Research Design Archives - Enhancing Postgraduate Environments

What attributes should a postgraduate candidate have once they graduate?

Sibusiso Ncanywa — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 18:51:02 +0000

In this series of videos, a group of postgraduate scholars from different fields of study reflect on graduate attributes. They use the graduate attributes in South Africa’s Doctoral Standard to ask: “Who am I becoming through my research?”

Introducing Post-Graduate Students

1) Graduate Attribute: Broad Knowledge

2) Graduate Attribute: Specialised Knowledge

3) Graduate Attribute: Insights into Related Fields

4) Graduate Attribute: Ethical Awareness

5) Graduate Attribute: Original Contributions

6) Graduate Attribute: Appropriate Methodologies

7) Graduate Attribute: Reflection and Autonomy

8) Graduate Attribute: Communication and Digital Literacy Skills

9) Graduate Attribute: Critical Thinking for Problem Solving

10) Advice for postgraduate students from postgraduate students

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What is theory?

Sibusiso Ncanywa — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 07:12:48 +0000

Theory is a term with different meanings – in everyday language, it means a guess or a hunch – but in research, it means a tried and tested explanation. All research has theoretical underpinnings, though in some fields the theoretical lenses being used are discussed more explicitly, whereas in others they are simply assumed.

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The ‘being’ of the postgraduate student

PostGrad — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 15:24:04 +0000

This series of videos emerges from the Enabling Quality Postgraduate Education project, which brings together Deputy Vice-Chancellors, Directors of Research, Directors of Postgraduate Studies, and Deans to reflect with postgraduate scholars on quality in postgraduate education. You can learn more about this project, funded by the Department of Higher Education and Training in South Africa and led by Professors Sioux McKenna and Stephanie Burton by visiting the project website.

In this video, the focus is on how the disposition of the postgraduate student. Professor Notyatyambo Pearl Dastile from Walter Sisulu University shares her views on the student dispositions needed for success.

This video was produced by Sinethemba Oz Konzaphi. Thanks to Professor Notyatyambo Pearl Dastile

Who might find this useful?

This might be a useful video for a supervision development course.

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What is a research question and how do I write one?

PostGrad — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 12:04:58 +0000

Research Questions guide many aspects of our work. They can help us to decide what literature to read, what data to collect and what kinds of theories to draw on to inform our understandings. Getting them right is therefore an important part of the research journey. Research questions emerge from the research problem we want to address and so they can only be crafted when we have a pretty thorough understanding of the phenomenon we want to study. This video takes a look at a few issues to consider when writing research questions – as well as a few pitfalls to avoid. 8-minute animated video

This video was produced by Sherran Clarence, Neil Kramm, Nontokozo Mchunu, & Sioux McKenna, Rhodes University

Explore these additional resources

Who might find this useful?

This video is made for postgraduate scholars and supervisors but might be useful for undergraduates too.

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What is researcher positionality?

PostGrad — Wed, 19 May 2021 08:57:21 +0000

This 23-minute video presents three academics’ comments about positionality in research. Increasingly researchers are expected to state their considerations on positionality in their research design and ethical clearance processes. But such reflections should go beyond trite compliance statements to genuinely engage with how who they are as researchers influences what they research, how they research it and how they present the data they collect. While positionality is more frequently grappled with in qualitative research, this video suggests that all forms of research require choices by the researcher, which may be affected by the positions they hold in society as well as ideological positions they may ascribe to.

This video is produced by Rox Chiappa, through conversation with academics, Rethabile Mawela, Sioux McKenna, and Ken Ngcoza; all of Rhodes University

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Who might find this useful?

This video is made for postgraduate scholars and supervisors.

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Higher Degrees, Examining & Vivas

PostGrad — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 15:09:11 +0000

Besides supporting and guiding the postgraduate student to completion, a supervisor has additional roles that they need to fulfil within the institution. This video elaborates on supervisory roles related to the examination of student theses. Firstly, the supervisor has to select suitable examiners as well as prepare students and support them through the examination process. The examination process may include a viva, depending on institutional requirements. Secondly, the supervisor may be approached to be a thesis examiner, and the video discusses a number of important considerations in this process.

Prof Chrissie Boughey at Rhodes University wrote and narrated the presentation. The material was originally developed for a postgraduate supervision course.

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Who might find this useful?

This material is mainly for supervisors, although the discussion on thesis examination (and particularly the additional resources) may be useful to postgraduate students who are nearing the end of their studies.

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Reading for a PhD

PostGrad — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 16:06:34 +0000

Postgraduate students often ask How much reading they should be doing. There is no one answer but this brief audio recording offers a few ideas as to what is a suitable length. Importantly, it argues that you cannot make a contribution through your research if you don’t know about the current debates in the literature.

This audio and transcript offer a means of assessing how much reading is enough for postgraduate studies. It looks at the hours that should be spent reading and the purpose of reading. The transcript also offers links to a number of other resources.

https://postgradenvironments.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/65A-Reading-for-a-PhD.m4a

Developed by Sioux McKenna, Director of Postgraduate Studies, Rhodes University. Download the transcript here.

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I strongly recommend watching the video on how to keep reading journal to help you with this process.
Writing resources book – see especially the section on keeping a reading map
Two minute tips – these short videos outline how your relationship to the literature changes at postgraduate level:
Just Write video – this video shows the indivisible link between reading and writing at postgraduate level (Remember the mantra: “For every reading there must be a writing.”)

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Working with Literature

PostGrad — Fri, 24 Aug 2018 08:57:36 +0000

Literature reviews tend to be one of the toughest parts of thesis writing, and research. This is in part because the volume of reading is large at MA and PhD level, and usually involves connecting two or more bodies of literature. Keeping track of all of the reading, and being selective and strategic, is a challenge. In part, this is also because students may struggle to move from summarising and synthesising the reading, to using the reading to make an argument in relation to their own study’s focus. This Prezi provides an overview of what a postgraduate literature review should aim to be, and focused advice on how to read, and write, strategically to shape a strong, relevant contextual framework for a PhD or MA study. There is also a worksheet users can download to guide focused writing about their own contextual framework, or ‘literature review’ sections.

Developed by Sherran Clarence, Independent higher education consultant. Special thanks to Kenny Chiwarawara for the narration.

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Additional reading:

Questions for users:

For supervisors/PG support staff: Think about the literatures your students are working with: how could or should these be connected? Can you assist your students with ‘framing’ their field, through talking through the bigger picture of the research? How can you then guide them in connect their literatures together to create a context for their study, that relates to the bigger picture?
For students: Start with the worksheet; it is designed to helped you articulate for yourself what bodies of literature you are reading, why, and what the connections are (so far) between them. From here, you can hopefully then begin to write this section (if you are starting out), or revise this section if you already have a draft. The additional reading recommended above will provide further guidance and explanation.

Who might find this useful?

This material is primarily for postgraduate students, although the video and worksheet could be used in workshops run by postgraduate and/or writing support practitioners, to assist students with unpacking, articulating the structure of, and writing their literature review or contextual sections.

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How to design a questionnaire

PostGrad — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 08:51:10 +0000

Written questionnaires can be useful ways of collecting information from a large group of people but they are often poorly designed. Xolelwa and Belinda, both PhD scholars, take you through some of the pitfalls you need to avoid.

Developed by Xolelwa Ngantweni, Belinda Matabane, and Sioux McKenna from Rhodes University.

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Who might find this useful?

This video could be used in a research methods course or as an introduction for scholars who plan to use questionnaires.

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Predatory Journals: How to identify and avoid them

PostGrad — Mon, 06 Nov 2017 11:34:02 +0000

This brief tutorial defines “predatory journals” and their major characteristics. It provides information to help novice academics to avoid this trap.

Developed by Mark P Snyders, Digital Scholarship Librarian, University of the Western Cape. Thanks to Jessica van der Hoek and Duane Bowers.

Who might find this useful?

Novice academics may find this useful as they begin publishing their research. This video might add a useful contribution to any workshop on academic publishing and knowledge dissemination

Explore these additional resources

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