Internship Update

"I started my internship by attending the ‘Better Research Together’ event at Durham University where I was able to meet some of the team I would be working with and get an insight into the triple-A difficulties that children are faced with daily. I listened to several talks presented by experts in this field on co-production and issues in contemporary research, which I feel have broadened my knowledge of key problems researchers are challenged with and the means to tackle such issues. I spent the next week reading some of the key academic papers focused on triple-A in the classroom and completed the training to better my understanding of the data I was set to analyse.

I now have a certificate to show completion of the training tool and feel my knowledge and confidence in this area has greatly increased. Using excel I got the opportunity to investigate the success of the training tool by assessing who had engaged in the training resource, why they had engaged and what users said about their experience of it. Working with the data really highlighted the challenges of processing real data, the steps needed to clean the data, checking that it was aligned correctly and looking for anomalies. This enabled me to statistically analyse the results of the survey and draw appropriate conclusions. I then enjoyed preparing an infographic to present the success of the training tool in a creative and user-friendly format, which also involved learning to use new software (Canva). In the making of the infographic, I had to understand the public perception of this research and determine how the data collected will persuade more people to complete the training; I used statistics such as 98% would recommend to others.

During my time as an intern, I had the opportunity to interact with a wide range of researchers, exploring many different aspects of triple-A difficulties, and to ask many questions to better my understanding of their field and their research methods. Working on a real research project, and working with leading researchers, has provided me with a deep insight into research methods and processes. I have learnt so much from this experience and look forward to keeping up to date with the progress of this initiative."