1 Anca ...

The ResPub and SoA course truly helped me to better navigate the PhD journey at a time when I was feeling a bit lost and overwhelmed.  Tim provided us with very practical and specific tools and solutions that, in my case, assisted me in addressing some of the uncertainties and challenges I encountered in my research.  I was also very grateful for the opportunity to share these courses with people from diverse disciplines who were facing similar challenges.

  Development Studies, 2nd year of PhD

2 Marina ...

SoA2023 : This course was extremely helpful and, as the title says, PRACTICAL. It helped me to stop looking at a blank page and to actually get going with my State of the Art.

  2nd year of PhD in History

3 Ane ...

Timen ikastaroetan ikertzen ikasi dudala esan dezaket. Bere azalpenei esker ikertzea zer den ulertu dut, eta nire lana ongi egiteko behar ditudan ezagutzen oinarria ezarri dut.

  -- Ane. Ingeniaritza Mekanikoa, 3.urtea

4 Mélary ...

Estoy en el primer año del doctorado a tiempo completo en Eficiencia Energética y Sostenibilidad en Ingeniería y Arquitectura, y el curso de "Designing and Building a Critical State of the Art for Research" realmente fue muy práctico y didáctico.  Gracias a este curso conocí los grupos de lectura de PHD o PhD Reading Group lo que me ayudó a interactuar con nuevas y nuevos doctorandos y conocer más el proceso de investigación doctoral.  Realmente lo recomiendo.

5 Olatz ...

Ikerkuntzaren ikuspegi zabalagoa eskeintzen du.  Prozesuko momentu (atasko) askotan perspektiba zabaltzeak irtenbideak ikusarazten ditu.  Jarrera kritikoa lantzen eta norberaren irizpideen justifikazioan konfidantza sendotzen laguntzen du.

  -- Energia komunitateak, Zientzia Politikoak saila, 4. Urtea

6 Eider ...

Kurtso hau ikertzaile modura ikuspuntu kritiko bat garatzeko oso lagungarria egin zait.  Automatikoki onartuak nituen portaera edo jokabide batzuk birpentsatzea eta nolabait moldatzea eragin didala esan dezaket.  Ikertzaile bezala aurre egin beharreko zenbait egoeratan gogoan ditut kurtso honetan ikasitako zeinbat ikuspuntu.  Horrez gain, komunitate zientifikoarekiko dugun erantzukizuna eta zientzia egitearen alde etikoaren garrantzia gogoratu zidan.

  -- Elektrizitate eta elektronika Saila, 2. urtea

7 Maialen ...

Nire doktorego programaren bigarren urtean parte hartu nuen  “Building a Critical State of the Art” kurtsoa, eta zalantzarik gabe esan dezaket asko lagundu zidala ikerketa beste ikuspuntu batetik ikusten.  Klaseak eta baita bere edukia oso argia da, eta tesiaren hainbat zati idazten hasteko oso ondo etorri zitzaidan!  Guztiz gomendatzen dut!

  -- Ikerketa Biomedikoa doktorego programa, bigarren urtea.

8 Adriana ...

The course was very useful in developing critical thinking about the key points when writing a good research publication.  The course will be helpful to you whether you have not yet started preparing papers or already have some published.  Tim is open to listening and discussing our ideas, gives practical tips, and communicates very well.

  -- 2nd year PhD student in Molecular Biology and Biomedicine

9 Jürgen ...

After taking part in most of the FRP courses I can say that I have learned really helpful working strategies for my PhD journey.  During the SoA and ResPub courses Tim encouraged us to train our skills in the close environment, reviewing our colleagues work or forming reading groups.  I find this really convenient to progress and share ideas.

  -- Jürgen. Linguistics programme, 2nd year (full-time).

10 Ramón ...

Realicé el curso de Measurements for researchers y lo encontré muy útil pues obtuve una perspectiva mucho más amplia del campo de la investigación.  No sólo sobre como plantear un estudio que requiera la medición de cualquier aspecto de una manera científica, sino también de observar con ojo crítico los estudios realizados por otras personas y discutir la validez de los mismos.  También participé en el curso de Models and Modelling for researchers en el que aprendí las características y factores a tener en cuenta cuando se trabaja con modelos, tanto propios como ajenos.

  -- 1er año de PhD. Departamento de Química Teórica

11 Irene ...

Por mi agenda solo pude asistir a dos de los cursos del ResPub 2022-2023.  Era una estudiante de segundo año de doctorado y en el campus donde lo realicé era la única persona de mi departamento, pero no importó.  Los cursos fueron extremadamente útiles y Tim nos brindó desde el inicio las herramientas necesarias para encontrar las soluciones a los ejercicios que nos propuso.  No sólo me dio las soluciones a algunos de los problemas que enfrentaría en mi tesis, sino también la oportunidad de compartir opiniones con personas de otras disciplinas, cuyas formas de pensar me dio ideas para mi trabajo.  En conclusión: recomiendo la realización de estos cursos y espero poder participar en algunos de ellos más en este curso.

  -- Tercer año del Doctorado en Ciencias de la Antigüedad

12 Fernanda ...

I took the SoA and Modelling courses last year in my 1st  year as a Ph.D. candidate, and although they were a bit challenging at times, they were ultimately fantastic.  I walked into the courses a little nervous but always left feeling far more confident in my capabilities.  I also acquired several new tools that continue to help me map out and further my research journey.  I’m also looking forward to taking the Designing and Preparing a Research Publication with Tim this year, as I'm certain I'll come out with a solid base and multiple tools with which to tackle my first publication as a Ph.D. candidate.”

  -- Fernanda, Heritage and Landscape Management 

13 Jatsu ...

Doktoretzako hirugarren ikasturtea hasteko nago, iharduera akademikoak identifiketan eta.  Aurten ere Tim Smithers en kurtsoren bat egingo dot, hirugarrena izango litzateke, bidelagunak topatzeaz gain, Timen ikerketa kriterioa ezagutzeak asko laguntzen nauelako batez ere Zatiko arduraldi bat dekoguntzako zikeran guztiz gomendiagarriak direla berretsi egiten dot.

  -- Jatsu, Ekonomia eta Enpresa.  3.  urtea

14 Ayesha ...

In my first year of doctoral studies, I attended the course "Designing and Building a Critical State of Art for Research (SoA 2023) that I must say was very interesting and helpful specially for those who are at the initial stage of their doctoral research.  The amazing thing about this course is the way in which the students from the various disciplines are brought on a single platform and are provided with brainstorming lectures, practical assignments that include  teamwork and the knowledge that leads to the development of state of art for one's research. 

  -- Ayesha Kashif 2nd year, Research topic: Antecedents of Social Capital in Family Businesses.

15 Itxaso ...

The course offered by Tim was an excellent example of a thoroughly prepared and structured piece of high quality training for PhD students.  The packed classroom, formed by a great variety of disciplines (something interesting to highlight for the transdisciplinary approach in a course of  these characteristics offers a polyhedric interpretation of reality, so necessary in our days) enjoyed a delicious travel of knowledge dealing with modelling.  Tim pinched our curiosity and made us reflect and face challenges in an individual manner and also in groups.  The former activated our brains, the latter activated the curiosity for the research carried out by others.  The brilliant structure of the lessons, the varied documentation offered with enigmas to discover, the lively and humorous -at times- discourse made of this course one highly recommended, from my point of view.  And last but not least, it is always a pleasure to listen to a perfect English speaker, something that will improve your multilingual approach to things, and your vocabulary and fluency in English.  Don't miss this opportunity!

  -- Education, Language and Society, 2nd year of PhD.

16 Rina ...

I’m Phd-ing on Electrical Engineering.  During my first year I took the SoA, the Measurements and the Modelling course, I found them extremely helpful to understand what research is about.  The SoA course gave me important tools to find, organize and use technical references and information in a more efficient way.  While the Measurements and Modelling  course helped me to understand what I’m doing to get results, and how to apply validation methods to know if what I’m doing is good enough for my research.  Also, the courses  gave me the opportunity to discuss these matters with other Phd-ers from different disciplines and points of view.

17 Andrea ...

The Models and Modeling course has been an enriching experience.  I not only obtained a good understanding of what models are during the course, but I also experienced the joy of implementing this knowledge in real life situations.  The hands-on activities were really interesting, with the creation of a weather forecast model being particularly enjoyable.  Without a doubt, I would recommend it! 

  -- Andrea, Pharmacology, 2nd year.

18 Jone ...

I took the 'Measuring and Measurement for Researches' course the last school year, and even if at first I was worried that  it may be too technical for my given my health science background and the more technical (engineering, life sciences...)  profile of my classmates, I have to say that it was a really enjoyable course.  It took into consideration the different backgrounds when speaking in class so that we all could find the subjects relatable, and helped me to have a more critical view and perspective of the measuring process both in my own research and when reading published papers.  I would absolutely recommend this course, and I hope I can assist more courses of this line in the future.

  -- Public Health programme, 2nd year PhDer

20 Milagros ...

The 'Designing and Preparing a Research Publication' course provided me with valuable insights to consider during the preparation of my articles.  As someone with no prior experience in this area, it was extremely helpful.  The course is concise, engaging, and packed with useful information.  The discussions that took place in class  helped me understand the concepts being presented.  I have already recommended it to my fellow PhD colleagues.

  -- Milagros. 3rd year of PhD. Department of Energy Engineering.