Module 4 - Getting Organised

This module offers suggestions about how to organise yourself and your study. Higher degree research involves a huge commitment, so being prepared and balancing the different aspects of your life is crucial to ensure a rewarding and successful journey.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

1. Download EndNote and sign up for an EndNote class
2. Identify, articulate, analyse, and enact plans to complete short-, medium- and long-term goals
3. Conduct a 'time audit' to establish current study hours and utilise time management strategies to use these hours in a productive manner
4. Organise your workspace for maximum productivity, including completing a WHS checklist of your workstation set up, in consultation with your supervisor

Download Workbook and Additional Resources

4.1 Using bibliographic management software

Firstly, it's good to set up a way to organise your literature. We cover searching, evaluating sources, and organising the literature in later modules but getting used to this now will help you later.

UNE supports EndNote, a bibliographic management software that helps you:

• maintain a personal library of references
• download references from journal databases and Google Scholar
• insert references into word-processed documents
• generate a bibliography in the correct style for publication

EndNote is free to download for all UNE students and staff.

Sign up to the Library's next EndNote session to learn more about this software that will help you manage your references. You can also check out the Library's Lib Guide and online training videos too.

Complete Module 4 Activity 1 – EndNote before proceeding.

4.2 Set your goals

Would you set out on a journey without a plan of where you’re going and a map of how to get there? You could end up anywhere — even back where you started! Planning (goal setting) where you want your studies to take you and how you’re going to get there puts you in control and gives you a greater chance of success.

There are several reasons why you might set goals, including:

• Deciding what you want for your future
• Providing focus for your efforts
• Motivating yourself
• Monitoring your progress – are you on track?
• Enjoying the feeling of being in control and completing goals

When goal setting, first consider your long-term goals, then your medium-term goals, and finally your short-term goals (Figure 4.1). It is easier to start with the big picture, then work backwards to identify important steps and milestones – pyramids cannot be built without first knowing what it's going to look like at the end!

4.2.1 Long-term goals

These are goals that embrace a vision of your future (i.e. years from now). They reflect your hopes and ambitions. What are your hopes and ambitions for your UNE HDR experience five years from now?

From the list below, number the desired outcomes in order of importance to you:

• to gain a higher degree
• to become an expert in my area of study
• to make a significant contribution to knowledge in my area of study
• to develop research and writing skills
• to publish my research
• to establish collaborative partnerships with other researchers
• to continue researching on different projects, post-Masters/PhD
• to improve my career opportunities
• to show my family and friends that I can do it
• I just want to get through my degree
• to care for my health and wellbeing
• to acquire more self-confidence
• to learn to manage stressful situations
• other (please specify)

Complete Module 4 Activity 3a & 3b – Setting your goals before proceeding.

4.2.2 Medium-term goals

These may be your goals for this year with regards to your studies. Medium-term goals are generally guided by your long-term goals. What are your goals for this year?

From the list below, choose FIVE goals that are important to you:

• to meet other HDR students with similar interests
• to become very familiar with the area of study
• to complete an outline of my thesis
• to complete my data collection phase
• to attend training sessions to develop my research and writing skills
• to prepare a manuscript/manuscripts for publication
• to combine work and study
• to ask for help when I need it
• to establish a good working relationship with my supervisors
• to participate in a community of practice with other research students working in similar areas
• to participate in social events
• to adopt a healthy lifestyle, e.g. healthy eating, regular exercise
• to establish a realistic study timetable that recognises my other life commitments
• other (please specify)

Complete Module 4 Activity 3c & 3d – Setting your goals before proceeding.

4.2.3 Short-term goals

These are your every-day practical, achievable goals that will be influenced by the stage you are at in your degree program. They need to be clear and specific. What are your goals for this week? How are you going to develop a strategy to complete them?

A great way to judge what tasks need to be done and when the task has to be completed is by using the Eisenhower Matrix approach. This approach aids in sorting out the less urgent tasks and important tasks that you may need to delegate or not do at all.

Look up more information on the Eisenhower Matrix approach.

Once you have decided what needs to be done and established a time frame in which to do it, it's a good idea to break this time down into smaller allotments. UNE's ASO have created a short-term goal setting template to record your short-term goals for the week. Tick the goals as you achieve them and record the date.

Complete Module 4 Activity 3e – Setting your goals before proceeding.