Doctoral Consortium

The first ever Doctoral Consortium of the Institute took place at Nottingham University on the 19th of May. Delegates came from across the country to present their work and to meet other doctoral researchers within our multi-disciplinary field. The group included two EngDs (Engineering Doctorates) and students at different stages of their programmes, allowing for varied discussion of the process. The event was also attended by President Elect Peter Buckle who said: "The event is a day that shows the research engine of ergonomics and human factors is in very good shape. Now we need to nurture it."

The day began with a few presentations from current students and then Dr Roland Barge, a recently graduated PhD student, gave his observations on life after the PhD and some top tips for completing it. One student commented: "It's nice to hear from someone who’s gone through the experience and gives a fresh perspective on the opportunities available when finishing". A good mixture of activities throughout the day broke up the presentations and enabled good networking opportunities. It was felt that the questions and discussions were of particular value as it enabled the students to examine ideas to take their research to the next stage. Feedback from the students and academics was constructive and enabled the presenters to look at their work from a new viewpoint. It also allowed practice of asking and answering questions in a relaxed environment.

One of the day’s activities was to create scenarios examining ‘A Day in the Life’ 5 years and 25 years in the future as a way of exploring the issues that may be faced by ergonomics practitioners in the future. The results of this will be put on the IEHF website for open discussion and proposal of your own scenarios; we look forward to seeing your vision of the future!

During the discussion at the end of the day it was felt that it was important to allow students to enter either a poster or a presentation at future events, opening up the consortium to more attendees at different stages of their work.

The day’s experience can be summed up by the comment: "It was a valuable day to meet and interact with other ergonomics PhD students, and it has the potential to become an important date in the IEHF calendar".

The papers can be downloaded here (they cannot be edited or printed), together with the notes from the group exercise in visions of the future. Please feel free to leave a comment below.

Changing perceptions of work ability in people with low back pain: feasibility and economic evaluation, Carole Coole
Thermal comfort in rail environments, Lisa Kelly
Medical device design for adolescents, Alexandra Lang
Creating ergonomic learning environments in UK primary schools, Husni Othman
Exploring cultural differences in drivers' behaviour, Yasmin Mohd Hasni
Behavioural markers of user development with a new Air Traffic Control system, David Thompson
A desktop evaluation of the usability of In-Vehicle Information Systems (IVIS), Catherine Harvey

Visions of the Future

If you need more information about the day or any of the papers presented, please email Sue Hull, Conference Manager s.hull@ergonomics.org.uk