research skills phd

Jump to navigation

Search form

The Graduate School

• Faculty/Staff Resources
• Programs of Study Browse the list of MSU Colleges, Departments, and Programs
• Graduate Degree List Graduate degrees offered by Michigan State University
• Research Integrity Guidelines that recognize the rights and responsibilities of researchers
• Online Programs Find all relevant pre-application information for all of MSU’s online and hybrid degree and certificate programs
• Graduate Specializations A subdivision of a major for specialized study which is indicated after the major on official transcripts
• Graduate Certificates Non-degree-granting programs to expand student knowledge and understanding about a key topic
• Interdisciplinary Graduate Study Curricular and co-curricular opportunities for advanced study that crosses disciplinary boundaries
• Theses and Dissertations Doctoral and Plan A document submission process
• Policies and Procedures important documents relating to graduate students, mentoring, research, and teaching
• Academic Programs Catalog Listing of academic programs, policies and related information
• Traveling Scholar Doctoral students pursue studies at other BTAA institutions
• Apply Now Graduate Departments review applicants based on their criteria and recommends admission to the Office of Admissions
• International Applicants Application information specific to international students
• PhD Public Data Ph.D. Program Admissions, Enrollments, Completions, Time to Degree, and Placement Data
• Costs of Graduate School Tools to estimate costs involved with graduate education
• Recruitment Awards Opportunities for departments to utilize recruitment funding
• Readmission When enrollment is interrupted for three or more consecutive terms
• Assistantships More than 3,000 assistantships are available to qualified graduate students
• Fellowships Financial support to pursue graduate studies
• Research Support Find funding for your research
• Travel Funding Find funding to travel and present your research
• External Funding Find funding outside of MSU sources
• Workshops/Events Find opportunities provided by The Graduate School and others
• Research Opportunities and programs for Research at MSU
• Career Development Programs to help you get the career you want
• Teaching Development Resources, workshops, and development opportunities to advance your preparation in teaching
• Cohort Fellowship Programs Spartans are stronger together!
• The Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society (BGHS) A national network society for students who have traditionally been underrepresented
• Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) A gateway to graduate education at Big Ten Academic Alliance universities
• Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) A community that supports retention, and graduation of underrepresented doctoral students
• Recruitment and Outreach Ongoing outreach activities by The Graduate School
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Funding Funding resources to recruit diverse students
• Graduate Student Organizations MSU has over 900 registered student organizations
• Grad School Office of Well-Being Collaborates with graduate students in their pursuit of their advanced degree and a well-balanced life
• Housing and Living in MI MSU has an on and off-campus housing site to help find the perfect place to stay
• Mental Health Support MSU has several offices and systems to provide students with the mental health support that they need
• Spouse and Family Resources MSU recognizes that students with families have responsibilities that present challenges unique to this population
• Health Insurance Health insurance info for graduate student assistants and students in general at MSU
• Safety and Security MSU is committed to cultivating a safe and inclusive campus community characterized by a culture of safety and respect
• Why Mentoring Matters To Promote Inclusive Excellence in Graduate Education at MSU
• Guidelines Guidelines and tools intended to foster faculty-graduate student relationships
• Toolkit A set of resources for support units, faculty and graduate students
• Workshops Workshops covering important topics related to mentor professional development
• About the Graduate School We support graduate students in every program at MSU
• Strategic Plan Our Vision, Values, Mission, and Goals
• Social Media Connect with the Graduate School!
• History Advancing Graduate Education at MSU for over 25 years
• Staff Directory
• Driving Directions

PhD Transferable Skills

Translating your skills and experiences.

Transferable skills are skills you acquire or learn in one setting that can be applied or translated to new and different settings, environments, and activities. Doctoral students often fall into the trap of seeing their skills as applicable in only one setting, thus do not recognize that they are qualified for a wide variety of career paths. Don’t let this happen to you! In the table below you will find a list of skills most sought after by employers. In the final column of the table are examples of activities that demonstrate these essential skills. For several of the skills you can also take online assessments to identify which areas you still need to develop.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS: Adaptability , Analytic skills , Balance & resilience , Communication skills ( oral and written ), Conflict resolution/negotiation , Cultural/Intercultural , Discipline-specific skills , Ethics & Integrity , Follow-through/Ability to get things done , Fundraising , Independent (self-starter), Intelligence , Inter-/Multi- disciplinary , Interpersonal skills , Leadership (program) , Leadership (personnel/management) , Networking & collaboration , Organization , Outreach , Project management , Research , Self-direction/Entrepreneurial skills , Supervision , Technical skills (information technology), Work ethic

Essential Skills and Competencies for Graduate Students 1 :

1 Contents of table are adapted from Blickley, et al. (2012). “Graduate Student’s Guide to Necessary Skills for Nonacademic Conservation Careers.” Conservation Biology, 27:1. 2 Winterton, Delamare - Le Deist, and Stringfellow (2006). “Typology of knowledge, skills and competences: clarification of the concept and prototype.”

Additional resources on transferable skills:

• Plan Your Work & Work Your Plan [PDF]
• Graduate Student Skills (UIUC) [PDF]

• Call us: (517) 353-3220
• Contact Information
• Privacy Statement
• Site Accessibility
• Call MSU: (517) 355-1855
• Visit: msu.edu
• MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer.
• Notice of Nondiscrimination
• Spartans Will.
• © Michigan State University

The top 3 skills needed to do a PhD are skills employers want too

Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead, University of Sydney

Associate Professor, Macquarie University

Disclosure statement

Lilia Mantai is an Executive Member of the Australasian Council for Undergraduate Research (ACUR), a non-for-profit association promoting undergraduate research.

Mauricio Marrone developed the data dashboard and is the founder of ResGap.com.

Macquarie University and University of Sydney provide funding as members of The Conversation AU.

View all partners

More and more people are applying to do a PhD. What many don’t know is it takes serious skills to do one – and, more importantly, complete it.

We analysed the selection criteria for PhD candidates on a platform that advertises PhD programs. Our analysis of thousands of these ads revealed exactly what types of skills different countries and disciplines require.

Why do a PhD in the first place?

People pursue a PhD for many reasons. They might want to stand out from the crowd in the job market, learn how to do research, gain a deeper expertise in an area of interest, or pursue an academic career.

Sadly, too many PhD students never finish. The PhD turns out to be too hard, not well supported, mentally taxing, financially draining, etc. Dropping the PhD often means significant financial loss for institutions and individuals, not to mention the psychological costs of other consequences such as low self-esteem, anxiety and loneliness .

Read more: 1 in 5 PhD students could drop out. Here are some tips for how to keep going

Our society and economy can only benefit from a better-educated workforce, so it is in the national interest to manage PhD intakes and be clear about expectations. The expansion of doctoral education led to a more competitive selection process, but the criteria are opaque.

To clarify PhD expectations, we turned to a European research job platform supported by EURAXESS (a pan-European initiative by the European Commission) where PhD programs are advertised as jobs. Required skills are listed in the selection criteria. We analysed 13,562 PhD ads for the types of skills different countries and disciplines require.

We made three specific findings.

1. Top 3 skills needed for a PhD

It turns out that it takes many so-called transferable skills to do a PhD. These are skills that can be translated and applied to any professional context. The top three required skills are:

communication – academic writing, presentation skills, speaking to policy and non-expert audiences

research – disciplinary expertise, data analysis, project management

interpersonal – leadership, networking, teamwork, conflict resolution.

Trending skill categories are digital (information processing and visualisation) and cognitive (abstract, critical and creative thinking and problem-solving).

Previous research shows transferable skills are requested for post-PhD careers, including both academic and non-academic jobs. Our research shows such skills are already required to do a PhD. Those keen to do a PhD are well advised to provide strong evidence of such skills when applying.

2. Skill demands vary by country and discipline

Skill demands significantly differ by country and discipline. For example, 62% of medical science ads mention interpersonal skills. This is twice as often as in biological science ads. Digital and cognitive skills score much higher in the Netherlands than in other countries.

Our research article reports on 2016-2019 data and the top five represented countries (Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain and the UK) and the top five represented disciplines (biological sciences, physics, chemistry, engineering and medical sciences). However, you can use this tool for granular detail on 52 countries – including non-European countries like Australia, New Zealand, the US, etc. – and 37 disciplines included in the data sample. For continuously updated data, please visit https://www.resgap.com/ .

3. PhD expectations are rising

We see a rise in PhD expectations over time (2016-2019) as more skills are listed year on year. The publish or perish culture prevails and rising demands on academics have led to calls for more engaged research, collaborations with industry, and research commercialisation .

PhD students get accustomed early to competitiveness and high expectations.

Read more: Is it a good time to be getting a PhD? We asked those who've done it

Research-based learning needs to start early

These insights have implications for pre-PhD education and pathways. Undergraduate and postgraduate degrees can further promote PhD readiness by embedding authentic hands-on research with academic or corporate partners, either as part of the curriculum or as extracurricular activities.

Many postgraduate degrees offer authentic research project work opportunities but are shorter. Those entering the PhD without a postgraduate degree miss out on developing essential research skills.

Authentic research experiences need to happen early on in higher education. Organisations like the Council on Undergraduate Research ( CUR ), the Australasian Council for Undergraduate Research ( ACUR ) and the British Conference of Undergraduate Research ( BCUR ) are designed to support institutions and individuals to do this effectively. They showcase great models of undergraduate research.

To get a good idea of what undergraduate research looks like, start with this comprehensive paper and catch up on undergraduate research news from Australasia .

We know research-based learning develops employability skills such as critical thinking, resilience and independence.

Embed career development in PhD programs

Doctoral training needs to take note, too, if it is to further build on the skill set that PhD applicants bring with them.

The good news is doctoral education has transformed in recent decades. It’s catching up to the call for better-skilled graduates for a range of careers. The training focus has shifted towards generating practice-based and problem-solving knowledge, and engaged research with other sectors.

Read more: It's time to reduce the number of PhD students, or rethink how doctoral programs work

Some institutions now offer skill and career training. Generally, though, this sort of training is left to the graduates themselves. Many current PhD candidates will attest that the highly regulated and tight PhD schedule leaves little room for voluntary activities to make them more employable.

Most PhD candidates also know more than half of them will not score a long-term academic job. Institutions would serve them better by formally embedding tailored career development opportunities in PhD programs that prepare for academic and non-academic jobs .

It’s not only PhD graduates’ professional and personal well-being that will benefit but also the national economy.

Sydney Horizon Educators (Identified)

Senior Enrolment Advisor

Associate Professor, Occupational Therapy

GRAINS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION CHAIRPERSON

Faculty of Law - Academic Appointment Opportunities

6 Essential Research Skills to Excel in a Clinical Research PhD Program 

Blog Summary 

Dreaming of a fulfilling career in clinical research, introduction  .

Beginning a PhD program in clinical research requires a deep comprehension of the area’s complexities, making it a complicated intellectual endeavour. This introduction explores the fundamentals of a PhD programme in clinical research and highlights the significance of developing certain research abilities. As we explore the critical components that define success in this academic pursuit, it becomes evident that mastering these skills contributes to educational excellence and prepares individuals for impactful contributions in the dynamic realm of clinical research. 

1. Mastering Literature Review  

Mastering the art of literature review is paramount for any individual pursuing a PhD in Clinical Research . Beyond the basics, efficient utilization of online databases is a skill that will be frequented throughout the program. Aspiring researchers should become adept at navigating platforms like PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar to access the latest and most relevant literature. 

Critical analysis techniques play a crucial role in this skill set. Evaluating the credibility and relevance of sources, identifying key themes, and synthesizing information are essential aspects of constructing a robust theoretical framework for research studies. The literature review sets the stage for formulating research questions and hypotheses, making it a cornerstone skill. 

2. Proficiency in Experimental Design  

At the core of any research endeavour lies the design of experiments. Crafting clear and testable hypotheses is a fundamental aspect of this skill. As individuals pursue a PhD in Clinical Research, the ability to choose suitable methodologies and plan statistical analyses becomes increasingly critical. 

The selection of appropriate methodologies depends on the nature of the research—whether qualitative, quantitative, or a combination of both. This decision shapes the data collection methods and, consequently, the reliability and validity of the research findings. Proficiency in statistical analysis is crucial for drawing meaningful conclusions and ensuring the overall rigour of the study. 

Subscribe For Newsletter

Select Category School of Public Health and Social Work School of Business Management and Public Administration School of Research School of Nursing

Select Program Ph.D in Public Health Master of Public Health Doctor of Public Health Administration Fellowship in Surgery Fellowship in Paediatrics and Child Health Fellowship in Clinical Cardiology with Critical care -->

Ph.D in Management Doctor of Business Administration

Ph.D in Clinical Research

Ph.D in Nursing

In-Demand Fields for PhD After Masters in Biological Science

Career Opportunities for a Clinical Research Scientist

Explore Career Opportunities in Alternative Medicine

Value of an Online EMBA for your Career Growth

Career and Financial Prospects of Clinical Research Scientists

Related posts.

Explore the Current Trends in Quality Assurance of Clinical Research

The purpose of Studying PhD in Clinical Research

7 Time Management Hacks Every Clinical Research PhD Student Should Master 

From Awareness to Action: Pursuing a PhD in Clinical Research

• More Networks

10 PhD Transferable Skills You Can Use in Most Jobs

“No one wants to hire PhDs because they are overqualified and too independent!”

This is one thing PhDs are tired of hearing. How can your PhD be a liability to your career? Rather, recruiters prefer PhD candidates over others not just for their qualification but for their PhD transferable skills.

Table of Contents

What are PhD Transferable Skills?

PhD Transferable skills are exactly what the name suggests! These are skills other than technical skills that you develop in your academic program. Furthermore, these skills are so versatile that they can be used everywhere, irrespective of the designation or field. Transferable skills are desirable because if you already have them, your employer will not have to train you on them. Consequently, you can make positive contributions in any career with these skills.

Which are the PhD Transferable Skills that You Must Develop?

Considering that a doctorate degree is the highest degree in most fields, the skills that are required to excel in the same are impeccable. Undoubtedly, researchers pursuing their Ph.Ds. or postdocs develop technical skills related to their research. However, what they also need to develop is a host of research transferable skills they can use as they progress in their careers.

Which are 10 PhD Transferable Skills You Can Use in Most Jobs?

With the surge of jobs for PhD in STEM, recruiters struggle to fill those positions with talented candidates. They are always in need of trained professionals who know how to create information from scratch, and not just recreate it in a tinkering manner.

While your work experience and education during PhD is an asset, you’d be surprised to find out that employers in most sectors pay close attention to your skill set. According to a recently published survey report by LinkedIn, 57% of respondents identified soft transferable skills as more important than hard skills (technical knowledge).

Here, we list 10 significant PhD transferable skills students can use in most jobs.

1. Project Management

The most apparent thought that comes to anyone’s mind while thinking about PhD is “project management” skills. A successful research experience goes hand-in-hand with a well-planned project. As simple as it may sound, the management skills of a PhD graduate are not confined to his/her project. It starts right from ideation of the research project to final submission, which results in an ultimate success of the project. Different stages of a PhD’s journey demands customized planning and organizing to ensure that deadlines are met and projects are completed efficiently and effectively. Furthermore, a PhD makes sure that all plans are duly incorporated. Employers seek candidates with PhD transferable skills as they want someone who can not only see a task through, but can visualize what needs to happen on a project from start to finish.

2. Accelerated Learning

As a doctor of philosophy, the ability to ascertain knowledge runs thick in the veins of a PhD researcher. An inquisitive mind and quick comprehension of technical things is interlinked to your accelerated learning ability. Moreover, being a PhD, you attend conferences and read papers to stay on top of the latest trends in your field. Consequently, PhD transferable skills ensure employers of your ability to understand technical procedures, protocols, and methodologies.

3. Time Management

Time waits for none! The key to a tension-free and smooth workflow is effective time management . While planning is important, defining your deadlines, setting realistic and achievable goals, and adhering to them takes you a long way! At a job, every moment spent on an unfocused or frivolous task, is a waste of money. Contradictorily, time management may not be viewed similarly in academia. However, as a PhD your motive has been to complete your program in time. This acts as a serious motivation to develop excellent time management skills.

4. Attention to Detail

One of the essential core skills of a PhD is paying attention to the details. To the best of your experience as a researcher, you are aware that mistakes can be missed in the bat of an eye. Therefore, it is a known fact that PhDs are one of the finest people to make sure that each project runs through a fine-tooth comb. As a result, employers can count on you for detail-oriented assignments that require critical assessment and corrections.

5. Ability to Collaborate

As stated earlier, PhDs are not new to working in groups to achieve common goals. Your significant contribution in research groups, as a researcher and author during your PhD program demonstrates your ability to collaborate . Employers seek candidates who are team players making positive contributions to the success of a group.

6. Writing Proficiency

Given the nature of modern technology, writing may not be a primary task of most job profiles. However, it sure is an essential element for academic and allied knowledge dissemination careers. In due course of pursuing a PhD, you come across countless reading material from authors all around the world. This subsequently stocks up your bank of vocabulary and enhances your writing skills for an unambiguous conveyance of messages and information.

7. Leadership Skills

Leadership skills aren’t only your ability to supervise and manage a team, but to take the lead on a project and get a team to follow through and achieve goals. As a PhD you’re the “lead” for your project. While it doesn’t necessarily involve leading other people, it still means being responsible for major decisions to accomplish targets. Additionally, it is common for PhD students to work in research groups and collaborate on shared projects. Nonetheless, they also demonstrate leadership while organizing conferences and seminars for their department or university. PhDs are also seen showing leadership skills while advising students and mentoring peers.

8. Critical Thinking and Analysis

As a PhD, it’s a given that you are able to analyze data and provide logical reasoning to it. Throughout your program, you collect data, analyze it, and draw conclusions. The ability of a PhD to critically examine everything and deliver logical reasoning behind it is not new to anyone. A PhD is well versed with 360-degree logical thinking without being biased. Employers seek these research transferable skill of a PhD to consider alternative solutions to a problem and suggest next steps for efficient functioning.

9. Communication Skills

This is the master of PhD transferable skills. Even if you decide to step into a career that is a 180-degree sweep from your PhD, you’d still need to communicate! Your ability to communicate efficiently is developed right from preparing for your PhD interview, presenting papers and posters at academic conferences, defending your thesis, etc. As verbal communication affects your ability to work with your peers, it is one of the most sought after research transferable skills by employers.

10. Adaptability

A PhD isn’t only about specialization. Rather, it’s about the ability to specialize. During your PhD you learn to tackle a new topic, solve it, and move on to the next problem. Almost all careers require employees to focus on specific topics and projects in detail to achieve a specific goal. Your ability of in-depth specialization in academic research project demonstrates adaptability and flexibility —quite literally!

So the next time you are asked, “What skills do you bring to this position?”, you certainly know how to answer that! Brush up your PhD transferable skills to help you make the right career switch. Remember that your PhD isn’t a liability after all. In fact, it’s an asset! Let us know how you acquired these valuable skills that are highly sought after by employers today.

Rate this article Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Enago Academy's Most Popular Articles

• Reporting Research

Choosing the Right Analytical Approach: Thematic analysis vs. content analysis for data interpretation

In research, choosing the right approach to understand data is crucial for deriving meaningful insights.…

Comparing Cross Sectional and Longitudinal Studies: 5 steps for choosing the right approach

The process of choosing the right research design can put ourselves at the crossroads of…

• Career Corner

Unlocking the Power of Networking in Academic Conferences

Embarking on your first academic conference experience? Fear not, we got you covered! Academic conferences…

Research Recommendations – Guiding policy-makers for evidence-based decision making

Research recommendations play a crucial role in guiding scholars and researchers toward fruitful avenues of…

• AI in Academia

Disclosing the Use of Generative AI: Best practices for authors in manuscript preparation

The rapid proliferation of generative and other AI-based tools in research writing has ignited an…

Mentoring for Change: Creating an inclusive academic landscape through support…

Intersectionality in Academia: Dealing with diverse perspectives

Meritocracy and Diversity in Science: Increasing inclusivity in STEM education

Sign-up to read more

Subscribe for free to get unrestricted access to all our resources on research writing and academic publishing including:

• 2000+ blog articles
• 50+ Webinars
• 10+ Expert podcasts
• 50+ Infographics
• 10+ Checklists
• Research Guides

We hate spam too. We promise to protect your privacy and never spam you.

I am looking for Editing/ Proofreading services for my manuscript Tentative date of next journal submission:

What should universities' stance be on AI tools in research and academic writing?

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

• View all journals
• Explore content
• About the journal
• Publish with us
• Sign up for alerts
• CAREER COLUMN
• 15 December 2021

‘Hard’ skills from our PhDs remain relevant beyond academia

• Jonathan McGuire 0 &
• Samantha Baggott 1

Jonathan McGuire is director of data and analytics at the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Quality and Safeguards Commission in Sydney, Australia.

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Samantha Baggott is assistant director of data and analytics at the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Quality and Safeguards Commission in Sydney, Australia.

When we first started looking at non-academic career options after our PhDs in cognitive science, it seemed that it was our ‘soft’ skills that would transfer beyond academia to the ‘real world’ — things such as resilience, critical thinking, communication and collaboration. These do transfer, of course, but after being on the other side of the recruitment process in management roles at a government agency, we now think this undersells the more academic skills developed during a PhD.

Access options

Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals

Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription

24,99 € / 30 days

cancel any time

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 51 print issues and online access

185,98 € per year

only 3,65 € per issue

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-03756-0

This is an article from the Nature Careers Community, a place for Nature readers to share their professional experiences and advice. Guest posts are encouraged .

Competing Interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Related Articles

• Research management

Shrouded in secrecy: how science is harmed by the bullying and harassment rumour mill

Career Feature 16 APR 24

‘Shrugging off failure is hard’: the $400-million grant setback that shaped the Smithsonian lead scientist’s career

Career Column 15 APR 24

Citizenship privilege harms science

Comment 15 APR 24

Can non-profits beat antibiotic resistance and soaring drug costs?

News Feature 28 FEB 24

Optimally generate policy-based evidence before scaling

Perspective 14 FEB 24

Scientists question cancer tests that use microscopic nematode worms

News 20 DEC 23

Researchers want a ‘nutrition label’ for academic-paper facts

Nature Index 17 APR 24

How we landed job interviews for professorships straight out of our PhD programmes

Career Column 08 APR 24

How two PhD students overcame the odds to snag tenure-track jobs

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Quick links

• Explore articles by subject
• Guide to authors
• Editorial policies

The 7 Essential Transferable Skills All PhDs Have

During your PhD, you’re not just learning about your research topic. You’re also learning core skills that apply to jobs both in and out of academia. Most institutions don’t teach you to articulate these transferable skills in a way that aligns with how they’re described in the business world. Knowing your skills increases your value as a candidate.

Written Communication

It takes practice to become a good writer. Fortunately, as PhD student you have years of practice writing papers, conference abstracts, journal manuscripts, and of course your dissertation. The feedback you receive from your supervisor and peer reviewers will help improve your communication skills.

Research skills are valuable even in many fields outside of academia. As a trained researcher, you are able to determine the best approach to a question, find relevant data, design a way to analyze it, understand a large amount of data, and then synthesize your findings. You even know how to use research to persuade others and defend your conclusions.

Public Speaking                   

Strong oral communications skills are always valued, and PhD students get more public speaking opportunities than most. Through conference talks, poster presentations, and teaching, you will learn to feel comfortable in front of a larger audience, engage them, and present complex ideas in a straightforward way. Winning a teaching award or being recognized as the best speaker at a conference is a concrete way to prove your public speaking skills.

Project Management

Even if you’re not working as a project manager, every job requires some degree of project management. Fortunately, a PhD is an exercise in project management. Finishing your dissertation requires you to design a project, make a realistic timeline, overcome setbacks, and manage stakeholders. During this time, you will also have to manage long-term projects at the same time as short-term goals which requires strong organizational skills.

Mentoring and teaching are the two main way PhD student can learn leadership and management skills. As a teacher or mentor, you have to figure out how to motivate someone and help them accomplish a goal. You also get experience evaluating someone’s performance (grading) and giving constructive feedback.

Critical Thinking

Every PhD student learns critical thinking skills whether they realize it or not. You are trained to approach problems systematically, see the links between ideas, evaluate arguments, and analyze information to come up with your own conclusions. Any industry can benefit from someone who knows “how to think”.

Collaboration

Very few jobs require you to work completely independently, and academia isn’t one of them. Your dissertation is a solo project, but on a day to day basis you work with other people on your experiments or preparing a journal manuscript. Doing these tasks successfully requires knowing how to divide up a task, get along with others, communicate effectively, and resolve conflict.

Discover related jobs

Discover similar employers

Accelerate your academic career

Spanish Academic Job Titles

While there will be some differences university to university, here's a ...

Tips for Moving to Sweden to Research or Study

Sweden is one of the best countries in Europe to study and research. Her...

9 Strategies to Overcome Writer’s Block

Here are some strategies to help you get the words flowing again.

5 Easy Ways for PhD Students to Start Networking

Many PhD students make the mistake of thinking that networking is only n...

Belgian Academic Job Titles Explained

What's the difference between a docent and a hoogleraar? Here's a breakd...

Do You Need Publications to Apply for a PhD Program?

Many applicants spent a lot of time worrying about whether they need to ...

Jobs by field

• Machine Learning 178
• Electrical Engineering 165
• Artificial Intelligence 165
• Programming Languages 133
• Molecular Biology 104
• Materials Chemistry 96
• Computational Sciences 96
• Engineering Physics 91
• Algorithms 90
• Electronics 88

Jobs by type

• Postdoc 311
• Assistant / Associate Professor 188
• Professor 115
• Research assistant 93
• Researcher 91
• Lecturer / Senior Lecturer 82
• Tenure Track 65
• Engineer 58
• Management / Leadership 49

Jobs by country

• Belgium 250
• Netherlands 180
• Switzerland 120
• Luxembourg 56

Jobs by employer

• Mohammed VI Polytechnic Unive... 91
• KU Leuven 82
• Ghent University 65
• ETH Zürich 63
• Eindhoven University of Techn... 61
• University of Luxembourg 54
• KTH Royal Institute of Techno... 44
• University of Twente 43
• Wenzhou-Kean University 32

This website uses cookies

Unlocking PhD Success pp 20–39 Cite as

Research Skills

• Eelko K. R. E. Huizingh 2 , 3  
• First Online: 19 November 2023

126 Accesses

Doing research requires both academic competences, such as critical inquiry, independent judgment, rigorous analysis, and clear expression, and methodological competences, which are related to designing and executing your research project. Since Ph.D. projects intend to generate new knowledge, understanding the state-of-the-art knowledge is a prerequisite. Upgrading your knowledge is done by selecting, analyzing, and reflecting on the right literature. Doing high-quality research results from critical characteristics of both the study and the research environment. As any field offers many research opportunities, it is essential to select the right focus for your project in an iterative process. Which knowledge gap do you intend to fill? The next step is to define a research question. Seven requirements for a ‘good’ research question are discussed in detail.

Research is formalized curiosity . It is poking and prying with a purpose . Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960) .

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution .

Buying options

• Available as EPUB and PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Compact, lightweight edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Derived from: Gill and Johnson ( 2010 ).

Papert ( 1999 ).

Berente et al. ( 2022 ).

Yeager et al. ( 2019 ).

Hunter ( 2007 ).

See for an extensive overview of the characteristics of successful research environments: Bland and Ruffin ( 1992 ).

Cao et al. ( 2019 ).

Lewis ( 2003 ).

Bland, Carole J., and Mack T. Ruffin (1992), Characteristics of a productive research environment: literature review, Academic Medicine , 67 (6), 385–397.

Google Scholar  

Cao, Cathy Y., Xinyu Cao, Matthew Cashman, M. Kumar, Artem Timoshenko, Jeremy Yang, Shuyi Yu, Jerry Zhang, Yuting Zhu and Birger Wernerfelt (2019), How do successful scholars get their best research ideas? An exploration, Marketing Letters, 30, 221–232.

Derived from: Gill, John and Phil Johnson (2010), Research Methods for Managers , 4 th edition, Sage Publications, London, p. 11.

Hunter, David (2007), The roles of research ethics committees: implications for membership, Research Ethics Review , 3 (1), 24–26.

Lewis, Jane (2003), Design Issues, in: Ritchie, Jane, and Jane Lewis (editors) (2003), Qualitative Research Practice: A Guide for Social Science Students and Researchers , Sage Publications, London, p. 48.

Miranda, Shaila, Nicholas Berente, Stefan Seidel, Hani Safadi, and Andrew Burton-Jones (2022), Editor's Comments: Computationally Intensive Theory Construction: A Primer for Authors and Reviewers, MIS Quarterly , 46 (2), iii-xviii (p. xiv).

Papert, Seymour (1999), Child Psychologist Jean Piaget, Time , March 29, https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,990617,00.html .

Watson, Tony J. (1994), Managing, Crafting and Researching: Words, Skill and Imagination in Shaping Management Research, British Journal of Management , 5 (special issue), 77–87.

Yeager, David S., Paul Hanselman, Gregory M. Walton, Jared S. Murray, Robert Crosnoe, Chandra Muller, Elizabeth Tipton, Barbara Schneider, Chris S. Hulleman, Cintia P. Hinojosa, David Paunesku, Carissa Romero, Kate Flint, Alice Roberts, Jill Trott, Ronaldo Iachan, Jenny Buontempo, Sophia Man Yang, Carlos M. Carvalho, P. Richard Hahn, Maithreyi Gopalan, Pratik Mhatre, Ronald Ferguson, Angela L. Duckworth, and Carol S. Dweck (2019), A national experiment reveals where a growth mindset improves achievement, Nature, 573, 364–369. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1466-y .

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

Eelko K. R. E. Huizingh

Huizingh Academic Development, Assen, The Netherlands

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eelko K. R. E. Huizingh .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter.

Huizingh, E.K.R.E. (2023). Research Skills. In: Unlocking PhD Success. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-40651-5_2

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-40651-5_2

Published : 19 November 2023

Publisher Name : Springer, Cham

Print ISBN : 978-3-031-40650-8

Online ISBN : 978-3-031-40651-5

eBook Packages : Economics and Finance Economics and Finance (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

• Transferable PhD Skills You Can Use in Any Career
• After a PhD
• Having a PhD demonstrates that you have a host of skills desirable for employers, allowing you to pursue a non academic career path.
• Transferable skills from a PhD include interpersonal skills, work ethic, problem-solving, time management, independence & responsibility, adaptability and report writing.
• It is important to sell yourself to potential employers by identifying and relating these transferable skills to the job you are applying for.

This page will explain how your PhD has prepared you for a career outside of academia, and how to make the most of your transferable skills when looking for a job.

Can PhD Doctorates Work in Any Role?

A common misconception we hear is that individuals with PhDs must pursue a career in academia. This is usually due to a lack of industrial work experience PhD students have upon obtaining their doctorate. However, this is not the case as one of the key benefits of a PhD is the transferable skills it brings.

Transferable Skills from A PhD

By completing a PhD you will have demonstrated several skills which make you desirable for employers. It is essential that you recognise these skills and can use them to sell yourself in your CV .

Transferable skills from a PhD include:

Communication

Throughout your PhD, you will have been required to work with others, be it supervisors or examiners. You will also have been required to communicate your ideas (often complex and detailed theories) succinctly and to those with less background knowledge than you. Communication skills are essential in the workplace, regardless of the job, as it shows the ability to work in a team effectively .

Completing a PhD is no easy task. In doing so, you have shown a drive to ‘ get the job done ’.

Problem Solving

Throughout your PhD, you will have encountered several problems you overcame. Use these as examples to show your ability to use creative thinking  to devise  solutions  to these problems.

Data Analysation

Most PhD research projects will involve some degree of data analysation. The ability to interpret complex information and identify relevant data is a valuable skill in numerical fields such as science and engineering. You are also likely to have developed your research skills which shows you can identify types of bias, anomalies and trends which is useful in statistical roles such as accounting.

Time Management

An important skill in the workplace is the ability to  prioritise and organise   tasks . With your PhD degree, you should be able to convince potential employers that you can establish realistic timelines and remain to deadlines. You are also able to engage in both short and long term planning . Time management skills are particularly useful for those pursuing project management or leadership roles.

Independence & Responsibility

Perhaps one of the most important things you have shown throughout your research project is your ability to take responsibility  for your  development . A potential employer should see you as someone who does not need constant instructions, but someone who can take ownership of problems and resolve them using their own  independent judgement .

Adaptability

It is unlikely that you will have stuck to your original plan. Things happen and you will have been required to adapt on the fly during your PhD. This is common transferable skill employers are looking for if they operate in volatile markets.

Report Writing

You have been able to summarise approximately three years or more worth of work in a single thesis. This shows your ability to filter through massive amounts of information, identify the key points , and get these points across to the reader. The ability to ‘cut out the waffle’ or ‘get to the point’ is a huge asset in the professional industry.

Useful Phrases To Demonstrate Your Skills

From the above list, it’s clear that a PhD provides you with a host of transferable skills employers look for in candidates. The key is to relate these skills to the job you are applying for.

To help you with this, we’ve put together a few common examples of phrases we hear from doctorates that can be refined for job-seeking purposes. It’s imperative not to stretch the truth or to mislead them but focus on convincing your potential employers how your PhD has prepared you for the role you are applying for.

Other Specialist Skills

Aside from these PhD transferable skills, you may have also developed expertise in more specialised areas of knowledge . For example, as part of your PhD were you required to use Computer Programming? Were you required to use Medical Equipment? Did you organise events? Not only are these skills in themselves, but they have inherent  soft skills  too.

Make sure you get these skills across to your potential employer as they will help demonstrate how valuable you are.

Browse PhDs Now

Join thousands of students.

Join thousands of other students and stay up to date with the latest PhD programmes, funding opportunities and advice.

Current students

• Staff intranet
• Find an event
• Graduate qualities

Researcher graduate qualities for the PhD

The researcher graduate qualities will assist you to develop the skills and knowledge you need to become an exceptional PhD researcher and get career-ready.

The University of Sydney has developed a set of graduate qualities to define and enrich the PhD, and support you to get ready for a post-doctoral career in industry or research.

The researcher graduate qualities focus on building deep disciplinary expertise and a range of broader, transferrable skills that will enhance your research activities and career possibilities.

The eleven qualities cover cultural competence, interdisciplinary effectiveness, professional, ethical, personal identity, influence, critical thinking and problem-solving, communication, information and digital literacy, inventiveness, engagement and project planning and delivery.

From 2021 onwards, early career researchers will have access to development activities including coursework, mentoring programs, workshops, global mobility experiences, self-reflection exercises and competitions, challenges or projects.

What this means for your candidature

The researcher graduate qualities have been designed to help guide students and supervisors through a student's PhD candidature. During your supervision meetings, the graduate qualities will provide you with a point-of-reference to contemplate your achievement of skills and experience as your candidature progresses, and to have a conversation with your supervisor about further development opportunities or training you may need while you complete your thesis project.

How to update your Research graduate qualities record

After your supervision meetings, you will need to log your graduate qualities discussion in RECS. Log into RECS , select ‘My project’, then ‘Researcher graduate qualities’. Here you can review previous submission by selecting the relevant date or you can add a new record. Once you have completed a new record, there is an option to send to your supervisor for comment.

The eleven qualities

• Website feedback

Your feedback has been sent.

Sorry there was a problem sending your feedback. Please try again

You should only use this form to send feedback about the content on this webpage – we will not respond to other enquiries made through this form. If you have an enquiry or need help with something else such as your enrolment, course etc you can contact the Student Centre.

• Find an expert
• Media contacts

Student links

• How to log in to University systems
• Class timetables
• Our Rankings
• Faculties and schools
• Research centres
• Campus locations
• Find a staff member
• Careers at Sydney
• Emergencies and personal safety

• Accessibility

• Student Life
• Campus Jobs

PhD transferable skills

Sometimes it's difficult for PhD students to identify what skills they have since the academic experience is not necessarily focused on articulating skill sets. We also often find that PhD students struggle, understandably, to present the transferability of their academic experiences to non-academic contexts. Here are examples of PhD skill sets and ways to describe them.

• Define a problem and identify possible causes
• Comprehend large amounts of information
• Form and defend independent conclusions
• Design an experiment, plan, or model that defines a problem, tests potential resolutions and implements a solution
• Facilitate group discussions or conduct meetings
• Motivate others to complete projects (group or individual)
• Respond appropriately to positive or negative feedback
• Effectively mentor subordinates and/or peers
• Collaborate on projects
• Teach skills or concepts to others
• Navigate complex bureaucratic environments
• Manage a project or projects from beginning to end
• Identify goals and/or tasks to be accomplished and a realistic timeline for completion
• Prioritize tasks while anticipating potential problems
• Maintain flexibility in the face of changing circumstances
• Identify sources of information applicable to a given problem
• Understand and synthesize large quantities of data
• Design and analyze surveys
• Develop organizing principles to effectively sort and evaluate data 
• Work effectively under pressure and to meet deadlines
• Comprehend new material and subject matter quickly
• Work effectively with limited supervision
• Prepare concise and logically-written materials
• Organize and communicate ideas effectively in oral presentations to small and large groups
• Write at all levels — brief abstract to book-length manuscript
• Debate issues in a collegial manner and participate in group discussions
• Use logical argument to persuade others
• Explain complex or difficult concepts in basic terms and language
• Write effective grant proposals

PhD prepared: research skill development across the undergraduate years

International Journal for Researcher Development

ISSN : 2048-8696

Article publication date: 9 May 2016

Many countries are looking for ways to enable students to engage more effectively with PhD study. This paper aims to consider the effects of explicit discipline-specific research skill development embedded in multiple semesters of an undergraduate degree on PhD preparedness.

Design/methodology/approach

This case study of one Bachelor of Health Science programme determined the effectiveness of the implementation of a conceptual model, the Researcher Skill Development framework, across the undergraduate degree programme. Data were gathered through interviews of 9 academic staff and 14 students in their fourth year of undergraduate study, which is a research-focused year.

All students and academics stated the benefits of the use of the Researcher Skill Development framework in undergraduate study including: deepening metacognition of research processes; assisting students toward acting and thinking like researchers; and the research-capacity building of the school. While all academics and all but one student recommended that the framework be used early in the degree programme, a number of interviewees specified problems with the existing implementation of the framework.

Research limitations/implications

While the results are not generalisable, the approach is worth studying in other degree programme-wide contexts to determine its broader capacity to enable students to be more research ready for PhD study when compared to current practice.

Practical implications

When adapted to the context, whole-of-degree research skill development may enable developing countries to have more students and developed countries to better prepared students commencing PhD studies.

Originality/value

No studies currently provide results for explicit research skill development across a degree programme, or of the benefits of this approach for PhD preparation.

• PhD preparation
• Research capacity building
• Researcher Skill Development

Willison, J. and Buisman-Pijlman, F. (2016), "PhD prepared: research skill development across the undergraduate years", International Journal for Researcher Development , Vol. 7 No. 1, pp. 63-83. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRD-07-2015-0018

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2016, John Willison and Femke Buisman-Pijlman Published by Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 3.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial & non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/3.0/legalcode

Introduction

Increasing the proportion of students commencing and completing PhD study is a priority in nations with developing higher education systems such as Cambodia ( Om, 2011 ), China ( OECD, 2008 ) and Fiji ( University of the South Pacific, 2013 ) or with large changes in university student demography, such as in South Africa ( Mafenya, 2014 ). In countries with established higher education systems, such as the USA, England and Australia, there is some controversy about whether there is a need for increased completion numbers or rather for students who are better prepared when commencing PhD and who complete it with a deeper and broader skill set ( DIISR, 2011 ). In all cases, strategies to nurture research skills well in advance of PhD are being sought and implemented in a range of contexts. Strategies to improve PhD preparedness come under the umbrella of undergraduate research and range from resource-intensive mentored summer scholarships to approaches that are based in the curriculum ( Jenkins and Healey, 2009 ). Studies have asserted the benefits of mentored undergraduate research experiences to increase PhD preparation ( Kardash, 2000 ; Lopatto, 2004 ); however, these have only been found to confirm a research-orientation in students already interested in postgraduate research; they do not seem to motivate students who were not considering this previously to participate ( Hunter et al. , 2007 ). Moreover, mentored internships do not reach all students, for example, those who may have latent capacities for postgraduate research. A few single-context studies have shown useful, but possibly short-lived, positive outcomes from the development of research skills in semester-length courses in the regular curriculum ( Chaplin, 2003 ; Hoskins et al. , 2007; Luckie et al. , 2004 ).

One promising approach to nurture research skills of all students in undergraduate degrees is the use of a conceptual model called the Research Skill Development framework ( Willison and O’Regan, 2006/2015 ) in curriculum and assessment design. Nine years after the first version of the Research Skill Development framework was published ( Willison and O’Regan, 2006/2015 , 2007 ), it is being piloted at the institution level in Australia ( Monash University, 2015 ), the USA ( University of Wisconsin Stout, 2015 ) and in nations of the Pacific ( University of South Pacific, 2013 ), as well as informing individual discipline approaches in countries as diverse as Cambodia ( Om, 2011 ) and England (Burkill, 2009).

Evaluation of use of the Research Skill Development framework

The Research Skill Development (RSD) framework has been used and evaluated in a number of individual semester-length course contexts in disciplines as different as Biomedical Sciences ( Munns and Chilton, 2014 ), Business ( Willison et al. , 2009a , 2009b ), Engineering ( Cochrane et al. , 2009 ), English ( Osborn, 2012 ), Nursing ( Pretorius et al. , 2013 ) and Physics ( Menke, 2013 ), as well as interdisciplinary studies ( Venning and Buisman-Pijlman, 2013 ). A multi-institution study showed that use of the RSD framework could effectively help individual educators and small teams to design semester-length courses that developed students’ discipline-specific research skills in many disciplines and year levels ( Willison, 2012 ). However, the study also showed that benefits of explicit research skill development could be lost unless there was follow-on explicit development. This paper presents the first study showing the impact of explicit and coherent research skill development and assessment embedded in the curriculum over the time span of an undergraduate degree programme ( Willison, 2012 ). Such studies are required to determine the long-term efficacy of upskilling and motivating undergraduate students toward PhD studies ( Salter and Atkins, 2014 ). A model that embeds research skill development in the curriculum is of particular interest because it has the potential to be more efficient and more equitable and has a broader reach than mentored undergraduate research models; there is also evidence that some research skills, such as posing researchable questions, may be better developed in-curriculum than in mentored models ( Willison, 2012 ).

The research presented here focused on the effectiveness of in-curriculum use of the RSD during the undergraduate degree in preparing students for PhD studies. Students were enrolled in a research-orientated, non-compulsory, fourth and final year of a Bachelor of Health Science, called the Honours year. Many students were exposed to the RSD during their undergraduate degree from the first year on. The Honours year embedded an extended version of the conceptual model, called the Researcher Skill Development (RSD7) framework ( Willison and O’Regan, 2008/2015 ). Next, the RSD7 is described, followed by the research context, methodology, results, discussion and conclusions.

Conceptual framework: the Researcher Skill Development framework

The RSD7 framework is based on the RSD ( Willison and O’Regan, 2006/2015 ), with the only difference being an extension of the original five-level continuum to seven levels of autonomy, and so it is called the RSD7 for short. The framework was extended to seven levels to bring in the unequivocally “capital R” research, so that the whole university community would be on the same continuum, from a first-year student to a high-profile professor.

An immediate benefit was the uptake of the RSD7 by academics involved in the Bachelor of Health Science to guide the assessment during the Honours years. The structurally similar five-level version of the framework, had not been taken up at Honours despite its use for six years in the Bachelor of Health Science with first-year students.

The RSD7 is a conceptual framework that is deliberately general in nature, so academics can adapt it to their context. It is a conceptual framework rather than, say, a rubric because it can be operationalised in many ways. The advantage of providing a more generic structure that can be adapted into more explicit rubrics was used in the VALUE rubric which was validated in a large range of degrees and institutions. This rubric was developed by the Association of American Colleges and Universities ( Rhodes and Finley, 2013 ), and its generic nature helped with the uptake in a large range of settings. The VALUE rubric does not provide a range of descriptors for the levels of student autonomy; however, the RSD7 was salient for the research-oriented year of this study due to its articulation of researcher autonomy.

The RSD7 framework has been used in numerous ways, such as facilitating conversations between PhD students and their supervisors ( Velautham and Picard, 2009 ); conversations with indigenous students about empowerment and knowledge; introducing students to necessary aspects of research processes; and for analysing teaching, learning and assessments elements in curricula. In this study, the prevalent mode of use was to scaffold the creation of marking rubrics.

This study evaluated the use of the RSD and the RSD7 to frame research skill development and assessment across a degree programme to prepare students for PhD study.

Facets of research

Embark and clarify : Researchers embark on research, determining and clarifying the need for knowledge while taking note of ethical, cultural and social/team considerations.

Find and generate : Researchers find information and generate data relevant to the research using appropriate methodologies.

Evaluate and reflect : Researchers evaluate information and data and reflect on all processes used.

Organise and manage : Researchers organise information and data, and manage the research process of individuals and of teams.

Analyse and synthesise : Researchers analyse information and data, and synthesise new knowledge to produce coherent individual and team understandings.

Communicate and apply : Researchers write, speak and perform the processes, understandings and applications of the research, and respond to feedback, mindful of ethical, cultural and social/team issues (based on Willison and O’Regan, 2006/2015 ).

The separation of research processes into six distinct facets is, of course, artificial, as these facets frequently co-occur and overlap. Moreover, research is often characterised by a lack of clarity, fuzziness and even messiness, and therefore, the process is certainly not linear. It may be that the neater, more coherent and linear final phase is most commonly reported in journal articles, but this hides the actual processes used in research into the unknown. However, delineating facets associated with research makes the processes involved explicit, and for many students this equates to being learnable. Delineation is a first step towards demystifying research.

Seven levels of student autonomy

A second step in demystification afforded by the RSD7 is to clarify how much scope students have in initiating research projects and determining processes, and in negotiating final solutions and communications. The specific task or assignment sets the boundaries of autonomy. Making student and supervisor expectations of scope and autonomy clear may be a major factor in a successful mentor-mentee relationship, and one for which the RSD7 has provided effective guidance ( Velautham and Picard, 2009 ). A common anecdotal complaint from students in the Bachelor of Health Science was that they were initially only given very limited amounts of autonomy in undergraduate courses, while they were expected to show independent research skills in Honours. This was also evident in one ( Drew et al. , 2002 ) but not in another ( Allan, 2012 ) study of Honours students.

In the RSD7, the amount of scope is called “Extent of Researcher Autonomy” and is represented as a continuum delineated by seven levels. Considering the end of the continuum with minimal autonomy, Prescribed Research (Level 1 of Figure 1 ), the supervisor models discipline-specific approaches of how to commence, including question framing, hypothesis posing and/or goal setting. The student-researcher follows highly prescriptive guidance, such as tightly defined procedures or guided readings.

Bounded Research (Level 2) requires some limited student-researcher decisions, for example a choice between two given methods. The shift from Prescribed Research to Bounded Research is not trivial, as some beginning researchers struggle when decisions are necessary or grey areas are to be considered.

With Scaffolded Research (Level 3), the parameters of the research are determined by the supervisor, but student-researchers will need to make numerous decisions about what do and so work with a high degree of independence within the parameters set.

The move to Level 4 is into the zone of “researcher instigated” and so has corresponding difficulties: Self-initiated Research describes a move that is instigated by the researcher, with support and advice provided by the supervisor. Researchers may, for example, identify gaps in the literature as the launching pad, select appropriate methodologies and apply analytical techniques, and the supervisor ensures that directions are attainable within the parameters of resources and time.

In Open Research (Level 5), the research is initiated and propelled by the researcher in his or her own direction using self-chosen methodologies and audiences. At this level of autonomy, supervisors provide advice rather than prescriptions. Parameters still exist in terms of disciplinary conventions, and so Open Research does not allow for lack of rigour, as the degree of rigour to be applied is appropriate to the year-level of study and disciplinary norms.

The move to Level 6 is into the realm of discipline leading. The distinctive feature of the move to Adopted Research is where directions chosen and outcomes of research are used by others in the field, for example, by citing, adopting methodologies, being informed by research outcomes or following gaps the researcher has identified.

Enlarging Research (Level 7) is where the researcher changes the nature of the conversation in the discipline, e.g. through a reconceptualisation of what is worth researching or in the development of major research methodologies. This is research that reshapes or enlarges the parameters of the discipline, or conceivably consolidates and refocuses its mandate. Individual researchers may participate in research teams that make a broad contribution that is widely cited or used, even when they themselves have their directions prescribed, bounded or scaffolded by supervisors. In a team then, different personnel may be operating at different levels of autonomy, depending on their roles. Here, individual contributions combine into something bigger than the sum of the parts because the research-leader is operating at a higher level, moving into areas that the field follows.

The six facets of research form the vertical axis of the RSD7 framework, and the seven levels of autonomy comprise the horizontal axis. The resulting table cells are populated with details appropriate to these facets for each specified level. The elaboration of the original framework to include Levels 6 and 7 and so bring in the “discipline leading” aspects of research was introduced in 2008 ( Willison and O’Regan, 2008 ). The RSD7 has been used early in PhD candidature ( Velautham and Picard, 2009 ), for doctoral education more generally ( Matas, 2012 ) and masters level ( Willison et al. , 2009a , 2009b ; Venning and Buisman-Pijlman, 2013 ), but not previously been considered in an undergraduate research context.

Research context

The research took place at School of Medical Science, which is part of a faculty of Health Sciences in one of the research-intensive universities in Australia. In this context, a “school” is an administrative umbrella for several cognate disciplines. The School teaches into the Bachelor of Health Sciences, Bachelor of Sciences, MBBS, Bachelor of Dentistry and Bachelor of Nursing and offers several postgraduate degrees. The School has a strong focus on Honours which, as noted, is the standard pathway to PhD study at the moment. In total, 39 academics and around 80 title-holders and affiliate staff, 35 Honours students and 57 PhD students were associated with the school at the time of conducting interviews.

The School had two early adopters who consistently used the five-level version of the RSD framework from 2005 with large first-year courses in which student numbers increased from 90 in 2005 to 400 in 2013. Uptake of the framework from 2005 occurred on the initiative of individual course coordinators in undergraduate courses. The second author had been working with the RSD7 from 2008 in postgraduate by coursework courses ( Venning and Buisman-Pijlman, 2013 ) and towards the end of 2011, initiated a conversation about the integration of the RSD7 through all the years of the degrees. The School quickly moved to use the RSD7 to conceptualise how to frame Honours-Year assessment in two of the three disciplines of the School commencing in February 2012 (with the third discipline following in 2013), and the resulting marking rubrics that were framed by the RSD7 are publicly available ( Medical Science Honours Marking Rubrics, 2012 ). The way the RSD7 was operationalised was to provide students with task-specific assessment criteria in matrices (rubrics) that are structured according to the six facets; these provide the grade descriptors for tasks, clarifying the expectations for an assignment at a certain year level and autonomy level ( Medical Science, 2012 ). Rubrics in the USA are typically used for quality control of the curriculum design at the university level ( Kuh et al. , 2014 ), but RSD-inspired rubrics were directly used at the School of Medical Science in this study with the intention of improving students’ research-oriented learning, including through the tools of assessment and feedback.

What are the benefits and disadvantages of the use of the RSD7-framed rubrics in the Honours year from academics’ and students’ perspectives?

What do Honours students and academics recommend about RSD/RSD7 use in the entire undergraduate degree programme?

Research method

Ethics approval for the study was gained from the University’s Human Research Ethics Committee, as part of a the larger study spanning different faculties, which was funded by an Australian Government grant from the Office of Learning and Teaching. Interviews were arranged and conducted in keeping with the ethics protocol in May and June 2012. After informed consent of participants was obtained in writing, the interviews of approximately 1 h duration were conducted face to face and audio recorded. A semi-structured interview protocol ( Wengraf, 2001 ) with 14 questions was used, having been piloted in other contexts ( Willison, 2012 ) and fine-tuned for this context. Criteria for reporting qualitative studies ( Tong et al. , 2007 ) were addressed in developing the methodology. Purposive sampling was used to gather interviewees with the intention to collect information from students and staff with a range of exposures and experiences of the RSD7. The second author and another academic in the School both suggested a broad range of students in terms of research competence and potential experience in Honours; they also recommended staff for interviews based on diversity of background, year level each taught, attitude to teaching innovations and familiarity with the RSD7, ranging from no awareness, to extensive use of the framework with students.

Of the 35 Honours students in the School in 2012, 14 were invited to be interviewed and all attended the interview (ten female, four male). This represents 40 per cent of the Honours students and was representative of the gender balance of the Honours student cohort. Four students opted to be interviewed in pairs, in keeping with ethics requirements that students could choose to have a companion in the interview; this resulted in a total of 12 interviews with students; however, each student response was distinguished in the transcription process to keep their responses separate. The Honours students were selected from the two disciplines that were using the RSD7-framed rubrics in Honours in 2012. Of the 39 academic staff in the School, 13 (33 per cent) were invited to be interviewed and nine (six male, three female) attended the interview individually (69 per cent accepted), comprising 23 per cent of academics in the School and representing the gender mix of staff.

Data collection and analysis

During the semi-structured interviews, additional probing took place when an answer seemed incomplete, in conflict with previous answers or worth seeking additional information. The 21 interviews in total yielded a range of benefits and disadvantages of the School’s use of the RSD7 in Honours, and when no additional information emerged, suggesting near-saturation of data, no further interviews were arranged.

The top-level extraction of data included all student or academic comments that addressed the research questions: benefits and disadvantages of RSD7-framed rubrics in Honours and recommendations for RSD7 use in years one to three of Medical Science degree programmes. The first author identified emerging themes which broadly conveyed student and academic sentiments of the benefits. The second author fine-tuned the initial phrasing of categories so that they reflected more accurately the data, and this took place in an iterative process until there was agreement on coding between both authors. Further commentary on the internal consistencies of themes in the emerging paper was provided by four independent peers, which led to clearer phrasing of each theme. A presentation of data and preliminary analysis was provided to a School meeting attended by 35 academic, professional staff and students, and attendees were invited to give feedback on the analysis of the findings, a process which provided confirmation of emerging themes.

Of the 14 Honours students interviewed, 10 had experienced RSD-framed rubrics in two consecutive first-year Human Biology courses, while four students had not encountered the use of RSD-framed rubrics previous to the Honours Year. All Honours students expressed knowledge of the RSD7-based marking rubrics for their assignments and projects during Honours, and one indicated seeing the RSD7 framework itself. Of the nine academics interviewed, six had direct exposure to the RSD7 framework previously and three were exposed to it during the interview for the first time. The RSD7 framework was implemented through multiple task-specific rubrics, framed by the six facets of research and used throughout the Honours year, including with a literature review, a short research proposal poster presentation day and a final research paper ( Medical Science 2012 ): “So we are using it consistently for all of the assessment items” (Academic 3).

The results below are structured to address the research questions. Italics in quotes from the interviews are added for emphasis.

Benefits of the RSD7 implementation in Honours year

There were two major themes concerning benefits of the School’s use of the RSD7-based criteria.

Student metacognition lifted capacity as a researcher.

[…] a good guide because you can see all the levels; you can see where you are. You compare yourself to the data. It takes a skill to be honest to yourself; that’s the first skill. When you look at the different levels, you can see where you are fitting and then you look at the levels ahead, at what are your areas of improvement so you can improve yourself […] (Student 1).

This use of “see where you are” and “look at the levels ahead” gives the idea of a conceptual map for discipline-specific processes involving a self-revealing of each student’s position and where he or she needed to go. This clarity of understanding through making the required skills explicit enabled students to also be honest with yourself , and revisitation of these skills on multiple occasions enabled one to improve yourself . Self-honesty and self-improvement are hallmarks of metacognitive processes, where students are aware of their own cognition and actively strive to improve.

[…] you know exactly what’s required of you, so you’re aware of it in everything you do […]. I think it’s better to be clear from the beginning that that’s what’s expected of you (Student 9).

It would have been good to have it last year […] it’s more specific in terms of the structures and it’s easier to see where you need to improve your strengths or weaknesses (Student 3).

[…] in my first assessment, I was assessed to be in the 2B range, and I was of course not happy about that, which is why I spoke to my coordinator, and he explained it , because we didn’t know if you are following your recipe, like, the supervisor’s recipe, or is this your idea […]. So that to me all okay, I need to make it very clear in my writing, and from now on in my theses, that this is my idea (Student 14).

For this student, the criteria were not self-evident, but rather required a clarifying conversation, which helped the student realise that he needed to delineate what his own work was, so that assessors would know. The RSD7-based rubric criteria merely articulated this issue in writing, but the conversation with his supervisor clarified the student’s needed response.

[…] you need wine and pizza when you introduce this […]. get them to mark somebody else’s work (Academic 8).

Because I was exposed to research experience, hands-on research experience, in terms of being in a lab and working in a lab and understanding that, okay, it’s not just about having an abstract, an introduction and discussion; it’s about how all of that work that goes into it and it actually comes together at the end. Sort of understanding the broader scope of things made more sense for me, personally (Student 10).

I think a lot of people might do this sort of thing intuitively, and what this [RSD7] has done is just spelt out what probably the good teachers were trying to do in any case […] (Academic 8).

I see the framework being what I’ll call nebulous enough for everybody to be able to accommodate it. Because it’s not very prescriptive. It just sets a framework, and everybody can work within a framework […] [yet] it’s relatively comprehensive in what it describes over all (Academic 2).

So I think it does help that it’s not completely structured , but at the same time that structure also really, really helps (Student 5).

I suppose being exposed to that framework in the Honours year as well, I sort of felt […] when you’re out there on your own as a researcher , that’s essentially what you do (Student 10).

School’s research capacity and profile.

[T]here is an increasing pool of people who are maybe becoming very enthusiastic about how this will get them better students or raise the profile (Academic 3).

In working with PhD students, the thing that often leads to conflict is a conflict of expectations and a mismatch of those expectations. Something like this [RSD7 framework] lets students know where a PhD supervisor expects them to be and where a PhD student thinks they should be (Academic 4).

I think the staff who do a lot of research who are taking some of these courses [that use the RSD7], or running some of these courses, I think they probably see the link more than some of the staff who mainly just teach […] [and never] talk about the link between that and research (Academic 9).

If you’re developing the skills of researchers or colleagues or whatever, there needs to be some sort of feedback that, if you like, gives some idea of where the strengths are and where the weaknesses are, if these people are going to be writing research grants and whatever […] (Academic 3).

I was getting a bit scared when I was looking at level 7. Gosh, am I working at this level? Which is where you would expect academics to be working […]. I think it could be useful for promotions , when you’re looking at – particularly when you’re going from level C to level D […] this is really what they’re marking: where are you sitting in the international arena ? (Academic 5).

This academic saw the potential of the RSD7 to inform her and others’ research trajectories, ultimately enhancing the research profile of the School.

Disadvantages of RSD7 implementation

The major theme emerging as a disadvantage, stated by 8 of the 14 Honours students and 4 of the 9 academics, concerned problems associated with rubrics based on the RSD7, and their use.

I kind of find that sometimes they [School-wide RSD7-framed rubric criteria] don’t apply very well to the assignment […] our projects are vastly different […]. I don’t understand how the same marking scheme can apply when it’s so specific for what it’s looking for […] one of the ones for the lit review was use of up-to-date relevant literature . It’s like, I don’t have any […] (Student 11).

Objectives clear, focussed and innovative, extending past supervisor guidelines ( Medical science, 2012 ).

Some of it, you think, how will assessors know that we’re doing that? […] Assessors] don’t know what we and our supervisors talk about in our meetings, so they don’t know whether or not we’re going beyond our supervisors. I think that’s a bit stupid at times (Student 5).

I’ve found out that assessors are also quite subjective . I have one assessor that says I am in level 4 and 5; I have another one that says I’m in level 2 and 3 […]. So I’ve found that this framework is really subjective […] although they make markers a lot more accountable (Student 4).

This student is understandably troubled by the perennial problem of inter-rater reliability, and there is no surprise that mere criteria do not guarantee reliable scores, as this is frequently reported in the literature ( Sadler, 2009 , 2014 ). While the student was perplexed by the need to deal with multiple subjective perspectives at once, she appreciated that the markers would at least be able to defend their decisions for where they allocated marks, even if they did not agree with other markers.

We get a rubric for every single assessment, and they’re all completely different. They’re very much for each assessment, and I hate them (Student 11).

These comments suggest that some students were not aware of the common framing of the RSD four months into Honours, seeing each rubric as separate “for each assessment”.

[…] what looks really clear on a piece of paper in an assessment task list becomes a lot more complex. Say you’re in a seminar and someone is talking about a particular area and trying to tease out a quite complicated presentation so that you can tick off numerous little boxes can be quite difficult (Academic 6).

There’s also some attempt to explicitly link assessment items with the Research Skill Development Framework, but there’s also the issue, you’re trying to micromanage how people mark […] (Academic 6).

This touches on tensions around academic autonomy versus a shared conceptualisation, and this tension will be revisited in the discussion.

Recommendations for undergraduate from first year to third year

It [the RSD rubric] tells you a lot, because I remember one of the criteria was to be specific […] in my [First Year] Human Biology course […] so I think it’s very relevant to Honours, because when we were doing our first seminar, some of the topics were really broad. Automatically you think: I have to be specific otherwise it’s too broad […] (Student 7).

I think that would have been a good thing, especially if it was consistent throughout the years , because by the third year it would be a lot more ingrained and it wouldn’t be a novel thing that you’re looking at (Student 2).

Since the beginning [of First Year], they have given us assignments based on this criteria. You might not have liked the assignments, but because they have been consistently applying this structure to all of our assignments, we have come to think that way for science , in the perspective of science and writing […] (Student 4).

I always remember these [RSD-framed] marking criteria sheets, but I think if they were emphasised more and you know that they kind of reinforce these facets a little more strongly throughout every year, it would be really, really good, I reckon (Student 6).

But if it’s dribbled through in these undergraduate years, it then makes the Honours a lot easier, and then makes the PhD a lot easier, because a lot of students struggle in their first year [of PhD] (Academic 2).

This “dribbling” also gives a sense of what academics thought was the best ways of administering RSD7: earlier than Honours, but not “injected” forcefully and not over-emphasised. In other words, there was a desire that the RSD7 be used to provide structure and scaffolding, but not to the extent that it was inflicted in ways counter to effective learning or to academic autonomy.

I loved what I did [in First year], but I just remember a lot of my friends used to sit there complaining, just going, this rubric sheet doesn’t make much sense because why am I ever going to need to do any of this stuff […] (Student 10).

I didn’t pay attention to it [RSD7-framed rubric in First Year], because it was kind of at the back of the assessment. They were never kind of made a big deal, whereas in Honours we kind of get handed this, like, go find this (Student 12).

[…] sort of helps us to be a bit more flexible […] [and] sort of makes you think more, I think, because other people have different ideas and expect different things (Student 8).

This student perceived that a pre-determined structure may negatively affect flexible thinking.

So there has to be what I’ll call a program wide approach where all the academic staff need to get together, or as many as possible, so you have the First-Year group there and Second Year and Third Year, and they all learn from one another (Academic 2).

A large majority of students and academics interviewed perceived that the marking criteria framed by the RSD7, located in appropriate courses and assessments across the degree programme, had reinforcing and multiplying effects on learning discipline-specific research skills.

In terms of RQ1 , there are clear benefits of the RSD7 for consistently informing learning, teaching and assessment processes throughout the Honours year. These benefits included that the RSD7 framework was perceived to fit closely to the nature of research in Medical Science, enable students to think metacognitively as researchers and help build the research capacity of students, academics and the School as a whole. These points are in agreement with a study of student inquiry that found “when appropriately framed (especially with the relevant student motivation and autonomy ), such lessons can become deeply internalized” ( Allchin et al. , 2014 , p. 469, italics added ). Disadvantages of the RSD7-framed rubrics mainly focussed on the specific criteria, where some were perceived to be too prescriptive, too vague, subjective or irrelevant, in keeping with research on pre-determined assessment criteria ( Adcroft, 2011 ; Sadler, 2009 , 2014 ).

For both advantages and disadvantages communication was pivotal to the learning enterprise, with effective communication not guaranteed by the use of the RSD7-based marking rubrics, but more likely enabled by conversations framed by them. For example, one student in Section 5.2 perceived that the criterion about going beyond supervisor’s guidelines was “stupid”; however, Section 5.1 presented a student who also referred to this same criteria and found it provided substantial insight after discussing with his supervisor, saying that in reflection “I need to make it very clear […]” The first student said how will assessors know? The second student agreed that assessors wouldn’t know ; therefore, I need to make it very clear in my writing . This demonstrates that written criteria alone are insufficient for at least some students to clarify assessment requirements.

Another element exposed above is that the RSD7 prompted academics to make visible criteria that are frequently left implicit for students. The general facet of “embarks and clarifies” was operationalised as the problematic, but necessary, description of “going beyond supervisor’s guidelines”, an honest exposure of assessment of expectations of high-performing students in the initiation of research. However, using the framework to unearth and articulate implicit criteria explicitly does not make the words or ideas immediately sensible or palatable, but preferably would be part of a process, whereby students critically analyse the criteria rather than reactively thinking “stupid”. Based on the differential response between students noted above, the RSD-framed criteria need to be used as a learning and conversation tool at least as much as an assessment tool, so that more students have an it-got-me-thinking reaction. It has been found elsewhere that the RSD framework frequently promotes a shift to making explicit that which has often been left implicit ( Willison, 2012 ).

That some students saw several criteria as irrelevant, such as “recent literature” suggests that these students could better apprehend the standards of the discipline, and take pains to explain why their specific research does not fit the common practice. The criterion should suggest to the student – initially, with guidance from the supervisor, the need to explain why she is relying on what looks like out-of-date material. Overall, the effective use of the RSD7 and its resulting rubrics seemed to require dialogue between students and academics, in keeping with the academic who suggested introducing the rubrics with pizza. It seems that the marking rubrics framed by the RSD7 were like a “frozen conversation”, where the dense articulations of what is being sought needed to be defrosted by human-to-human contact to enable more fluid understandings.

RQ2 was “What do Honours students and academics recommend about RSD7 use in the entire undergraduate degree programme?” All those interviewed, except one Honours student, stated that RSD7 could be used to advantage earlier in the undergraduate degree than Honours. There was a strong emerging sense that across-the-years, explicit research skill development informed by the RSD7 is a way to enable the education needed before and during Honours, and to provide the preparation for PhD study. This may be contrasted with another study which found that without explicit development, there was a risk that research skills may atrophy from one year to the next ( Willison, 2012 ). An explicit and ongoing upskilling process is more likely to overcome the problem that without appropriate structure and guidance, by the end of their degree, students tend to perform open-inquiry projects at “the same level of sophistication as in their introductory core course” ( Chaplin, 2003 , p. 231).

Repeated exposures of the same framing of the RSD7 maximise the potential for student metacognition, where they make their cognition visible to themselves and, as Student 4 said, because across the years of the degree “ they have been consistently applying this structure to all of our assignments, we have come to think that way for science”. Students’ awareness of their own thinking processes are heightened through repeated and diverse exposures to the same six facets of the RSD in multiple contexts, and their potential for self-propelled learning is enhanced as shown by Student 1’s statement “ you can improve yourself” . Metacognition was noted to be of paramount importance for fostering professional growth by a study on inquiry skills in science ( Michalsky, 2012 ), and to student growth as researchers in this present study. Student metacognition evident in this study resulted in a dawning appreciation that the specifics of rubric criteria change time and again, but the six facets of the research process are the same, and the boosted metacognition fundamentally improved most interviewed students’ approaches to researching.

[…] there is need for professors to be more proactive in helping their students gain intellectual proficiency not just as part of doctoral studies but also for undergraduates and master’s degree students (italics added).

[…] given the growth of ever more detailed marking schemes for assessments, does feedback become something which is too specific to a single episode of assessment rather than generalisable to the learning experience as a whole ( Adcroft, 2011 ).

A large majority of students interviewed were able to generalise to the learning experience as a whole, where they were metacognitive and considered themselves being prepared as researchers. This reported skill development is also in keeping with other studies of the RSD7 at the postgraduate level, ( Venning and Buisman-Pijlman, 2013 ; Velautham and Picard, 2011) which, together with this study, suggest that the RSD7 could be used in master’s degrees as well as Honours degrees to better prepare students for PhD study. Any programme-level implementation of the RSD would need to balance advantages, such as coherency in the programme, with the dangers associated with over-riding individual academic’s autonomy.

Limitations and biases of the study

This study was conducted with a proportion of academics from one school and students from one honours cohort, so the study cannot be generalised to all the School’s academics and students, or to other schools and honours cohorts. The study risked a conformation bias; however, there is evidence especially in Section 5.2 that disconfirming evidence was gathered and presented, to mitigate this potential bias to some extent. The study was conducted at an Australian university, and this raises the question about generalisation to other settings and counties. The bachelor and Honours year are comparable to, for example, the UK system or the longer undergraduate science degrees where time is reserved for extended periods of research internships. It is noteworthy that a grading rubric based on the RSD7 was used successfully in The International Master of Science in Addiction Studies, which is taught by partner universities in the USA, the UK and Australia ( Venning and Buisman-Pijlman, 2013 ). The consistent use in this current study of a common conceptual framework to inform rubric construction over multiple year levels to inform the students of their progress and to provide guidance on how to improve seems to be innovative. This use of a conceptual framework may require a cultural shift for academics who may otherwise be focussed on collecting the data from rubrics for accreditation purposes ( Kuh et al. , 2014 ) without seeing the broader educational issue.

Notwithstanding the above comments, this study is an improvement on studies that have focussed on RSD implementation by several academics ( Peirce et al. , 2012 ; Pretorius et al. , 2013 ; Willison et al. , 2009a ; 2009b ) or many academics working individually or in small teams ( Willison, 2012 ): these studies of early adopters risk “early implementer” bias. This current study has considered a whole-school context, where not all those involved in implementation are convinced about the approach. This more closely mirrors the second phase of implementation of an innovation, which, in education, typically is less successful than first-phase pilot studies. Broader studies are needed to reveal more fully the advantages, disadvantages, limitations and successful methods of implementation of the RSD7 at the multiple school and institution levels.

Conclusions

In this current study, the RSD7 provided a conceptual language-in-common which enabled meaningful conversations between academics and students, even if people did not always agree on what was being said. The RSD7 framework was perceived by academics and students to fit closely to the nature of research in Medical Science, and by operationalising it as rubrics, academics were prompted to state clearly the criteria that are frequently left implicit. As academics made research skill development explicit over an extended timeframe, students found that research processes were both more visible and were increasingly internalised so that you came to think that way for science . The large majority of those interviewed suggested strongly that multiple and varied exposures to the same six RSD7 facets across the years of undergraduate study enabled substantial long-term benefits, including maturation of their research skills due to heightened metacognitive processes and identification of themselves as researchers. In this way, the RSD7 was perceived to build the research capacity of students, academics and the School as a whole.

The RSD7 opens up possibilities of using a structure which is sufficiently nebulous yet directed for long-term guidance and reinforcement of student research skill development. However, multi-school and whole-of-institution studies are needed to delve more deeply into how effectively the RSD7 may help with the development of student research skills in many contexts, and with the selection of students who are suited for post-graduate research. For countries with sufficient or excess PhDs, as well as for countries striving to increase PhD enrolments, the RSD7 presents the potential for students to be more research-ready on commencement of their research degrees and so have enhanced outcomes in terms of graduate qualities and outputs. In the School of Medical Science in this study, implementation and use of the RSD7 enabled fluid understandings and conversations around research processes and so it was an important part of students becoming researchers and researchers becoming renowned.

Researcher Skill Development framework

Adcroft , A. ( 2011 ), “ The mythology of feedback ”, Higher Education Research and Development , Vol. 30 No. 4 , pp. 405 - 419 .

Allan , C. ( 2011 ), “ Exploring the experience of ten Australian Honours students ”, Higher Education Research and Development , Vol. 30 No. 4 , pp. 421 - 433 .

Allchin , D. , Møller , H. and Keld Nielsen , A. ( 2014 ), “ Complementary approaches to teaching nature of science: integrating student inquiry, historical cases, and contemporary cases in classroom practice ”, Science Education , Vol. 98 No. 3 , pp. 461 - 486 .

Chaplin , S. ( 2003 ), “ Guided development of independent inquiry in an anatomy/physiology laboratory ”, Advances in Physiology Education , Vol. 27 No. 4 , pp. 230 - 240 .

Cochrane , S. Goh , S. and Ku , H. ( 2009 ), “ An investigation into the application of research strategies in the final-year undergraduate engineering and surveying projects ”, 20th Annual Conference for the Australasian Association for Engineering Education , Engineering the Curriculum, A.C.T., Engineers Australia , Barton , 6-9 December, pp. 193 - 198 .

DIISR ( 2011 ), Research Skills for an Innovative Future: A Research Workforce Strategy to Cover the Decade to 2020 and Beyond , Department of Innovation , Industry, Science and Research , Canberra .

Drew , M.E. , Subramaniam , N. and Clowes-Doolan , K. ( 2002 ), “ Students’ experience of the honours’ supervisory relationship: a preliminary investigation ”, Discussion Paper No 113, Discussion papers in Economics, Finance and International Competitiveness , Queensland University of Technology , Queensland , available at: http://eprints.qut.edu.au/523 (accessed 1 September 2013 ).

Feldman , A. , Divoll , K.A. and Rogan-Klyve , A. ( 2013 ), “ Becoming researchers: the participation of undergraduate and graduate students in scientific research groups ”, Science Education , Vol. 97 No. 2 , pp. 218 - 243 .

Hunter , A.B. , Laursen , S.L. and Seymour , E. ( 2007 ), “ Becoming a scientist: the role of undergraduate research in students’ cognitive, personal and professional development ”, Science Education , Vol. 91 No. 1 , pp. 36 - 74 .

Jenkins , A. and Healey , M. ( 2009 ), Developing Undergraduate Research and Inquiry , Higher Education Academy , New York, NY , available at: www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/resources/publications/DevelopingUndergraduate_Final.pdf (accessed 14 November 2010 ).

Kardash , C. ( 2000 ), “ Evaluation of an undergraduate research experience: perceptions of undergraduate interns and their faculty mentors ”, Journal of Educational Psychology , Vol. 92 No. 1 , pp. 191 - 201 .

Kuh , G.D. , Jankowski , N. , Ikenberry , S.O. and Kinzie , J. ( 2014 ), Knowing What Students Know and Can Do: The Current State of Student Learning Outcomes Assessment in US Colleges and Universities , National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment , available at: www.learningoutcomeassessment.org/knowingwhatstudentsknowandcando.html on (accessed 1 October 2015 ).

Lopatto , D. ( 2004 ), “ Survey of undergraduate research experiences (SURE): first findings ”, Cell Biology Education , Vol. 3 No. 4 , pp. 270 - 277 .

Luckie , D. , Maleszewski , J. , Loznak , S. and Krha , M. ( 2004 ), “ Infusion of collaborative inquiry throughout a biology curriculum increases student learning: a four-year study of ‘Teams and Streams’ ”, Advances in Physiology Education , Vol. 28 No. 4 , pp. 199 - 209 .

Mafenya , P.N. ( 2014 ), “ Challenges faced by higher education institutions in research skills development: a South African open and distance learning case study ”, Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences , Vol. 5 No. 4, pp. 436-442.

Matas , C. ( 2012 ), “ Doctoral education and skills development: an international perspective ”, Revista de Docencia Universitaria , Vol. 10 No. 2 , pp. 163 - 191 .

Medical Science ( 2012 ), “ Medical science honours marking rubrics ”, available at: www.adelaide.edu.au/rsd/examples/#medicalscience (accessed 1 September 2013 ).

Menke , C. ( 2013 ), “ Streamlining program learning objective assessment with targeted activities and descriptive rubrics ”, available at: http://assessment.ucmerced.edu/sites/assessment.ucmerced.edu/files/page/documents/menkec-presentation.pptx.pdf (accessed 14 February 2015 ).

Michalsky , T. ( 2012 ), “ Shaping self-regulation in science teachers’ professional growth: inquiry Skills ”, Science Education , Vol. 96 No. 6 , pp. 1106 - 1133 .

Monash Univeristy ( 2015 ), “ Monash univeristy library: research skills development ”, available at: http://monash.edu/library/skills/rsd/ (accessed 21 February 2015 ).

Munns , S. and Chilton , L. ( 2014 ), “ Demand evidence and think critically: building research excellence in tomorrow’s scientists ”, Proceedings of the Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education , University of Sydney , Sydney , 29-30 September, pp. 134 - 139 .

OECD ( 2008 ), Higher Education to 2030: Demography , Centre for Educational Research and Innovation, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development , Paris .

Om. S. ( 2011 ), “ Cambodian post-graduate students’ perceptions of their development as beginning researchers ”, Thesis submitted for the partial fulfilment of Masters Degree in Education , Royal University of Phnom Penh , Phnom Penh .

Osborn , J. ( 2012 ), “ The national year of reading: celebrating the role of literature in an academic culture ”, Australian Library Journal , Vol. 61 No. 4 , pp. 281 - 288 .

Peirce , E. , Ricci , M. , Lee , I. and Willison , J. ( 2012 ), “ First year human biology students in the ivory tower ”, Proceedings of the Uniserve Science Conference , Sydney .

Pretorius , L. , Bailey , C. and Miles , M. ( 2013 ), “ Constructive alignment and the research skills development framework: using theory to practically align graduate attributes, learning experiences, and assessment tasks in undergraduate midwifery ”, International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education , Vol. 25 No. 3 , pp. 378 - 387 .

Rhodes , T. and Finley , A. ( 2013 ), Using the VALUE Rubrics for Improvement of Learning and Authentic Assessment , Published by Association of American Colleges and Universities , Washington, DC , available at: www.aacu.org/publications/using-value-rubrics (accessed 3 October 2015 ).

Sadler , D.R. ( 2009 ), “ Indeterminacy in the use of preset criteria for assessment and grading ”, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education , Vol. 34 No. 2 , pp. 159 - 179 .

Sadler , D.R. ( 2014 ), “ The futility of attempting to codify academic achievement standards ”, Higher Education , Vol. 67 No. 3 , pp. 273 - 288 .

Salter , I.Y. and Atkins , L.J. ( 2014 ), “ What students say versus what they do regarding scientific inquiry ”, Science Education , Vol. 98 No. 1 , pp. 1 - 35 .

Tong. A. , Sainbury , P. and Graig , J. ( 2007 ), “ Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): a 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups ”, Internal Journal of Quality Health Care , Vol. 19 No. 6 , pp. 349 - 357 .

University of the South Pacific ( 2013 ), “ University of South Pacific Strategic Plan, 2013 -2018 ”, available at: www.usp.ac.fj/strategicplan2013-2018 (accessed 1 September 2013 ).

University of Wisconsin Stout ( 2015 ), “ UW-Stout research skill development cohort ”, available at: https://uwstoutrsd.wordpress.com/ (accessed 21 February 2015 ).

Velautham , L. and Picard , M. ( 2009 ), “ Collaborating equals: engaging faculties through teaching-led research ”, Journal of Academic Language and Learning , Vol. 3 No. 2 , pp. 130 - 141 .

Venning , J. and Buisman-Pijlman , F. ( 2013 ), “ Integrating assessment matrices in feedback loops to promote research skill development in postgraduate research projects ”, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education , Vol. 38 No. 4 , pp. 567 - 579 .

Wengraf , T. ( 2001 ), Qualitative Research Interviewing: Biographic Narrative and Semi-Structured Methods , Sage , London .

Willison , J. ( 2012 ), “ When Academics integrate research skill development in the curriculum ”, Higher Education Research and Development , Vol. 31 No. 1 , pp. 905 - 919 .

Willison , J. and O’Regan , K. ( 2006/2015 ), “ Research skill development framework ”, available at: www.adelaide.edu.au/rsd (accessed 26 September 2015 ).

Willison , J. and O’Regan , K. ( 2007 ), “ Commonly known, commonly not known, totally unknown: a framework for students becoming researchers ”, Higher Education Research and Development , Vol. 26 No. 4 , pp. 393 - 410 .

Willison , J. and O’Regan , K. ( 2008/2015 ), “ Researcher skill development framework ”, available at: www.adelaide.edu.au/rsd/framework/rsd7 (accessed 26 September 2015 ).

Willison , J. , Pierce , E. and Ricci , M. ( 2009a ), “ Towards student autonomy in literature and field research ”, paper presented at the Higher Education Research and Development Conference , Darwin .

Willison , J. , Schapper , J. and Teo , E. ( 2009b ), “ Multiple methods of improvement of research skills in business ethics and business law ”, paper presented at the QATLHEBEC Conference , Melbourne .

Further reading

Bahr , N. and Lloyd , M. ( 2011 ), “ Course cohesion: an elusive goal for tertiary education ”, Journal of Learning Design , Vol. 4 No. 4 , pp. 21 - 36 .

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the colleagues and students of the school that was the focus of this study for their contributions. This study was supported by a grant from the Office of Learning and Teaching, Australia.

Corresponding author

Related articles, we’re listening — tell us what you think, something didn’t work….

Report bugs here

All feedback is valuable

Please share your general feedback

Join us on our journey

Platform update page.

Visit emeraldpublishing.com/platformupdate to discover the latest news and updates

Questions & More Information

Answers to the most commonly asked questions here

Explore Jobs

• Jobs Near Me
• Remote Jobs
• Full Time Jobs
• Part Time Jobs
• Entry Level Jobs
• Work From Home Jobs

Find Specific Jobs

• $15 Per Hour Jobs
• $20 Per Hour Jobs
• Hiring Immediately Jobs
• High School Jobs
• H1b Visa Jobs

Explore Careers

• Business And Financial
• Architecture And Engineering
• Computer And Mathematical

Explore Professions

• What They Do
• Certifications
• Demographics

Best Companies

• Health Care
• Fortune 500

Explore Companies

• CEO And Executies
• Resume Builder
• Career Advice
• Explore Majors
• Questions And Answers
• Interview Questions

The Most Important Research Skills (With Examples)

• What Are Hard Skills?
• What Are Technical Skills?
• What Are What Are Life Skills?
• What Are Social Media Skills Resume?
• What Are Administrative Skills?
• What Are Analytical Skills?
• What Are Research Skills?
• What Are Transferable Skills?
• What Are Microsoft Office Skills?
• What Are Clerical Skills?
• What Are Computer Skills?
• What Are Core Competencies?
• What Are Collaboration Skills?
• What Are Conflict Resolution Skills?
• What Are Mathematical Skills?
• How To Delegate

Find a Job You Really Want In

Research skills are the ability to find out accurate information on a topic. They include being able to determine the data you need, find and interpret those findings, and then explain that to others. Being able to do effective research is a beneficial skill in any profession, as data and research inform how businesses operate.

Whether you’re unsure of your research skills or are looking for ways to further improve them, then this article will cover important research skills and how to become even better at research.

Key Takeaways

Having strong research skills can help you understand your competitors, develop new processes, and build your professional skills in addition to aiding you in finding new customers and saving your company money.

Some of the most valuable research skills you can have include goal setting, data collection, and analyzing information from multiple sources.

You can and should put your research skills on your resume and highlight them in your job interviews.

What are research skills?

Why are research skills important, 12 of the most important research skills, how to improve your research skills, highlighting your research skills in a job interview, how to include research skills on your resume, resume examples showcasing research skills, research skills faqs.

• Sign Up For More Advice and Jobs

Research skills are the necessary tools to be able to find, compile, and interpret information in order to answer a question. Of course, there are several aspects to this. Researchers typically have to decide how to go about researching a problem — which for most people is internet research.

In addition, you need to be able to interpret the reliability of a source, put the information you find together in an organized and logical way, and be able to present your findings to others. That means that they’re comprised of both hard skills — knowing your subject and what’s true and what isn’t — and soft skills. You need to be able to interpret sources and communicate clearly.

Research skills are useful in any industry, and have applications in innovation, product development, competitor research, and many other areas. In addition, the skills used in researching aren’t only useful for research. Being able to interpret information is a necessary skill, as is being able to clearly explain your reasoning.

Research skills are used to:

Do competitor research. Knowing what your biggest competitors are up to is an essential part of any business. Researching what works for your competitors, what they’re doing better than you, and where you can improve your standing with the lowest resource expenditure are all essential if a company wants to remain functional.

Develop new processes and products. You don’t have to be involved in research and development to make improvements in how your team gets things done. Researching new processes that make your job (and those of your team) more efficient will be valued by any sensible employer.

Foster self-improvement. Folks who have a knack and passion for research are never content with doing things the same way they’ve always been done. Organizations need independent thinkers who will seek out their own answers and improve their skills as a matter of course. These employees will also pick up new technologies more easily.

Manage customer relationships. Being able to conduct research on your customer base is positively vital in virtually every industry. It’s hard to move products or sell services if you don’t know what people are interested in. Researching your customer base’s interests, needs, and pain points is a valuable responsibility.

Save money. Whether your company is launching a new product or just looking for ways to scale back its current spending, research is crucial for finding wasted resources and redirecting them to more deserving ends. Anyone who proactively researches ways that the company can save money will be highly appreciated by their employer.

Solve problems. Problem solving is a major part of a lot of careers, and research skills are instrumental in making sure your solution is effective. Finding out the cause of the problem and determining an effective solution both require accurate information, and research is the best way to obtain that — be it via the internet or by observation.

Determine reliable information. Being able to tell whether or not the information you receive seems accurate is a very valuable skill. While research skills won’t always guarantee that you’ll be able to tell the reliability of the information at first glance, it’ll prevent you from being too trusting. And it’ll give the tools to double-check .

Experienced researchers know that worthwhile investigation involves a variety of skills. Consider which research skills come naturally to you, and which you could work on more.

Data collection . When thinking about the research process, data collection is often the first thing that comes to mind. It is the nuts and bolts of research. How data is collected can be flexible.

For some purposes, simply gathering facts and information on the internet can fulfill your need. Others may require more direct and crowd-sourced research. Having experience in various methods of data collection can make your resume more impressive to recruiters.

Data collection methods include: Observation Interviews Questionnaires Experimentation Conducting focus groups

Analysis of information from different sources. Putting all your eggs in one source basket usually results in error and disappointment. One of the skills that good researchers always incorporate into their process is an abundance of sources. It’s also best practice to consider the reliability of these sources.

Are you reading about U.S. history on a conspiracy theorist’s blog post? Taking facts for a presentation from an anonymous Twitter account?

If you can’t determine the validity of the sources you’re using, it can compromise all of your research. That doesn’t mean just disregard anything on the internet but double-check your findings. In fact, quadruple-check. You can make your research even stronger by turning to references outside of the internet.

Examples of reliable information sources include: Published books Encyclopedias Magazines Databases Scholarly journals Newspapers Library catalogs

Finding information on the internet. While it can be beneficial to consulate alternative sources, strong internet research skills drive modern-day research.

One of the great things about the internet is how much information it contains, however, this comes with digging through a lot of garbage to get to the facts you need. The ability to efficiently use the vast database of knowledge that is on the internet without getting lost in the junk is very valuable to employers.

Internet research skills include: Source checking Searching relevant questions Exploring deeper than the first options Avoiding distraction Giving credit Organizing findings

Interviewing. Some research endeavors may require a more hands-on approach than just consulting internet sources. Being prepared with strong interviewing skills can be very helpful in the research process.

Interviews can be a useful research tactic to gain first-hand information and being able to manage a successful interview can greatly improve your research skills.

Interviewing skills involves: A plan of action Specific, pointed questions Respectfulness Considering the interview setting Actively Listening Taking notes Gratitude for participation

Report writing. Possessing skills in report writing can assist you in job and scholarly research. The overall purpose of a report in any context is to convey particular information to its audience.

Effective report writing is largely dependent on communication. Your boss, professor , or general reader should walk away completely understanding your findings and conclusions.

Report writing skills involve: Proper format Including a summary Focusing on your initial goal Creating an outline Proofreading Directness

Critical thinking. Critical thinking skills can aid you greatly throughout the research process, and as an employee in general. Critical thinking refers to your data analysis skills. When you’re in the throes of research, you need to be able to analyze your results and make logical decisions about your findings.

Critical thinking skills involve: Observation Analysis Assessing issues Problem-solving Creativity Communication

Planning and scheduling. Research is a work project like any other, and that means it requires a little forethought before starting. Creating a detailed outline map for the points you want to touch on in your research produces more organized results.

It also makes it much easier to manage your time. Planning and scheduling skills are important to employers because they indicate a prepared employee.

Planning and scheduling skills include: Setting objectives Identifying tasks Prioritizing Delegating if needed Vision Communication Clarity Time-management

Note-taking. Research involves sifting through and taking in lots of information. Taking exhaustive notes ensures that you will not neglect any findings later and allows you to communicate these results to your co-workers. Being able to take good notes helps summarize research.

Examples of note-taking skills include: Focus Organization Using short-hand Keeping your objective in mind Neatness Highlighting important points Reviewing notes afterward

Communication skills. Effective research requires being able to understand and process the information you receive, either written or spoken. That means that you need strong reading comprehension and writing skills — two major aspects of communication — as well as excellent listening skills.

Most research also involves showcasing your findings. This can be via a presentation. , report, chart, or Q&A. Whatever the case, you need to be able to communicate your findings in a way that educates your audience.

Communication skills include: Reading comprehension Writing Listening skills Presenting to an audience Creating graphs or charts Explaining in layman’s terms

Time management. We’re, unfortunately, only given 24 measly hours in a day. The ability to effectively manage this time is extremely powerful in a professional context. Hiring managers seek candidates who can accomplish goals in a given timeframe.

Strong time management skills mean that you can organize a plan for how to break down larger tasks in a project and complete them by a deadline. Developing your time management skills can greatly improve the productivity of your research.

Time management skills include: Scheduling Creating task outlines Strategic thinking Stress-management Delegation Communication Utilizing resources Setting realistic expectations Meeting deadlines

Using your network. While this doesn’t seem immediately relevant to research skills, remember that there are a lot of experts out there. Knowing what people’s areas of expertise and asking for help can be tremendously beneficial — especially if it’s a subject you’re unfamiliar with.

Your coworkers are going to have different areas of expertise than you do, and your network of people will as well. You may even know someone who knows someone who’s knowledgeable in the area you’re researching. Most people are happy to share their expertise, as it’s usually also an area of interest to them.

Networking involves: Remembering people’s areas of expertise Being willing to ask for help Communication Returning favors Making use of advice Asking for specific assistance

Attention to detail. Research is inherently precise. That means that you need to be attentive to the details, both in terms of the information you’re gathering, but also in where you got it from. Making errors in statistics can have a major impact on the interpretation of the data, not to mention that it’ll reflect poorly on you.

There are proper procedures for citing sources that you should follow. That means that your sources will be properly credited, preventing accusations of plagiarism. In addition, it means that others can make use of your research by returning to the original sources.

Attention to detail includes: Double checking statistics Taking notes Keeping track of your sources Staying organized Making sure graphs are accurate and representative Properly citing sources

As with many professional skills, research skills serve us in our day to day life. Any time you search for information on the internet, you’re doing research. That means that you’re practicing it outside of work as well. If you want to continue improving your research skills, both for professional and personal use, here are some tips to try.

Differentiate between source quality. A researcher is only as good as their worst source. Start paying attention to the quality of the sources you use, and be suspicious of everything your read until you check out the attributions and works cited.

Be critical and ask yourself about the author’s bias, where the author’s research aligns with the larger body of verified research in the field, and what publication sponsored or published the research.

Use multiple resources. When you can verify information from a multitude of sources, it becomes more and more credible. To bolster your faith in one source, see if you can find another source that agrees with it.

Don’t fall victim to confirmation bias. Confirmation bias is when a researcher expects a certain outcome and then goes to find data that supports this hypothesis. It can even go so far as disregarding anything that challenges the researcher’s initial hunch. Be prepared for surprising answers and keep an open mind.

Be open to the idea that you might not find a definitive answer. It’s best to be honest and say that you found no definitive answer instead of just confirming what you think your boss or coworkers expect or want to hear. Experts and good researchers are willing to say that they don’t know.

Stay organized. Being able to cite sources accurately and present all your findings is just as important as conducting the research itself. Start practicing good organizational skills , both on your devices and for any physical products you’re using.

Get specific as you go. There’s nothing wrong with starting your research in a general way. After all, it’s important to become familiar with the terminology and basic gist of the researcher’s findings before you dig down into all the minutia.

A job interview is itself a test of your research skills. You can expect questions on what you know about the company, the role, and your field or industry more generally. In order to give expert answers on all these topics, research is crucial.

Start by researching the company . Look into how they communicate with the public through social media, what their mission statement is, and how they describe their culture.

Pay close attention to the tone of their website. Is it hyper professional or more casual and fun-loving? All of these elements will help decide how best to sell yourself at the interview.

Next, research the role. Go beyond the job description and reach out to current employees working at your desired company and in your potential department. If you can find out what specific problems your future team is or will be facing, you’re sure to impress hiring managers and recruiters with your ability to research all the facts.

Finally, take time to research the job responsibilities you’re not as comfortable with. If you’re applying for a job that represents increased difficulty or entirely new tasks, it helps to come into the interview with at least a basic knowledge of what you’ll need to learn.

Research projects require dedication. Being committed is a valuable skill for hiring managers. Whether you’ve had research experience throughout education or a former job, including it properly can boost the success of your resume .

Consider how extensive your research background is. If you’ve worked on multiple, in-depth research projects, it might be best to include it as its own section. If you have less research experience, include it in the skills section .

Focus on your specific role in the research, as opposed to just the research itself. Try to quantify accomplishments to the best of your abilities. If you were put in charge of competitor research, for example, list that as one of the tasks you had in your career.

If it was a particular project, such as tracking the sale of women’s clothing at a tee-shirt company, you can say that you “directed analysis into women’s clothing sales statistics for a market research project.”

Ascertain how directly research skills relate to the job you’re applying for. How strongly you highlight your research skills should depend on the nature of the job the resume is for. If research looks to be a strong component of it, then showcase all of your experience.

If research looks to be tangential, then be sure to mention it — it’s a valuable skill — but don’t put it front and center.

Example #1: Academic Research

Simon Marks 767 Brighton Blvd. | Brooklyn, NY, 27368 | (683)-262-8883 | [email protected] Diligent and hardworking recent graduate seeking a position to develop professional experience and utilize research skills. B.A. in Biological Sciences from New York University. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Lixus Publishing , Brooklyn, NY Office Assistant- September 2018-present Scheduling and updating meetings Managing emails and phone calls Reading entries Worked on a science fiction campaign by researching target demographic Organizing calendars Promoted to office assistant after one year internship Mitch’s Burgers and Fries , Brooklyn, NY Restaurant Manager , June 2014-June 2018 Managed a team of five employees Responsible for coordinating the weekly schedule Hired and trained two employees Kept track of inventory Dealt with vendors Provided customer service Promoted to restaurant manager after two years as a waiter Awarded a $2.00/hr wage increase SKILLS Writing Scientific Research Data analysis Critical thinking Planning Communication RESEARCH Worked on an ecosystem biology project with responsibilities for algae collection and research (2019) Lead a group of freshmen in a research project looking into cell biology (2018) EDUCATION New York University Bachelors in Biological Sciences, September 2016-May 2020

Example #2: Professional Research

Angela Nichols 1111 Keller Dr. | San Francisco, CA | (663)-124-8827 |[email protected] Experienced and enthusiastic marketer with 7 years of professional experience. Seeking a position to apply my marketing and research knowledge. Skills in working on a team and flexibility. EXPERIENCE Apples amp; Oranges Marketing, San Francisco, CA Associate Marketer – April 2017-May 2020 Discuss marketing goals with clients Provide customer service Lead campaigns associated with women’s health Coordinating with a marketing team Quickly solving issues in service and managing conflict Awarded with two raises totaling $10,000 over three years Prestigious Marketing Company, San Francisco, CA Marketer – May 2014-April 2017 Working directly with clients Conducting market research into television streaming preferences Developing marketing campaigns related to television streaming services Report writing Analyzing campaign success statistics Promoted to Marketer from Junior Marketer after the first year Timberlake Public Relations, San Francisco, CA Public Relations Intern – September 2013–May 2014 Working cohesively with a large group of co-workers and supervisors Note-taking during meetings Running errands Managing email accounts Assisting in brainstorming Meeting work deadlines EDUCATION Golden Gate University, San Francisco, CA Bachelor of Arts in Marketing with a minor in Communications – September 2009 – May 2013 SKILLS Marketing Market research Record-keeping Teamwork Presentation. Flexibility

What research skills are important?

Goal-setting and data collection are important research skills. Additional important research skills include:

Using different sources to analyze information.

Finding information on the internet.

Interviewing sources.

Writing reports.

Critical thinking.

Planning and scheduling.

Note-taking.

Managing time.

How do you develop good research skills?

You develop good research skills by learning how to find information from multiple high-quality sources, by being wary of confirmation bias, and by starting broad and getting more specific as you go.

When you learn how to tell a reliable source from an unreliable one and get in the habit of finding multiple sources that back up a claim, you’ll have better quality research.

In addition, when you learn how to keep an open mind about what you’ll find, you’ll avoid falling into the trap of confirmation bias, and by staying organized and narrowing your focus as you go (rather than before you start), you’ll be able to gather quality information more efficiently.

What is the importance of research?

The importance of research is that it informs most decisions and strategies in a business. Whether it’s deciding which products to offer or creating a marketing strategy, research should be used in every part of a company.

Because of this, employers want employees who have strong research skills. They know that you’ll be able to put them to work bettering yourself and the organization as a whole.

Should you put research skills on your resume?

Yes, you should include research skills on your resume as they are an important professional skill. Where you include your research skills on your resume will depend on whether you have a lot of experience in research from a previous job or as part of getting your degree, or if you’ve just cultivated them on your own.

If your research skills are based on experience, you could put them down under the tasks you were expected to perform at the job in question. If not, then you should likely list it in your skills section.

University of the People – The Best Research Skills for Success

Association of Internet Research Specialists — What are Research Skills and Why Are They Important?

MasterClass — How to Improve Your Research Skills: 6 Research Tips

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating / 5. Vote count:

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.

Recent Job Searches

• Registered Nurse Jobs Resume Location
• Truck Driver Jobs Resume Location
• Call Center Representative Jobs Resume Location
• Customer Service Representative Jobs Resume
• Delivery Driver Jobs Resume Location
• Warehouse Worker Jobs Resume Location
• Account Executive Jobs Resume Location
• Sales Associate Jobs Resume Location
• Licensed Practical Nurse Jobs Resume Location
• Company Driver Jobs Resume

Related posts

How To Delegate And Get More Done (With Examples)

What Is Emotional Intelligence (EQ)? (With Examples)

Most Important Rhetorical Skills (With Examples)

How To Give An Effective Presentation (With Examples)

• Career Advice >
• Hard Skills >
• Research Skills