Communicating Research on the Web

It has been around a week since I last posted here. This is really a testament to the fact that I have been very busy. I not only had my normal PhD work to carry out. I was also attending a course on ‘Communicating Research on the Web‘.I had originally registered for the course last year, but couldn’t make it in the end (remember the snow problems last year?). This year I didn’t want to let the opportunity to be missed again.

This course will teach students how to create an effective academic web presence. Using a balance of theory and practice, it will cover the planning, design, and creation of a research website, how to maintain a blog, and how to use social networking tools effectively. On the practical side, the course is designed around the use of Dreamweaver, and will teach the effective use of HTML and CSS. On the theoretical side, the course will cover, among other things, strategies for creating and maintaining a web presence, and how to make research visible on the Web (for others to find).

My main reason for attending the course was to learn how to build a website myself. So far whenever I wanted a website someone would build it for me, and I would just fill in the content. That is fine in most cases, but knowing that bit more means that I can design a website myself, without relying on others to have time, or to understand what I am envisaging.

The course tutor did a great job of making sure everyone in the class was engaged, regardless of prior knowledge or requirements. With some further external help from people around me, I now have my own website, which is up and running. I am of course still quite new at this business, so do give me some lee-way, and any pointers for improvement are most definitely welcome.

Filed under: Events and Activities, Public Engagement, blog, communicating Research on the Web, CSS, Dreamweaver, HTML, research communication, web presence, website

Visiting Bletchley Park

Every since I heard a talk by Captain Jerry Roberts – a WWII TUNNY code-breaker – at UCL over a year and a half ago, a visit to Bletchley park has been very much on my to-do list. It wasn’t until Saturday that I finally got there.

Bletchley park is the estate in which the British code-breakers of WWII worked. They worked there to break codes, decipher Axis communication, and also built the first computer – Colossus (partly shown below) - to speed up the work they were doing there. Unfortunately, the nature of the work the computer was doing meant that it wasn’t until decades later that this achievement was uncovered.

An excellent way of seeing the site is by taking the 1.5hr tour of the site by one of the volunteers. This gives you a very good overview of how the site progressed, what went on where, and the significance of all of it. We had the privilege to be led around by Ray Goff. Besides the history of the place, we also got the opportunity to see replicas of the Bombe code-breaking machines (below), and even a working replica of Colossus!

The tour however is more about the way the estate changed, and the general activities going on. The estate is divided into a number of huts and blocks, and a mansion. Many of these buildings now house exhibits or museums, from a museum of computing, to code-breaking exhibits, to a toy museum and a post office (below)!

There is a lot to see and do on the site (too much maybe), and a problem with the site is that, similar to the ad hoc way the buildings were put up during the war to accommodate growing people numbers, it seems like the exhibits have been put up in a similar fashion, as money was made available to build them, or organisations/individuals came along and asked(?) for space on the site.

In the three  hours I spent there I felt like I barely scratched the surface of all the gems the place provides! This is definitely good, you probably think. And I agree with you – to a point! I feel maybe a more coherent organisation of the place would be better.

However, to carry out such a reorganisation requires money, which the trust most probably does not have. So I urge you – go and visit, experience the place, hopefully you will fall in love with it, and in the process help the valuable work the Trust is carrying out in saving this oft-forgotten aspect of WWII.

Filed under: Events and Activities, Travel, Bletchley Park, Bombe, Captain Jerry Roberts, ciphers, code-breakers, codes, Colossus, computers, deciphering, museum of computing, post office, Ray Goff, toy museum, TUNNY, WWII

I Heard it through the Grapevine…

An issue for most research students is that most of their work is done in isolation. You spend quite a lot of time at your computer or in a lab (or similar) plugging away at your work. Where is the human interaction?

Another issue is that you know what you are doing but often you are isolated from other research going on even in your same department, let alone the university! Two people could be working on very similar things but not know the other exists. This means that possibilities for cooperation are missed, and opportunities for making both projects that much stronger are frittered away.

Now, something is being done about it at UCL! A group of UCL students have started an online networking group – Grapevine - for students and academics to join up online, talk about their research and discuss opportunities, and hopefully allow for people to make relevant connections and not feel as isolated.

However, the group is not restricted to a space in cyberspace only! On Thursday, a ‘Grapevine offline’ event was held. There were drinks, and snacks, other PhD students to talk to, and a brief (yes it was kept brief!- yeay them!) presentation on using the application. It was a great informal way of getting people introduced to the network, and more importantly to talk to each other. They also had a prize draw for all the people there…and I won! My first UCL-branded t-shirt!

Congratulations to the people involved! I feel like this is something which has been long needed at UCL (and probably at other universities too?). If you’re at UCL do go along and give the group a try! The application is not always the most intuitive, but look at what others have done, and you can then start to get an idea of what you can do – and do it!

Filed under: Events and Activities, Public Engagement, Rants, Complaints and General Malaise, Research Process, Grapevine

Getting into Science

I like to think that I am already ‘in’ science to some extent or another. However, when I received information about a careers in science week organised by the UCL Careers service I pinpointed two events of interest to me.

The event which caught my eye at first was the Careers in Science Forum. This was divided into two parts: a panel discussion and a networking event. In the first half scientists in a variety of jobs, from research to patent attorneys, public sector to publishing, briefly talked about what they do and how they got there. The discussion was then opened to the floor for questions. In the networking half of the event, representatives from a wide variety of relevant organisations were present and eager to discuss what is on offer within their organisations.

The event overall was very well organised and a good eye-opener to other possible careers. Of course, a more research-focussed job is what I am essentially training to do. However, in particular, this event reminded me of the possibility of working in the publishing side of science. I really do think that this is something I should keep in mind.

The other event I attended was a workshop on CVs in the Science Sector. Of course, whatever I go on to do, a CV is one thing I will definitely need. I am sure that any CV can always do with some help, and this one hour sessions served its purpose of highlighting things I should edit in mine, and others which I should keep. Well worth the hour I think!

 

Filed under: Events and Activities, careers, Careers in science forum, CVs, CVs in science sector, getting into science, networking event, public sector, publishing, UCL Careers service