Research Ambassadors
Research Ambassadors at Victoria University provide peer-to-peer research support to research (including honours) students and staff.
Their support includes quantitative and qualitative research design, data analysis, EndNote, NVivo, data and file management, library research databases, and a range of other areas useful for researchers.
About the Research Ambassador Program
The program provides employment opportunities for HDR (Higher Degree by Research) students to:
- share their skills
- learn from others
- broadly be involved in the development of Victoria University's research culture.
Research students in the program need to apply skills obtained through their studies or other experience, and in doing so identify a portfolio of skills relevant to their career goals.
The model is based on the SOAR (Support, Opportunities, Advice and Resources) Centre ambassadorship program at Edith Cowan University.
Victoria University's Research Ambassadorsare providingonline support. Online appointments are available throughout the year, except on Victorian public holidays or University closures. Bookings are essential.
Ambassador services
Research Ambassadors offer a range of skills and expertise to support research students and staff in becoming active members of the Victoria University research community. They support professional development by directing researchers to relevant training and VU services. Honours students are also welcome to use the service.
Advice for building research skills is available in the following general areas:
- candidature preparation
- writing support for literature review, research proposal and thesis chapters
- data and file management
- research design and methodology
- mathematical modelling
- IT troubleshooting
- Library research databases.
You may also want to talk to an Ambassador for help with a specific application or piece of software. This includes:
- ethics applications
- data analysis software - NVivo, SPSS
- Microsoft Office - Excel, Word
- referencing and citation styles, including EndNote
- plagiarism detection software and plagiarism.
Research Ambassadors not only offer their extensive research skills for peer-to-peer training, but are also available for a chat about anything to do with your research or student experience. They can be used as a sounding board for ideas and questions you may have in relation to your candidature.
They are also a great contact if you have a question but do not know who to direct it to. If they don't know the answer to your question, the Ambassador will find out and get back to you.
Ambassadors also provide support for cultural, academic and campus transition, including:
- cultural transition: adapting to living in Australia
- academic transition: adapting to life as a research student and its associated challenges
- campus transition: finding services and staff for appropriate support (referral service).
Mini workshops
Research Ambassadors run one-hour workshops throughout the year on a range of different research topics. These short workshops consist of presentations, discussion, problem-solving and peer-to-peer support and are run in a relaxed and informal learning setting.
Both research students and staff are welcome. Topics include:
- research design
- data analysis
- data management
- statistical software
- Qualtrics
- writing
- ethics applications
- general transition support.
To book Research Ambassadors’ mini-workshops, view the online calendar.