{"id":7575,"date":"2017-05-09T10:18:14","date_gmt":"2017-05-09T10:18:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/per\/?p=7575"},"modified":"2017-05-09T11:20:07","modified_gmt":"2017-05-09T11:20:07","slug":"engaging-with-postgraduate-research-from-training-to-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/per\/?p=7575","title":{"rendered":"Engaging with postgraduate research: from training to practice"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Eleni

Eleni Wood, The Open University<\/p><\/div>\n

The Engaging Research<\/a> training I completed in March 2017 didn\u2019t feel like work, but the fact that the week was fun doesn\u2019t mean that the skills and discussions we had during the training weren\u2019t really valuable and important.<\/p>\n

Over recent years, the change in weighting of required research outputs has given much greater importance to engaging end-users outside of our academic spheres with our science.<\/p>\n

A lack of wider engagement can even impact on whether your research gets funded. As PhD students at the beginning of our academic careers we are at a advantageous point where we can decide if we want to incorporate engagement activities into our work and really embrace this movement from the outset.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Kate

Kate Baker and Lucy Garrett discuss the relative merits of engaging research. Photo: Richard Holliman.<\/p><\/div>\n

Should I spend time engaging people with my research?<\/strong><\/p>\n

For me the answer to the question, \u201cShould I spend time engaging people with my research?\u201d is an easy one. I\u2019ve always found communicating my science to a non-specialist audience very rewarding for a number of reasons. <\/p>\n

Firstly, there is just something magical about seeing the penny drop for people, especially when you\u2019re explaining the bizarre and complex concepts behind the formation of metamorphism of rocks. <\/p>\n

But on top of this I have had some fascinating conversations, which have helped me to work out what are the most important aspects of my research. These discussions have prompted me to think about how I direct my research in the future.<\/p>\n

Extending my skill set<\/strong><\/p>\n

The week-long workshop<\/a> did a fantastic job our skill sets. I left the workshop more confident in my ability to produce and star in short films. Examples of the films produced through the workshops are available by accessing the playlist below.<\/p>\n