Academic networks
The fourth generic quality covers the two learning modes of autonomy and collaboration. For the research degree student the context is ‘as a researcher within a particular discipline or professional area and within wider but related areas’.
Introduction
Academic networks are not only a crucial resource during the candidature but are necessary to continue research in the relevant discipline or professional area after the thesis has been completed. These networks assist with a student's personal development as well as helping to increase their knowledge of their discipline, and create a sense of belonging to an academic community rather than working in isolation. Networking will be with the student body as well as academics both locally, nationally and internationally, through a number of means such as email; meetings; seminars, forums and workshops; conferences; newsletters; and professional association membership.
Implementing Research
Degree Graduate Qualities at UniSA (RTF file) acknowledges that
'in particular cases, the supervisor would have directed the student
to academic and professional networks for future reference'.
UniSA resources
On campus workshops
Research Education Support Activities (RESA) offers on campus workshops relevant to developing academic networks as part of the core series (all disciplines). Check the calendar for details of when these workshops are offered.
Seminars and forums given by visiting researchers and research degree students or staff of UniSA are regularly advertised by email within your school, division or institute. These are often combined with an informal gathering and refreshments to provide the opportunity to socialise with other people with research interests.
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Online workshops, courses and resources
Networking index (RESA) provides links to online workshops, courses and resources. Particularly relevant is Networking in the research community online workshop, an interactive professional development resource that prompts users to consider their networks locally and more broadly, and offers ways of networking effectively on a number of levels.
GradPad
The GradPad provides online spaces where higher degree by research (HDR) students can collaborate, create and join research communities and support networks both inside and outside the University. GradPad encompasses:
Other
Search for research supervisors (Directory of Research Expertise) allows you to enter keywords for your research area, to find out what other students and their supervisors are doing, and create a network for yourself within the University.
Research Candidates Proposals Collection (Library) is a registrar of UniSA research degree students' research proposals which can be searched through the catalogue and will link students to other research proposals in their field.
Sessional Employment Register: If you are available for hourly paid work at UniSA as a lecturer, tutor, researcher, marker, field placement supervisor, course developer etc. you can now register your contact details, qualifications, areas of expertise, discipline/s, dates and times of availability. This section of the website is non-password protected. Details can be updated at any time.
UniSA Alumni
gives you valuable career networking resources and opportunities such as
a regular alumni newspaper
The Graduate,
information on seminars and public lectures, careers fairs, postgraduate
learning opportunities, reunions and other
networking
events.
Other resources
Useful links (UniSA) lists local, national and international associations, university listings, publications and networks of relevance to the tertiary education sector.
Please note: each of the topics below is covered in more detail in Networking in the research community (RESA Online).
Researchers at other universities
The most effective way of locating researchers at other
universities is to look through recent issues of journals in your
discipline. Your supervisor or
Academic
Library Services for Research Concentrations can help you to locate appropriate publications. These may
be online and offer free access to articles or just citation
details of past issues. A
database search in a range of
databases
will help locate researchers in your area of interest.
Journals usually publish the contact details of authors under the article’s title or at the end of the article. Most researchers will be pleased to receive a polite letter or email expressing interest in their work. If travelling overseas or interstate, you could combine the trip with a brief visit to researchers in that location.
Conferences
Conferences are another useful way of networking,
especially if you have reached a stage in your research where you have
some work to present. You can find out about the dates and locations of
conferences in your discipline from your supervisor or professional
organisations, either national or international.
Your school or institute will have some funding to support you to
present
at a conference. See the
Statement of Resources
for Research Degree Students studying in Australia. The links below
will also be useful, but you may find other resources using
Google or
other search engines
- Events and conferences (within and outside UniSA)
- Academic and Professional conferences (Australia)
- Academic and Professional conferences (United States)
Professional organisations
You will want to join one or more professional organisations or at
least keep yourself informed of their activities
- Professional associations (Division of Information Technology, Engineering and the Environment) lists professional industry bodies linked to programs offered by this division
- Professional societies (Division of Health Sciences) lists a wide range of professional societies which have varying levels of association with the School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences
- Australian professional organisations, associations and societies does not claim to be a comprehensive site and you may need to talk to your supervisor(s) and other higher degree by research students to find relevant Australian professional organisations to contact, or do a Google or other search engines search on your subject area, for example 'professional organisations art'.