Papers by Susan C Gasson
The framework was developed collaboratively as the two authors were preparing to make separate pr... more The framework was developed collaboratively as the two authors were preparing to make separate presentations on the topic of collaboration. Researchers and related stakeholders are invited to use the cultural framework to inform reflection, enabling the creation of healthy (productive and sustainable) collaborations. Highlights of the framework are trust and respect (the roots of collaboration) collaborative communities (the fields of collaboration) and the generation of outputs (the fruits of collaboration).
The San Jose Gateway PhD program is a doctoral partnership between the School of Information at S... more The San Jose Gateway PhD program is a doctoral partnership between the School of Information at San Jose State University (SJSU) in the USA, and the Information Systems School at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Australia. Because of Californian legislation, SJSU has not been able to offer PhD degrees. The Gateway Program therefore provides a research pathway for SJSU’s coursework students. It also helps the School to grow the research capacity of academic staff. For QUT, the Program provides the opportunity to advance research agendas and to build strong international connections and partnerships. The Program began in 2008. It is a distance-delivered cohort-based scheme with new students commencing in August of each year. All students are enrolled as part-time students in QUT’s Doctor of Philosophy. Each student is assigned supervisors from both universities. In addition to individual and group supervisory meetings, all students and supervisors meet in a virtual mee...
Support for this Fellowship has been provided by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council, an... more Support for this Fellowship has been provided by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council, an initiative of the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. The views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the ...
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Given evidence of enhanced productivity and citations achieved by collaborative writers, it is im... more Given evidence of enhanced productivity and citations achieved by collaborative writers, it is important for researchers to develop collaborative capacity (Abramo, D’Angelo & Di Costa 2009; McCarty, Jawitz, Hopkins & Goldman 2013). Our theoretical paper defines the concepts of Collaborative Capacity and Informed Research and incorporates them within a Collaborative Research Culture Framework. We also present five stories that illustrate how elements of the Framework, including Collaborative Capacity, can help the collaborative research writer to overcome challenges and engage successfully in collaborative opportunities. One story focuses on a student and supervisor collaboration to highlight the role of trust and respect; another describes how student collaborations can enrich and enable informal, formal and sanctioned networks; a third describes the innovation, inclusion and initiative achieved through writing collaboratively; a fourth demonstrates how leadership capacity facilitat...
Completing a PhD on time is a complex process, influenced by many interacting factors. In this pa... more Completing a PhD on time is a complex process, influenced by many interacting factors. In this paper we take a Bayesian Network approach to analyzing the factors perceived to be important in achieving this aim. Focusing on a single research group in Mathematical Sciences, we develop a conceptual model to describe the factors considered to be important to students and then quantify the network based on five individual perspectives: the students, a supervisor and a university research students centre manager. The resultant network comprised 37 factors and 40 connections, with an overall probability of timely completion of between 0.6 and 0.8. Across all participants, the four factors that were considered to most directly influence timely completion were personal aspects, the research environment, the research project, and incoming skills.
Journal of Information Literacy
This paper presents the Faces of Informed Research, an information literacy (IL) framework that a... more This paper presents the Faces of Informed Research, an information literacy (IL) framework that aims to enhance researchers’ capacity to participate productively in collaborative interdisciplinary partnerships. Universities and funding bodies increasingly require collaborative approaches to research initiatives. Beneficial for advancing shared research interests, collaboration often requires overcoming significant variation in disciplinary approaches, including how researchers use information to conduct research, to transition unfamiliar researchers into working relationships. A conceptual development process was undertaken to expand on the Seven Faces of Informed Learning to further adapt the framework to collaborative and interdisciplinary research contexts. Embodying critical components of working together, Informed Research especially supports researchers’ collective enablement and enactment of different experiences of using information. Drawing from the pedagogic model Informed...
Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, 2019
Purpose This paper aims to demonstrate the value of a collaborative research culture framework (G... more Purpose This paper aims to demonstrate the value of a collaborative research culture framework (Gasson and Bruce, 2018a), featuring trust and respect as core elements of healthy collaborations, to support the research success of higher degree research (HDR) students. HDR is a term used in Australia to reference Doctoral and Master by research programmes. Design/methodology/approach The authors propose that by positioning collaboration as part of a research culture built on trust and respect, discussion about and the development of healthy collaborative research culture will be facilitated. A healthy culture is defined as one that supports sustainable and productive collaborative research. Findings The applications of the framework demonstrate the role the framework can play in supporting researchers to understand, engage in and manage collaborations. Research limitations/implications Reflection on discussions to date has led to the authors’ view that collaborative success requires a...
A collaborative framework is present and discussed in the context of the sustainable research cha... more A collaborative framework is present and discussed in the context of the sustainable research challenge faced in PNG. Included in the presentations will be strategies to establish and reinforce links between researchers as well as to embed a culture of research the community through a range of engagement activities. The aim of the presentation is to continue the process of empowering and enabling PNG researchers by guiding them in the creation of a sustainable collaborative research culture.
Division of Research and Commercialisation, Apr 10, 2014
This case study applied Weick's (1979) notion of sensemaking to support timely quality doctor... more This case study applied Weick's (1979) notion of sensemaking to support timely quality doctoral completion. Taking a socio-cultural perspective the paper explored how drivers can be applied to inform better fit (Durham, 1991). Global research themes, including growth in student numbers, timely completion and generation and distribution of research outcomes, are considered. It is argued that accessible and interactive web interfaces should be informed by quality assurance measures and key performance indicators. The contribution made is a better understanding of how phenomena and contexts can be applied to generate quality management of research training environments and research outcomes in universities.
Division of Finance and Resource Planning Division of Research and Commercialisation Division of Technology Information and Learning Support, Jul 7, 2014
This is a case study of a young university striving to generate and sustain a vibrant Research Tr... more This is a case study of a young university striving to generate and sustain a vibrant Research Training culture. The university’s research training framework is informed by a belief in a project management approach to achieving successful research candidature. This has led to the definition and reporting of key milestones during candidature. In turn, these milestones have generated a range of training programs to support Higher Degree Research (HDR) students to meet these milestones in a timely fashion. Each milestone focuses on a specific set of skills blended with supporting the development of different parts of the doctoral thesis. Data on student progress and completion has provided evidence in highlighting the role that the milestones and training are playing in supporting timely completion. A university-wide reporting cycle generated data on the range of workshops and training provided to Higher Degree Research students and supervisors. The report provided details of thesis topic and format, as well as participation in research training events and participant evaluation of those events. Analysis of the data led to recommendations and comments on the strengths and weaknesses of the current research training program. Discussion considered strategies and drivers for enhancements into the future. In particular, the paper reflects on the significant potential role of centrally curated knowledge systems to support HDR student and supervisor access, and engagement and success. The research training program was developed using blended learning as a model. It covered face-to-face workshops as well as online modules. These were supplemented by web portals that offered a range of services to inform and educate students and supervisors and included opportunities for students to interact with each other. Topics ranged from the research life cycle, writing and publication, ethics, managing research data, managing copyright, and project management to use of software and the University’s Code of Conduct for Research. The challenges discussed included: How to reach off campus students and those studying in external modes? How best to promote events to potential participants? How long and what format is best for face-to-face sessions? What online resources best supplement face-to-face offerings? Is there a place for peer-based learning and what form should this take? These questions are raised by a relatively young university seeking to build and sustain a vibrant research culture. The rapid growth in enrolments in recent years has challenged previous one-to-one models of support. This review of research training is timely in seeking strategies to address changing research training support capacity and student needs. Part of the discussion will focus on supervisory training, noting that good supervision is the one remaining place where one-to-one support is provided. Ensuring that supervisors are appropriately equipped to address student expectations is considered in the context of the research training provisions. The paper concludes with reflection on the challenges faced, and recommended ways forward as the number of research students grows into the future.
Quality in Higher Education, 2015
The case study used a three-phase organising process to explain how design and implementation of ... more The case study used a three-phase organising process to explain how design and implementation of an accessible and interactive electronic thesis submission form streamlined quality assurance of theses and their timely dissemination via an online thesis repository. The quality of the theses submitted is assured by key academics in their final sign off of the form. It describes the role of shared cultural value in ensuring ready acceptance of a change process within one university and highlights the value of communication in achieving positive change. Quality standards as defined by an external policy framework are shown to be interpreted at the local university level to enhance the PhD completion experience. It describes the impact of moving quality assurance processes to an online environment on research activities; considering the potential for quality assurance to improve universities’ teaching, learning and research activities by facilitating academic oversight of the quality assurance process and reducing the overheads associated with monitoring, measuring and reporting on quality assurance measures.
INTED2010 Proceedings CD, 2010
Woodman, Karen and Gasson, Susan (2010) Bridging the gap : developing an innovative online resour... more Woodman, Karen and Gasson, Susan (2010) Bridging the gap : developing an innovative online resource for international graduate students. In: INTED2010 Proceedings CD, 8-10 March, 2010, Valencia, Spain. ... BRIDGING THE GAP: DEVELOPING AN INNOVATIVE ONLINE ...
The EuroCALL Review, 2011
This paper describes results of a study evaluating the content, functionality and design features... more This paper describes results of a study evaluating the content, functionality and design features of an innovative online website called the Doorway to Research (http://rsc.acid.net.au/Main.aspx) , which was developed to support international graduate students studying at universities in Australia. First, the key features of the website are described. Second, the result of a pilot study involving 12 students and faculty members who tested key aspects of the design, content and functionality of the website and provided written and oral feedback base on task-based questions and focus group discussions are explored. Finally, recommendations for future development are presented. Results of the study indicate general student satisfaction with the website and its design, content and functionality, with specific areas identified for further development.
Thesis Chapters by Susan C Gasson
PhD thesis, 2023
My narrative inquiry study explores the early career researcher pathway experience. The paradox u... more My narrative inquiry study explores the early career researcher pathway experience. The paradox underpinning this study is that despite the growing investment in the development of doctoral students, early career researchers are finding it harder to gain secure employment and transition to more senior roles. This study reveals the influence of
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Papers by Susan C Gasson
Thesis Chapters by Susan C Gasson