Research Intranet - For Research Students

Research support staff

It's important for you to seek the tools and support you need early in your research journey, and as issues arise. There are many resources, dedicated staff and academic peers in supporting roles across ECU who can provide advice and support on academic and administrative issues related to postgraduate research.

SOAR Peer Advisers, Graduate Research Advisers and Centre for Learning and Teaching Communication Advisers collaborate closely to provide an integrated support service for research candidates.  To access support from peers that have a range of different skills and experiences in qualitative and quantitative research, writing, and communication, contact SOAR Peer Advisers at soar@ecu.edu.au. For queries beyond SOAR’s scope of support, you can make contact with a research advisers.

Research Advisers

Graduate Research Advisers provide support to help HDR candidates make the transition to the culture of research. Their aim is to provide guidance and support in the development of your skills to effectively plan and carry out your research as an independent researcher.  Advice includes topics such as:

• planning research projects and keeping on target;
• how to select methods to suit research questions;
• considerations in developing a suitable research design;
• data management and analysis;
• interpretation, reporting and presentation of findings; and
• conceptual issues in producing a final thesis or exegesis.

Contact

Dr Neil Ferguson
Research Adviser (Qualitative)
Graduate Research
Location: Mount Lawley campus
Telephone: +61 8 6304 6047
Email: n.ferguson@ecu.edu.au

Dr Chandra P. Salgado Kent
Research Adviser (Quantitative)
Graduate Research
Location: Joondalup campus
Telephone: +61 8 6304 3705
Email: c.salgadokent@ecu.edu.au

HDR Communication Advisers

HDR Communication Advisers from the Centre for Learning and Teaching provide a range of face-to-face and online advice to research candidates enrolled at ECU via individual consultations, workshops and self-access resources. Their aim is to enhance HDR candidates’ written and oral skills during candidature so that they are better prepared for examination, publication and entering the workforce.

HDR Communication Advisers can support HDR candidates with writing proposals, thesis chapters, abstracts and draft journal manuscripts as well as responding to reviewers’ and examiners’ comments. In terms of oral communication skills, HDR Communication Advisers can assist with developing proposal seminars, conferences and oral PhD examinations.

HDR Communication Advisers have also developed online resources to enhance HDR candidates’ communication skills, which can be found on the HDR Skills Centre site on Canvas. On admission to ECU, all HDR candidates are given access to the HDR Skills Centre. If you have any problems accessing this site, please email hdrca@ecu.edu.au.

You can make initial contact with the HDR Communication Adviser who has been assigned to your School, as listed below. They will discuss your needs and determine how best to assist you.

Dr Sharon Matthews (works full time Monday to Friday)
Team Leader, HDR Communication Advisers
Schools: School of Arts and Humanities; School of Business and Law
JO34.305
Telephone: +61 8 6304 5670
Email: sharon.matthews@ecu.edu.au

Dr Jo McFarlane (works on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays)
HDR Communication Adviser
Schools: School of Education; Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts
Location: ML3.174
Telephone: +61 8 9370 6966
Email: j.mcfarlane@ecu.edu.au

Dr Michael Stein (works full time Monday to Friday)
HDR Communication Adviser
Schools: School of Engineering; School of Medical and Health Sciences; School of Nursing and Midwifery; School of Science
Location: JO34.306
Telephone: +61 8 6304 6148
Email: m.stein@ecu.edu.au