What is academic research?

‘Dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants’. Did you know that you can find this metaphor written around the edge of a £2 coin?

In this video you meet Dr Chris Fuller who explains how you can also find it at the heart of all academic research. It’s a metaphor which best reflects the process. It not only sums up one of the fundamental issues of academic research – namely building upon the work of those who came before us – but also highlights the ultimate benefit of research – to allow us to see further and know more.

Through this week’s activities we encourage you to:

• think about what inspires you (broad topic area)
• consider what skills you might develop through undertaking a research project (transferable skills)
• think very clearly about what exactly you are getting into by undertaking a research project (checklist)