Practicalities

Your candidature

Higher Degrees by Research are bound by tradition and closely regulated, so it is essential that you familiarise yourself with the university requirements and guidelines outlined in the Guide to candidature.

So that you know how your work will be judged you should read the sections in the Guide to candidature on:

  • conduct of research
  • what to expect in a thesis
  • the examination process.

There is a great deal of information on a range of practical issues relating to your candidature at Information for HDR candidates.

Your support networks

Establish your support networks early. Your supervisor will normally be able to direct you to the appropriate contacts but it will then be up to you to establish your own research network. If you receive a faculty newsletter for research students, make sure you read it. If your faculty has a research support network or research seminars, make sure you get involved and keep a note of the HDR contacts.

Student comment
I did not realise that I had to prepare myself psychologically as well as intellectually for the research process. You need to be prepared not only for the intellectual challenge, but also the personal challenge of solitary, demanding work. But I've found that meeting this challenge brings with it a much greater sense of achievement.

You have complex human needs and this is a major project which will test your stamina - physical, spiritual as well as intellectual. Thesis writing can be a lonely process.

Help yourself deal with the complexities of being a postgraduate student. You may have to balance conflicting roles as both student and lecturer, juggle family as well as professional responsibilities, or you may have to deal with financial issues while you take a break from your job. The nature of research candidacy means that your relationships will involve both collaboration and conflict. Power relationships are subtle and can be hard to handle. Examiners can be quite demanding and your thesis may not be accepted at first submission. You may be asked to make changes and resubmit. Make use of the support that's available - it's there for you:

Don't forget the range of support also available from Student Life and DUSA (Deakin University Student Association).

The Higher Degree by Research Language and Learning Adviser provides one to one consultations on all matters related to research as well as offering workshops and seminars in this area.

Remember you are not alone.

Timelines and planning

It is hard to stay on track when you're doing a research degree.

It is important to:

  • Set up a routine.
  • Set deadlines and meet them.
  • Reward yourself along the way.

Have a look at our resource on Planning for more details.

Financial matters

The Guide to candidature covers a range of financial matters including:

  • scholarships
  • financial support
  • insurance.

Financial support may also be available from the Division of Student Life.

IT training

You may need to become familiar with specialised software depending on the research methods you employ, but you will find that basic IT skills are generally presumed. It might be helpful to become familiar with the IT facilities at Deakin even though you may be an experienced computer user. Check the Deakin Software Library also.

Backing up your data and version control of your documents are extremely important.

Library skills

The ability to effectively locate, evaluate and use information are key research skills. Regardless of your area of research, it is vital that you learn how to make the best use of the library and of the information resources that are available through the Deakin University Library website. Of particular note is the Library research support page.

EndNote

What is EndNote?

Researchers often find it a major chore to store references and notes on the literature they read and use. EndNote is a bibliographic software program which allows you to create your own list of bibliographic references. The primary function of EndNote is to provide a medium for systematic and accessible storage of bibliographic data, but it has other uses, such as inserting in-text citations into your articles, conference papers or thesis, formatting correctly in the style of the publication for which you are writing, and compiling and formatting a matching bibliography. It can also be used to connect to selected library catalogues and online databases and to download references.

Where can I get EndNote? EndNote software is provided free to Deakin students. Check details from within the Deakin Software Library; look under the link to Teaching and Learning.

Advantages of using EndNote

Student comment
I would guess that EndNote saved me about six weeks' work. I don't know how I could have managed my thesis without it. Besides using it to keep a bibliographic record of the materials I had consulted over the years, I used the notes section to write material which I then reworded for my literature review.

EndNote allows you to store detailed information on your references. You can record bibliographic information such as the author(s), year and date of publication, title, name of publication, volume, issue and page numbers. But you can also use EndNote to store abstracts, annotations about articles, information on where the journal is kept, or cross references to other articles on a similar topic. You can even use the notes section in EndNote to write the material you will later incorporate into your literature review.

EndNote can also make it easier to locate your information. If you compile an EndNote database which contains information about hundreds or thousands of references, you can use it to locate and display all the articles by a given author and your notes on each of them. It also allows you to locate, in a matter of seconds, all the references with a given keyword in the data or within your notes or your abstracts. It can be used to search remote databases such as the Deakin Library catalogue, as well as databases such as MEDLINE, ERIC and AUSTROM, and to import data files saved from a variety of online services or CD ROMs.

Moving between EndNote and your writing is easy. EndNote has been designed to run in conjunction with Microsoft Word or WordPerfect and it becomes a plug-in tool which is located through a tool bar. Inserting an in-text citation involves just a few mouse clicks to locate and select the desired reference in your EndNote data file (called a 'library') and then you can switch back to your manuscript.

EndNote recognises that you will have to deal with a variety of resource types and that each of these has different kinds of data. EndNote gives you a list of reference types which include journal article, book, book section, edited book, newspaper article, personal communication, computer program, conference paper, thesis, map, report, audio visual material, electronic source, patent, artwork and a type labelled generic. This helps to identify and group your sources as primary, secondary or tertiary.

Most importantly EndNote allows you to change the format of your bibliography to suit the style of different publications. EndNote is preconfigured for most commonly recognised reference styles; these may be modified to suit your own needs, and unwanted fields may be deleted.

Searching library catalogues and databases

Student comment
I used to copy and paste from the online library catalogue and thought it was such a clever way of saving me from the tedium of typing out titles and other bibliographic data. Then I found EndNote which not only allows me to search for, select and download records from the library catalogue into my EndNote 'libraries' but also to format them according to the referencing systems used by the different journals to which I'm submitting articles.

An important set of functions within the EndNote program enables you to electronically transfer or import references directly from a library catalogue or database into your EndNote 'library' or file. Hundreds of references can be transferred or imported in a single step. The time saved in inputting data, alone makes it worthwhile. The process also has additional benefits in helping to ensure consistency and completeness of your references. All, or as much as you require, of the information in the catalogue or database record can be copied into your library. This can include library call numbers, subject headings and journal article abstracts.

Every library catalogue and database is unique, so you'll need to use one of several different methods to transfer references. Although this process can seem complicated, advice and instructions on the best option to use for individual products is available in the EndNote support material provided by the Library.

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25th July 2011