how I’m going to get there, which is more than I started with! To anyone else who feels a bit lost and overwhelmed with it, hang on in there, get support, lean on your support network, stay curious and focus on the goal whether it’s hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly or in a lifetime.
Blog post written by: Claire Drakeley
DEADLINE EXTENDED: Images of Research 2025
All researchers (staff and research students) at the University of Northampton are invited to participate as the Call for Images is open. Create a unique image – a painting or a photograph – that captures the essence of your research or captures an element of it in an artistic way. Include a catchy title and a 150 word summary and your entry for Images of Research will be ready for submission. You can find more information on how to apply in the IoR 2024-25 Rules and Guidelines.
As in previous years, this year’s IoR will consist of two parts – viewers can vote for their top three favourites and a ‘guest’ judge will pick their top three as well. All you need to do is make sure that your entries follow the Rules and Guidelines linked above and submit your image via this form by the close date of May 31.
The Graduate School launched its first Images of Research in 2013. Justin Lance, then Head of Corporate Programmes at NBS said of it “this is such a wonderfully simple, yet powerful, concept to showcase the diversity and flamboyance of research across the University.” Indeed, this is a perfect opportunity for you to express your creativity and engage a broader audience with your research. Every year, Images of Research are displayed around campus and selected images find their way into different University publications.
Browse through the Images of Research 2024 Brochure to take a look at last year’s entries.
If you are a researcher we invite you to participate in our 13th Images of Research. If you have any questions please contact Lina in the Graduate School.
We look forward to your entries!
Images of Research 2023-24: Results!
Dr Cathy Smith, Dean of Research & Knowledge Exchange, announced the winners of the 2023-2024 Images of Research competition at the in person day of the Annual Research Conference on 25th June.
Out of a collection of 23 fabulous research images from across the University of Northampton, Lewis Collins and Sonika Divakar et al was chosen by guest judges, Dr Cathy Smith and Lorna Jowett, Professor of Media and Culture, as the overall winners of this year’s Images of Research with their image entitled ‘Interstitial Forms’. The Runner Up was Karen Anthony with her image entitled ‘How do you like your eggs in the morning?’.
A public vote where 115 members of the UON community voted for their favourite images saw Adil Farooq take home the People’s Choice award with his image titled ‘The Roots of Sustainability: Nurturing a Greener Future’.
IoR showcases research in a unique way – researchers produce an original image, which can be a photograph or artwork, and write a short, engaging summary describing how the image links to their research. This results in an exciting exhibition, showcasing UONs research diversity.
We would like to thank everyone who participated by sending us an image, and extend a massive congratulations to the winners!
All images and abstracts can be seen in the catalogue below.
UON Researchers showcase inspirational research at Annual Research Conference
UON’s Annual Research Conference 2024, “Strength in Diversity”, held on June 25th and 26th, featured a diverse range of inspirational and impactful research, showcased over a 2-day event. The first day, in-person at Waterside, kicked off with a research artefacts exhibition where people were encouraged to touch the exhibits; play games, wear scarves, look into microscopes and read a range of books authored by our researchers. Dr Cathy Smith, Dean of Research and Knowledge Exchange, opened the conference and announced the winners of the annual Images of Research Competition. Lewis Collins & Sonika Divakar won the Judge’s Vote, with a runner up place to Karen Anthony. The Public Vote competition was won by Postgraduate Researcher, Adil Farooq.
Read the rest of this entryImages of Research 2024: voting now open!
The Graduate School’s 2024 Images of Research (IoR) is now open for ‘People’s Choice’ voting. This year we have a collection of 23 fabulous research images from across the university. IoR showcases research in a unique way – researchers produce an original image, which can be a photograph or artwork, and write a short, engaging summary describing how the image links to their research. This results in an exciting exhibition, showcasing UON’s research diversity.
To vote for your favourites, view the Images of Research Brochure, (you can download the file at the bottom of this news item), then choose your favourite two in the IoR 2024 Voting Form. Please vote for your favourite two in no particular order, taking into account BOTH the image and the abstract. As a guide, a winning image would be one that:
* Is visually appealing AND
* Has an accompanying abstract which is well written, clearly connects with the image and ensures viewers, who know nothing about the research topic, will understand and find interest in the research presented.
The People’s Choice closes on June 20th at midnight. Please note that there is only one entry allowed per person.
Read the rest of this entryCome along to the 2024 Postgraduate Researcher Poster Competition!
The Graduate School would like to invite you to their 17th Annual Postgraduate Researcher Poster Competition on Thursday 23rd May 2024, 11am to 2pm, in the Owl’s Nest on the ground floor of the Learning Hub, Waterside campus. The poster competition is a development opportunity for doctoral research students, who present their research on a research poster, giving short 1-1 verbal presentations alongside. Come along to meet some of our PGRs and learn about their research!
Read the rest of this entry
UON Research Conference 2024 – call for submissions deadline extended to 13th May!
The call for submissions for our Annual Research Conference is open to all researchers at UON, so whether you are a PGR student, an early career or more experienced researcher you can apply to present your research on Tuesday 25th June (on campus) and/or on Wednesday 26th June (online). You have the choice of a 15 min oral presentation, chairing a round table discussion, facilitating a workshop, presenting a 20/20 Pecha Kucha (20 slides, each for 20 secs!), designing a research poster/infographic for an online collection or submitting an artefact/object for a ‘touch the exhibits’ display on campus. You can enter as many of these categories as you would like. The call closes at midnight on 13th May. To enter read on…..
Read the rest of this entryFunding your doctoral studies – The Alternative Guide to Funding
Are you a postgraduate student (PhD, Professional Doctorate, MPhil or Masters student) at the University of Northampton who is self-funded? Would you like a chance to win funding for fees, maintenance, travel, conference attendance and other research expenses? If so, you might be interested in the next few paragraphs!
The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding Online is all about alternative sources of funding – charities, foundations and trusts – which can
make awards (fees, maintenance, research costs) to any PG student
regardless of subject, or nationality. The Alternative Guide Online contains a huge database of funding opportunities, comprehensive guidance, and numerous tools to help you prepare a winning grant application. The Graduate School has a subscription to The Alternative Guide to Funding, and you can find out more here. Read on for instructions on how to register and for a webinar recording which will explain how it works.
UON Graduate School Blog 