RESEARCHER DEVELOPMENT
In line with the mission of Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, which aims to promote and advance scientific research, practice, and its impact on micro, messo, and macro levels by professional social workers in South Africa and beyond, we provide links to relevant, and in some instances, real-time cutting-edge opportunities for the development of research knowledge and skills. These opportunities may be of significance to the journal's readership, authors, and reviewers, capacitating them in developing, writing, and reviewing scientifically sound manuscripts.
Below is a list of training and development opportunities, including webinars, conference calls, articles, newsletters, and other relevant texts.
(If you are aware of any training or articles that could benefit researchers, please forward them to the Managing Editor: socialwork@sun.ac.za)
WEBINAR: DECOLONISED RESEARCH CULTURE AND PRACTICE
University curricula across the UK are being reviewed to ensure they are inclusive and encompass knowledge systems outside of typical western understanding, and which have up to now not always been included.
To solve the urgent challenges which research is exploring, a diversity of people and ideas are needed, and too often organisations have played an unintended part in putting up barriers to inclusive research. Some are using their influence to remove those barriers.
A decolonising research methodology is an approach that is used to challenge research methods that may not take account of local knowledge and experiences of marginalised groups.
This webinar seeks to extend the debate into research and research methodologies to ask how can a decolonised research culture improve research integrity and what are the ethical implications?
17 April, 10:00 – 11:00 GMT
Click here to register for the webinar
WEBINAR: HOW CURATED, ENRICHED AND CONNECTED DATA ENHANCE RESEARCH INSIGHTS
This webinar will explore how Scopus data can be used to inform a generative AI solution to support researchers. We will cover topics such as content selection, bias minimization, content integrity, quality and accuracy assurance, and Scopus content used to train AI.
The webinar will take place on 26 March. Please click on the selected time slot to register:
Session 1 - 09:00 GMT (11:00 GMT+2)
Session 2 - 16:00 GMT (18:00 GMT+2)
Session 3 - 07:00 GMT (09:00 GMT+2)
WORKSHOP: SELECTING A JOURNAL
Presented by: Prof Adrian van Breda
Finding a journal suitable for your work is an important and daunting task. It can be the difference between your work being widely read and cited, and your work falling into a bottomless hole. Selecting a journal is high stakes!
In this workshop, Adrian will help you navigate the challenges of selecting suitable journals for your work, according to 10 criteria. There are few rights and wrongs – selecting a journal requires multiple decisions that give your work the best chance of being read and used by your peers.
The workshop will take place on the following dates and South African (GMT+2) times:
Wednesday 6 March, 14:00-15:30
Thursday 14 March, 11:00-12:30
Monday 18 March, 17:00-18:30
Click here to register for the workshop
GUIDE: PEER REVIEW SURVIVAL SKILLS
What happens when you submit an academic paper to a journal? What do the editors do? And most importantly, what happens during the peer review process?
The aim of this “Peer review survival skills” is to help you understand the post-submission journey of a paper. This practical guide discusses editors’ primary concerns during initial manuscript review, the choices they make, and the stages of peer review at a scholarly journal. This knowledge, when preparing an article for submission, may help authors to be successful when they submit a paper.
Click here to download the guide.
WEBINAR: RESEARCH INTEGRITY AND ETHICS SERIES: FRAUD, FAKE PAPERS, AND RETRACTIONS
The Division of Research Development
Although most researchers are committed to doing good and relevant research, instances of fraud, fake papers and retraction are regularly featured in the media. It’s appropriate that these phenomena are discussed publicly and that awareness of this dark side of academia increases. It’s, however, essential that scholars and other stakeholders get their act together and improve the way these problems are detected, repaired and – most importantly - prevented. The lecture will explore these topics and reflect on the impact of generative AI (e.g. ChatGPT) on research and research integrity.
Monday, 12 February 2024, 12:30 – 14:00
WEBINAR: SOCIAL MEDIA AND ETHICS
Research using social media data presents several ethical issues that researchers must navigate to ensure the responsible and respectful use of this data. Some of the primary ethical issues in research using social media includes privacy and informed consent, anonymity and confidentiality, data ownership and terms of use, ethical use of algorithms and AI, sensitive topics and vulnerable populations, consent and minors, deception and online identity, unintended consequences, and transparency and reproducibility
This webinar discusses these ethical concerns that require a combination of thoughtful consideration, adherence to research guidelines, and engagement with relevant stakeholders, including social media platforms and users.
Wednesday 21st February; 10:00 - 11:00 GMT.
WEBINAR: REMOVING BARRIERS THAT HINDER GLOBAL SCIENTIFIC EXCHANGE AND COLLABORATION.
InterAcademy Partnership (IAP)
The scientific community faces significant regulatory, financial, cultural, and infrastructural barriers that impede global scientific collaboration. This webinar provides an opportunity to not only address and explore solutions to these challenges, but also emphasize the critical role of international scientific exchange in advancing science and in addressing global challenges such as climate change, public health crises, sustainable development, and digital security.
Tuesday 19 March; 12:00 noon - 1:30 PM UTC/GMT; 8:00 - 9:30 AM EST
ARTICLE: LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS AND ACADEMIC WRITING
South African Journal of Science
Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT have changed the world forever. Researchers and academic journals, among others, need immediate yet thoughtful guidelines for using LLMs and AI in the scientific process.
The author divides LLM usage in the academic writing process into tiers of use and offers practical guidance to cautiously and ethically embrace the benefits of this significant new tool.
