Doctoral Development Programme
Postgraduate Research Students at the Information School will undertake the new Doctoral Development Programme (DDP).
The DDP is a flexible, ongoing training plan that is an integral part of your research degree, and is tailored to your individual needs. It helps you progress through your research studies by identifying the skills you already have and providing opportunities to improve these and acquire new skills and experience. The aim of the DDP is to provide you with a range of skills and competency-based training opportunities orientated both towards your specific study and towards future employment, equipping you with transferrable skills that will make you a not only a successful researcher, but also able to easily assimilate skills that have wider utility, thus extending your employability to other professions.
The DDP is student-specific, designed to complement your individual research project and is carried out in agreement between you and your supervisory team. The training plan reflects four particular areas, enabling you to demonstrate the following:
- generic skills to become a high-level professional;
- subject-specific advanced training;
- subject-specific craft skills;
- broad scholarship and wider engagement within the full community of scholars (e.g. networking, dissemination of knowledge, conferences, demonstrating impact and public value of research).
Whether you are joining us straight from completing at first or masters degree, or coming to the iSchool as a research student later in your career, the inherent flexibility of the DDP will mean that you carry out only what research training suits you and your research.
Your supervisor will help you to decide what research training is most appropriate to help you develop throughout your time with us. Your Training Needs Analysis will be renewed annuall, so that as your skill level changes and your research develops, you can tailor your further training accordingly.
Completion of the DDP
Upon successful completion of the DDP, you will receive a transcript confirming your achievements. You will then be able to make effective use of your e-Portfolio outside the DDP to demonstrate your newly acquired skills and achievements and help secure ideal employment. As a Postgraduate from the University of Sheffield you will now possess advanced skills in inquiry, communications and organisation. You will also be able to reflect critically and take a creative approach to issues beyond the field of your research expertise. You should be committed to continue your personal development and practice research effectively. It is vital that you keep building on your e-Portfolio in order to produce a comprehensive record of all your achievements beyond your research degree. Be proud of your accomplishments gained on the programme, and demonstrate them by continually reflecting on your skills, attributes and employment goals.