The part-time researcher
Tristram Hooley
Senior Programme Manager
Vitae
What is it like being a part-time
researcher?
Sometimes great. I’m very enthusiastic
about my subject and it is such a privilege
and feels so self-indulgent. Sometimes –
more often – it is a great burden and I feel
very guilty about spending time on this
when there’s so many other pressures on
my time.
Overview
Understanding the part-time experience
– PRES
– Qualitative data
– Recommendations
Introduction to the materials
– Film
– Resource pack
Running it collaboratively: the Midlands experience
Overview
Understanding the part-time experience
– PRES
– Qualitative data
– Recommendations
Introduction to the materials
– Film
– Resource pack
Running it collaboratively: the Midlands experience
Background
Part-time researchers make up a substantial (fifth to
a quarter?) part of the doctoral cohort.
Only 48% of part-time doctorates are completed
within 10 years.
HEIs can often find part-time researchers challenging
to deal with (off-campus, time-poor, do not fit the
standard profile).
Vitae Midlands Hub event in 2005 provided an
opportunity for HEIs to talk about these issues and
share practice.
The project
Project developed by the Vitae Midlands Hub.
Combined training development and delivery with
research into the cohort who attended.
Led by myself, Ged Hall, Heather Dalgeish and Kate
Mahoney
Research assistant on the project was Carol
Edwards.
PRES analysis contribued by Gosia Kulej (HEA)
Outputs
Pilot workshop programme across Midlands HEIs in
2008
Revised workshop programme running 2009.
Resource pack detailing workshop materials available
free to HEIs via Vitae website or as a folder.
Research report
Film available on DVD, YouTube and the Vitae
website.
Question
What kinds of people undertake
research part-time?
In groups see if you can come up with a typology of the
part-time researchers you have met.
Question
What issues do part-time
researchers face?
Overview
Understanding the part-time experience
– PRES
– Qualitative data
– Recommendations
Introduction to the materials
– Film
– Resource pack
Running it collaboratively: the Midlands experience
Postgraduate Research
Experience Survey
73 HEIs across the UK surveyed
Between March and May 2008
Over 57,000 surveyed; 16,562 replies (29%)
Sample broadly representative (against HESA data)
PRES 2008 dataset
3,462 part-time (22% of all PRES respondents)
Is it representative?
HESA - 48% (writing up?)
DIUS - 30%
HEFCE (PhD starters) - 21%
Covered by PRES
Supervision, skills development, infrastructure,
intellectual climate, goals and standards, thesis
examination
Students’ feedback, career progression and
development needs
Teaching opportunities and personal factors
[Link]/ourwork/research/surveys/pres
Demographic profile - age (PRES)
Demographic profile – domicile
and ethnicity (PRES)
70% of full-time are White,
9% Chinese and 8% Asian
86% of part-time are White,
only 2% are Chinese and
2% Asian
Demographics – other (PRES)
51% are primarily distance learners
Motivations: interest in the subject and improving
career prospects
Popular disciplines: education (15%), social studies
(13%) and historical and philosophical studies (11%)
58% are self-funded and only 4% funded by the RC
59% are registered on PhD courses and 10% are
doing a professional doctorate
Supervision and standards
Supervision
– Part-time slightly more satisfied with
supervision in general (by 3% points) than
full-time
Goals and standards
– Part-time seem to be slightly (2-3 %
difference) better informed about
institutional standards and requirements.
They know who to approach if they need
help/advise/want to complain.
Finance and general satisfaction
Finance
– No difference in terms of a strain on
personal finances
General satisfaction
– The same levels of satisfaction as full-time
students
– The same level of confidence to complete
more or less on schedule
Skills development
Part-time are slightly more confident (by 4% points)
about managing their research project
Part-time agree less that they developed
communication skills (6%)
Believe they have less opportunities (7%) to develop
transferable skills and are less satisfied with these
opportunities (5%).
Research environment
Part-time in general less satisfied with research
environment than full-time (6%)
Part-time researchers feel less integrated into their
department research community (10%)
Less likely to agree that they have appropriate
financial support for their research activities (16%)
Personal factors
Friends and family slightly less supportive according
to part-time researchers
Employer less supportive to part-time researchers
(8%)
Teaching
Less likely to teach than full time researchers (7%)
Less likely to feel that they have appropriate support
(5%)
Less likely to feel that it was worthwhile (12%)
Summary
Not many differences between part-time and full-
time researchers’. But there are some areas
where PRES flagged up potential issues:
Financial support for research activities
Research environment – especially integration into
department’s community
Transferable skills
Career development
Teaching opportunities
Overview
Understanding the part-time experience
– PRES
– Qualitative data
– Recommendations
Introduction to the materials
– Film
– Resource pack
Running it collaboratively: the Midlands experience
Methodology
Data collected from an online survey of 87 course
participants.
A mix of questions with most pre-coding responses
but some asking for unstructured free text answers.
Questions explored the experience of being a part-
time researcher.
We also analysed some supplementary data
collected on the training days themselves as part of
the programme evaluation.
Key messages
Part-time researchers have extreme highs and extreme lows
A clear majority got great pleasure from their research
Much emotional energy is involved in the process of part-time
doctoral study
Difficulties related to managing demands on time and loneliness
Half of the participants said it was more difficult than anticipated
They wanted to meet others going through a similar process
Gratitude and relief that something was being provided
specifically for them
Expectations
…I thought I would have more contact with my supervisor or
academics in the department. Everyone said it would be
isolating, but I was not prepared for the intellectual isolation.
Almost half said the experience was more difficult than
expected
None of the difficulties mentioned related to the level of
academic study required.
They related to managing competing demands on time,
isolation, lack of sense of community, level of resilience
needed, and contact with supervisors.
Time management
Being part-time and employed full-time is challenging to
say the least and that’s just the time management
issues. Intellectually it’s very stimulating.
Very hard being part-time, juggling work and children so
that research is third priority.
It adds another ball to juggle in my life, along with work,
family and church. Somehow I survive by just doing the
next thing!
Juggling
Part-time researchers talk about stress and the
extreme highs and lows in their lives
Juggling the stakeholders in their lives, work and
doctorates is clearly very challenging.
Being short of time has a knock on effect on their
relationship with their supervisor, with other
researchers and with the university as a whole.
Isolation
As a part-time mature researcher, I feel isolated from the
activities of my university and have experienced difficulties
‘breaking into’ the networks of my department.
44/86 see their supervisor face to face less than once a
month
53/86 never use central university services
24/87 do not know any other PGRs at their own
university
Communication with supervisors
‘The main method of communication is by email but
constructive feedback and advice only tends to be received
within the context of face-to-face meetings. This is
disadvantageous for researchers living at some distance
from their university and/or for researchers who have caring
(eg parental) responsibilities, for whom most study is often
conducted during the evenings, because such meetings are
relatively rare.’
Pattern of supervision: Lots of email, slightly less face to
face, much less telephone, very little web based
communication
Communication with peers
‘I feel great. This is a good opportunity for me to talk to
people who are part-time PhDs. They have the same
situation as myself. We can discuss and share the problems
and how to make it right.’
Contact with peers is often infrequent.
Opportunities to mix with other researchers are often
advertised late or are during working hours
They would appreciate the opportunity to mix specifically
with other part-time researchers
Communication with the
institution
Training and provision is focused on full-time researchers
with part-time researchers as an afterthought. I have been
sent emails saying 'all researchers need to do this' followed
by 'but not if you're part-time' or having to clarify things and it
being assumed that I am on campus ('just drop into the
office') so now I don't bother to respond to these things.
The university is often perceived as a a system it is too
complicated to penetrate.
Training and other central activities seem to be set up
with full-time researchers in mind.
Suggestions by part-time
researchers
Give details of training courses further in advance.
Provide training courses to suit researchers living at a
distance from the university.
…more training geared towards more experienced
researchers, rather than at recent graduates or people
beginning their careers.
Seminars which are not always at lunchtimes.
I would appreciate more regular contact as this would
aid motivation. Whether that be events or with the
tutors.
Suggestions by part-time
researchers (ii)
I would suggest that a postgraduate part-time network
might be a good innovation
As some researchers are geographically spread about
the country, and if there were enough in one place,
perhaps regional meet-ups could be arranged
Better remote access to library facilities, lower fees for
remote supply services, better instructions for what is
expected from us part-time researchers … better online
learning materials…’
Overview
Understanding the part-time experience
– PRES
– Qualitative data
– Recommendations
Introduction to the materials
– Film
– Resource pack
Running it collaboratively: the Midlands experience
Questions
What could HEIs do to improve the
experience for part-time
researchers?
Should anyone other than
universities (e.g. funders, QAA, NUS)
be doing anything on this issue?
Recommendations
Recruitment
Understanding the cohort
– Understanding the cohort (HEIs)
– Understanding the cohort (national
organisations)
– Review of HESA classifications
– Investigate completion rates
Support and flexibility
– Flexibility
– Support for research activities
Recommendations II
Integration and peer support
– Supervision
– Isolation
– New technologies
– Facilitating wider networks of peer support
Training and development
– Collaborative training provision
– Scheduling of training
Further work…?
Disseminating the course/resources and findings
Also it would be interesting to…
Look at the destinations of part-time researchers
Investigate completion rates
Investigate the impact of cross-cutting issues (funding,
age, experience, discipline) on this cohort
Find out what happens to those who do not finish
Build a more robust typology to aid HEIs in planning
Overview
Understanding the part-time experience
– PRES
– Qualitative data
– Recommendations
Introduction to the materials
– Film
– Resource pack
Running it collaboratively: the Midlands experience
Training part-time
researchers
Short(ish) day
Icebreakers; one sought their views on supervision
A chance to talk to academics outside of their
supervision arrangements
Two parallel training sessions
– The pairs change at each of the 6 workshops
Tips from a successful part-time researcher
How did the workshops go
down?
Overwhelmingly positive.
Would you attend another one?
– “Yes”
Would you attend another one in a different university
in the midlands?
– “Yes”
What did they get out of it?
‘Support and confirmation.’ ‘Meeting other students.
‘More confidence that I am doing Swapping experiences.’
OK.’ ‘Reassurance that other part-
‘Developed goals for next time research students
phases of work.’ experience similar difficulties’
‘Lots. I was stuck and now feel ‘Hearing other experiences of
motivated.’ part-time researchers.’
‘Encouragement to continue and ‘Insights from other students.’
re-energised.’
‘Social networking.’
‘Heard some good tips.’
Networking – don’t often get a
‘Feeling part of a community.’
chance.’
Also lots of useful feedback
We have made changes as a result e.g.
Provide access to both workshops within one day,
rather than running the two simultaneously.
Ice –breaker slot shortened.
Introduction of areas of research early on, rather than
just names.
Tightening up of guidance and focus in section on
ethos and process of research.
Overview
Understanding the part-time experience
– PRES
– Qualitative data
– Recommendations
Introduction to the materials
– Film
– Resource pack
Running it collaboratively: the Midlands experience
Overview
Understanding the part-time experience
– PRES
– Qualitative data
– Recommendations
Introduction to the materials
– Film
– Resource pack
Running it collaboratively: the Midlands experience
Resource pack
Each group should take one of the sessions and read
it through and discuss. (15 minutes)
Report back to the full group on:
– What your session was about
– What materials it included
– What you liked
– What you would change
Overview
Understanding the part-time experience
– PRES
– Qualitative data
– Recommendations
Introduction to the materials
– Film
– Resource pack
Running it collaboratively: the Midlands’
experience
The Midlands’ experience
19 institutions participated
Six host institutions + six buddy institutions
Workshops spread around the region
Bookings administered through Grad/Vitae web site
All tutors, catering, rooms and other expenses
provided by host/buddy institutions
Worked well and built collaboration between HEIs.
Over to you…
We don’t have an agreed or preferred model for
running the programme.
You can cut it up and use the bits, run it within an HEI
or collaborate in the way the Midlands did.
So, what is right for Scotland?