Day 4 (Thursday 15 April):
Today focused more on postgraduate studies, funding and support services. We started the day by giving feedback on our group discussions from yesterday afternoon, followed by the following talks:
1. Ms Lisa Kane (
UCT Honorary Research Associate & PhD student, University of Lancaster)
She didn't give up on doing her PhD regardless of struggling to find someone to be her supervisor. Time-management is important. Set aside time for your family, for work, for research and stick to it. Often a librarian can offer a shoulder to cry on, and the library can become a sanctuary. Librarians should show interest in research conducted by students, and be flexible. There is a huge need for more digitised material (e.g. maps). She has never made use of a librarian, but would have liked to have one ...
2. Dr Saurabh Sinha (
UP, Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering)
Gave us some valuable information re the PhD research journey. Research groups need meeting places to solve problems themselves; access to e-libraries; state of the art equipment (attracks top researchers). You have to "own" your research topic. During the proposal phase libraries need to access Scopus/ ISI Web of Knowledge. Students submit up to two papers for journals, and one for an international conference.
3. Prof Deborah Posel (
UCT, The Institute for the Humanities in Africa)
Innovative research becomes more inter-disciplinary. Create new connections, network. Inspire postgraduate students by pulling them into inter-disciplinary communities.
4. Dr Gaelle Ramon (
UCT, Research Office)
Also didn't give up on her research, regardless of not being able to speak English in the early days. Supervisor plays a very important role. The library can play a role on giving input re where to publish, etc.
5. Dr Andrew Kaniki (
NRF)
Lots of funding available for researchers. We can help making them aware of it. Major challenge for researchers is access to knowledge.
About the program so far: Very well structured, with sufficient breaks in between. Thanks Pat!
About my fellow colleagues attending the academy: This is a great bunch of people. I have learnt so much from them and from the questions they asked, as well as the talks we engaged in on professional level and over lunch/dinner during the past days.
To summarise/my personal opinion:
- We can learn from researchers, and they can learn from us. Communication is very important!
- In order to conduct our research, librarians can do with some study leave as well :)
- Re searching for theses & dissertations - try out
IRSpace, along with Current & Completed Research, Nexus
- Subject librarians should - and in most cases I believe they do - also follow an inter-disciplinary approach.
- Maybe librarians will be able to better identify with the research process by also enrolling for their Masters/PhD's? A tough one ...
- A state-of-the-art library can also attrack researchers worldwide?
- A question: How can we become a world class and internationally competitive university and compete with researchers in the USA, who have access to a vast amount of databases/e-journals?
- Inter-disciplinary communities can spontaneously evolve within the Research Commons ... different postgraduates from different disciplines informally engaging in social areas of Research Commons.
Highlights: Drumming session, and potjiekos-dinner with Julene, Danie, Saurabh, Wynand, Pieter (I think Saurabh now have a completely different perspective of librarians :))
Ina
