PAR unit has launched a series of practical workshops as part of the provisions by the Postgraduate Student Centre. The workshops, focusing on various topics related to research, aim to provide more opportunity for postgraduate students to practise research skills and to get academic support on their research.
Students' testimonials on Postgraduate Student Workshop:
- “The content of the workshop is very practical. I really hope more workshops related to qualitative data analysis will be offered in the future.”
- “I got to learn about qualitative data analysis in a systematic way.”
- “I learned about what exegesis is and how it is structured. The workshop also provided some ideas to kickstart my own writing.”
- “I have clearer idea of what to look for when I create art work and how to explain the work better in a paper too.”
- “This should be a paid class, and you are getting it for free! What are you waiting for?"
Postgraduate Student Workshops
- Research Design
Research design provides a process for researchers to plan their journey in answering a research question. A good research design is crucial to the success of your professional practice or thesis project. This practical workshop helps you understand the kinds of decisions you have to make, from defining your research question to identifying the types of data you need, when mapping out the plan for your research project, and helps you embark on your research journey with a clearer direction.
- Data Documentation & Preservation
In performing arts research, the acts of documenting one's creative process, collecting data and preserving output from both the research and creative activities can be closely intertwined. Documentation, data collection and preservation can also be viewed as "extra work" or forgotten as one gets lost in the flow of creating new work. This workshop aims to provide practical strategies and knowledge in the following areas:
- Identifying what is documentation vs data (and how they may overlap)
- Building in documentation and data collection steps into the creative process
- Basic introduction to metadata, media formats and file organisation
- How all these steps contribute to data analysis and dissemination, exegesis writing, and future artistic works
- Qualitative Data Analysis
This workshop introduces different methods of data analysis through practical exercises. The key questions to be explored include:
- What do we do with the data collected from observation, interviews or reflective journals?
- How can we make sense of qualitative data like personal experiences, opinions or images?
- What are the tools and methods that can help us analyse qualitative data rigorously?
- What is an Exegesis?
This workshop explains the nature of exegesis and introduces a few models of exegesis writing. The purpose, structure and content of the exegesis in performing arts research will also be introduced. Examples of exegesis will be examined to illustrate the aboce concepts and ideas. Practical exercises will also be conducted to explore the close relationship between exegesis and creative practice.
- Exegesis Writing Skills
Writing for Practice-as-Research is a specialised form of academic writing that is closely tied to the author's creative process and personal self. The exegesis is one type of writing output that Practice-as-Researchers produce in their careers. Students in this workshop will be guided through the more technical aspects of writing an exegesis such as structure and setting a writing timeline. They will also be given some tips on writing style, especially in regard to their "voice" as an author.
- Presenting Research
Presenting research is crucial in communicating what you have achieved and discovered in your research to your audience. A good research presentation can help you obtain feedbacks from colleagues or even open doors to new collaboration opportunity. However, organising months of practices and research works in a short presentation is very challenging. This practical workshop will take you through the considerations and steps that help you prepare an effective and engaging research presentation for your audience. It will equip you with the skills required for your “Professional Practice” and “Thesis Project” presentations.