The quality of everything we do is determined by the quality of the thinking behind it. This could hardly be more the case in scientific research. However, it is all too easy to focus more on doing while we trust that we can figure out what things mean further down the line. Research is not about simply collecting data. The quality of the data we generate and its ability to answer meaningful research questions is determined by the questions we ask of it. It is therefore essential that we invest time and energy in creating the conditions that support clear research thinking and in equipping researchers with the necessary skills to use them.

To communicate research effectively, we need to present a clear logic that takes us from an interesting question to a meaningful answer. We need to show people why our questions are of interest to them and how the work we present makes a contribution to our understanding of a problem or our ability to do something. What anyone who has tried to do this understands, though, is that our own thinking is not so linear and clean. We need to go down many blind alleys before we can help other people to avoid doing so. It is important to realise that it is our own explicit thinking that allows us to present our work clearly and make it convincing. Too often, we approach the challenge of effective research writing as a problem of presentation and documentation—but just as research design can be optimised by clear thinking, so research communication is dependent on it.

Thinking About Research is the fruit of almost 20 years’ experience in supporting researchers at all stages in their careers to develop and implement clear research strategies, and to communicate their work effectively, especially through publication. A key insight that has arisen time and again is that most researchers do not need to learn more about how to present their work but rather to have the space and support to think more clearly about it. Many of the problems people face in research writing are more to do with the process of writing than with details of language, style and presentation. Once we recognise the close relationship between critical thinking and effective writing and are able to approach the process of writing in a more creative way, we find that we are much better writers and communicators than we believed. Interestingly, approaching the challenge of research communication in this way also offers significant benefits to the way we do the research itself. Consequently, Thinking About Research focuses on exploiting a powerful relationship between thinking about, doing, and writing about research.

In line with the philosophy of Thinking About Research, programs are adapted to the needs of each group. The example programs shown below follow a 3 or 4 day format and can be offered in person or live online. Online programs are provided over 3 to 4 weeks, with 1 day of live input per week and space for participants to develop and deepen their work before the next session. For individual research groups, Dr. Patten offers Thinking Space retreats, which provide an excellent opportunity to take a step back, look at the direction of your research, and plan strategies to bring it to a successful conclusion.