Academic and Research Skills: Personal Development Plan and Research

This assignment delves into academic and research skills, emphasizing personal development planning, note-taking techniques, and research methodologies. The student identifies strengths and weaknesses, sets SMART objectives to improve communication, MS PowerPoint skills, and time management. It explores various note-taking methods, including the Cornell method and visual aids, and discusses active listening and reading strategies. The assignment outlines the steps of an academic research project, from problem identification to data analysis, and explains primary and secondary data collection methods. Finally, it presents a detailed personal development plan to address weaknesses and achieve specific goals, including timelines and activities for improvement. This assignment showcases a comprehensive approach to enhancing academic and professional skills.

Academic and
Research Skills

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................3
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................4
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION...............................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Personal and professional skills has different from each others so that in order to carry
out academic research total focus are centre in both type of abilities. Individual personality traits
is different which effect their capabilities as well as abilities (Crozier, Moore and Kite, 2012).
Personal development plan can be define as a process of improvement an action of plan that are
based on value, goal setting, planning, awareness and reflection which are related to education,
self improvement, career, relationship and management.
TASK 1
When I was doing some things, I was find out my strength and weaknesses which affect
my work positively as well as negatively. Learning is acquisition of information and knowledge
through experience, skills, taught and many more. In order to increase learning and capabilities it
is very important to find out own capabilities which help to identify their abilities, skills,
efficiency etc. thus help to carry out career on right path. Strength and weaknesses are explain as
follows:
Strength:
 I able to understand new things easily, for example, when I was a playing football and
face new situation every time thus help me to enhance my learning skills as well as
graping capabilities.
 By sporting spirit help me to explore my self that help to increase my decision making
abilities. Through this, I am effectively completing my academic project appropriately.
 Some of my personal skills is critical thinking, problem solving, flexible, interpersonal
skills, motivated and many more. Thus help me to achieve my goals in limited period of
time.
 I have some academic capabilities which me to perform best in my career are conducting
research, problem solving attitude, note taking capabilities, make effective report,
summarising all project outcome appropriately in which draw a valid result, paraphrasing
information effectively etc.
Weakness:
 I have lack of communication skills thus effect my interpersonal skill as well as
capabilities through this I am not able to express my thought in front of public.
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 My academic English language is poor that affect my written skills negatively.
 Poor technological information thus affect my techniques work and I make more efforts
as compare to others.
 Very bad time management has create negative impact on my work, for example, when I
was conducting research and finding out data in order to draw valid conclusion time
negatively effect my outcome and reduce its validity as well.
All my weaknesses has effect my all work as well as personality negatively so that in
order to reduce its impact on academic background I will make SMART objectives through this
they are capable to achieve goals and aim in limited period of time. Explanation of SMART
objectives are detail as follows:
Objective:
 To enhance communication skills in 6 months.
 To learn MS power point in 4 months.
 To increase English skills in 3 months.
 To enhance time management capabilities in 5 months.
Explanation of SMART objectives are detail as follows:
Specific: My one weaknesses is lack of communication skills which are affect may
relationship with others as well as create negative impact on my work.
Measurable: This ability are easily measurable by several ways like observation. So that,
in development of personal plan this objectives may place on top thus help me to grow in my
academic life appropriately.
Achievable: Communication objectives is a achievable in nature but for this I have
developing a plan in which identifying gap between actual and desire outcome accordingly take
action.
Realistic: I am find out whether my set desire outcome should be realistic or not if not
the take appropriate action in order to make them realistic.
Timed: My whole personal development plan are time bound in nature so that all
objectives are easily achievable in limited period of time.
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TASK 2
Note taking is very important for each one education study which help to learn it for long
period of time. There are several method of note preparing are available which are depend on
individual personality traits. Here are explain some strategies of notes taking in detail as follows:
Cornell method: It is a most popular method for taking notes (Gross and Latham, 2012).
In this, divided notes into three parts general area, notes in margins and make short summary in
the end.
Split page method: It is a same as Cornell method but in this page are divided vertically
into two section in which person are write their learning notes that help them in future time. It
help to better optimise all study time when person are using that written account.
Visual Aids: It improve brain process data of individual. Some visual mode of
information are graphs, picture and diagrams etc. The font colour, size and special character
insert in it help to make super notes those are key point of entire work.
Underlining key points: It is another most popular method which are used by student
when they are studying in class. Individual are underlining key point in that more stress by
teacher so that in next time when they study it again these key point help to analysis all points
related information.
Learning method and making notes from this are explain as follows: Active listening skills: It is most important method of learning through this individual are
able to store information in their conscious mind and after some time it is automatically
transfer into subconscious mind (Nelson and et. al., 2011). Through active listing person
are note down some key points in their notes book with example, so that when they again
read it they remembers all things easily. Reading strategies: Reading may help to get information effectively with maintaining
higher quality of data. In this method, when individual reading books, journals etc. then
they use underlining method of key learning thus help them to remember it long period of
time.
 Summarised and paraphrased: It is another method of making notes in which individual
has paraphrase all learning and summarised it in order to make learning notes effectively.
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TASK 3
Academic research project is a define as a document that are prepare by student which
are explain a idea for investigation on academic skills or certain topic. In order to carry out
whole research activities effectively there are several step are available which are follow by each
one researcher (Pyrczak, 2016).
All these research project stages help to carry out entire investigation in a right path so
that this help to draw valid outcome effectively. Explain research plan in detail as follows:
Steps Topic Research work
Step 1 Identify problem. Identification of problem is a objectives of research. In
this includes academic issues and identify where is the gap
are arise due to completing work effectively (Ray, 2015).
Step 2 Review of literature. For this, analysis all past and current project related to
subject and make a short report on that to find out what is
my learning and weaknesses thus affect my project work.
A part from this, I have also read some books, magazine,
journals, newspaper and many other in order to enhance
my skills, knowledge etc.
Step 3 Clarify problem. I have clarify all problem or make a objectives of research
that are SMART in nature. Some objectives of this
investigation are:
 To enhance communication skills in six months.
 To increase MS power point knowledge in five
months.
Step 4 Clearly explain rule. Set some rule and regulation which help to carry out whole
research activities on right path.
Step 5: Select target population. My target area in order to completing work is my friends,
teachers, family members and social group which are help
me to find out my strength and weaknesses effectively in
given time frame. These all individual know me that is
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why they are able to answers all question related to my
personality.
Step 6 Develop
instrumentation plan.
In this step covers all methodologies which are includes
data sampling, size, information collection method,
primary and secondary method and many more (Robles,
2012). Through this activities individual are able to
achieve valid resulted in limited period of time
appropriately.
Step 7 Collect data. Data collection is a one of most important step in which
person are collecting information according to their
research topic. Here are explain two kind of data collection
method in detail as follows:
Primary data collection method: Individual person has
gather data from different primary sources in order to
increase quality of result. It is a first hand sources of
information (Shapiro, 2011). Some mode of information
collection are questionnaire, interview, group discussion,
focus group interview, case study game and many more. It
take lots of time as well as resources.
Secondary data collection method: It is a secondary
sources of information that are already draw by any other
individual. Some sources of data are books, journals,
newspapers, magazine, social media site, internet and
many more. Its needed less time as well as other resources
as compare to primary method but it reliability are also
very less.
In this research report select primary data collection
method and make questionnaire related to individual
personality traits.
Step 8 Analyse data or In order to collection information, persons have approach
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information. to their target population to filling questionnaire and
gather data effectively. Interpreted all information
accordingly to feedback of target people and draw a valid
outcome in an effective manner in limited time period.
Step 9 Make recommendation
and result.
According to interpretation make list of recommendation
of improvement area. In the end, draw a conclusion of
entire research project effectively.
TASK 4
In this selection make personal development plan which are consist my several
weaknesses. PDP can be define as document which are prepare for analysis current skills,
abilities etc. and find out gap between actual as well as desire outcome (von Suchodoletz and et.
al., 2013). Through this, able to identify weak point of my personality and make development
plan which are consist various things like time needed for improvement, starting time, required
resources and many more. Here are detail explanation of personal development plan:
My personal
development
objectives?
Long as
well as
short term
target?
How will I
achieve my
objectives?
And
What kind of
activities should
be needed to
undertake mu
target?
Date of
review
Progress
toward
objectives
Further action
if required
Actual
date of
achievi
ng
objecti
ves
Enhance
communicatio
n skills.
It is long
term
objectives
but some
assent it
In order to
increase my
communication
skills I have take
lot with known
05/02/18 Lot of
improveme
nt are
notices by
Yes, it take
more time to
get quality in
communicatio
05/04/1
8
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short term
as well.
as well as
unknown person
through this am
able to share mu
opinion
effectively.
After this
method I am
receiving
feedback from
them to improve
it accordingly.
me. n skills.
Increase IT
learning
It is a
short
because
technolog
y has
change
very fast
in present
market
environme
nt.
Read book and
take class
through online
as well as offline
so that easily
understand the
current trades
and enhance my
knowledge
related to
information
technology
sector
effectively.
04/04/18 I am
compare my
IT
knowledge
with IT
student and
find out
improveme
nt in it.
NO further
action are
required.
No
Enhance
English
language
learning
It also a
long term
objectives
by which I
Lot of reading
and writing help
me to increase
learns in English
05/02/18 Speak in
English and
get
appreciation
Now want to
read more
things to
increase
05/04/1
8
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am able to
enhance
my
profession
al
capabilitie
s.
language. by others
get
confidence
of
improveme
nt.
vocabulary in
English.
Time
management
Time
managem
ent is
establish
for long
term
objectives
.
Allocated time
to each one
activities
accordingly
work and see it
should each or
not.
02/04/18 Now I am
capable to
completing
my work on
time.
No further
action are
required.
No
CONCLUSION
From the above report it is concluded that professional and personality academic plan has
help individual to improve several type of personality traits thus help to achieve goals and
objectives in limited period of time effectively. Research project methodology may help to carry
out whole investigation in right direction to get positive outcome effectively.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Crozier, K., Moore, J. and Kite, K., 2012. Innovations and action research to develop research
skills for nursing and midwifery practice: the Innovations in Nursing and Midwifery
Practice Project study. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 21(11‐12). pp.1716-1725.
Gross, M. and Latham, D., 2012. What's skill got to do with it?: Information literacy skills and
self‐views of ability among first‐year college students. Journal of the Association for
Information Science and Technology. 63(3). pp.574-583.
Nelson, K.E. and et. al., 2011. Language delays of impoverished preschool children in relation to
early academic and emotion recognition skills. First Language. 31(2). pp.164-194.
Pyrczak, F., 2016. Evaluating research in academic journals: A practical guide to realistic
evaluation. Routledge.
Ray, B. D., 2015. Research Facts on Homeschooling. National home education research
institute.
Robles, M. M., 2012. Executive perceptions of the top 10 soft skills needed in today’s
workplace. Business Communication Quarterly. 75(4). pp.453-465.
Shapiro, E. S., 2011. Academic skills problems: Direct assessment and intervention. Guilford
Press.
von Suchodoletz, A. and et. al., 2013. Behavioral self-regulation and relations to emergent
academic skills among children in Germany and Iceland. Early Childhood Research
Quarterly. 28(1). pp.62-73.
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