Skills for research-based assignments

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What skills do you bring already?
•	Conduct an audit of your skills for research-based assignments, using the checklist below.
•	Rate your current skills on a scale of 0–5, where 0 = ‘none yet’ and 5 is ’excellent’.
•	Identify  whether you need to develop further. If so, follow up the relevant chapter or pages.
Self-management skills	Current skill level 0–5	Develop
further?
✓	Pages	
1	Developing the right mindset			55–8	
2	Nurturing my own intellectual curiosity			56	
3	Envisaging myself as a researcher			57; 156	
4	Maintaining high levels of motivation			55; 56; 58;
65; 71	
5	Managing time effectively			67−72; 206−8	
Academic skills	Current skill level 0–5	Develop
further?
✓	Pages	
6	Understanding what is meant by ‘research’			25−36;
119−26	
7	Awareness of different approaches to research			127−36	
8	Reading background literature to develop my knowledge			105−16	
9	Writing up a literature review			116−18	
10	Selecting an appropriate topic as the subject of
research			56; 95−104	
11	Formulating a suitable title, question and/or
hypothesis			103−4;
139−40	
12	Drawing upon relevant theoretical frameworks			112; 116	
13	Selecting a research methodology			127−36	
14	Choosing research methods			145−94	
15	Gathering, selecting and organising material/data			145−94	
16	Thinking critically about material and findings			195−6	
17	Synthesising material and ideas			116; 195−200	
18	Structuring my material appropriately in writing			211−22	
19	Communicating my work well in writing			226−7