Section outline

  • Course Overview

    This course guides you through the planning and development of an academic project. It supports the early preparation for a project and gives direction and advice during every stage, from developing an idea through to the finalization of the project. 

    It also offers tips on how to avoid procrastination and suggests resources and tools you can use to plan effectively.

    Learning Outcomes

    This course will help you to:

    1. Understand what is needed to plan a project, and map out and start to organize the development of your project
    2. Identify accessible resources and digital tools that can support project planning
    3. Identify how procrastination is manifested and develop strategies to avoid it, applying tactics to maintain focus
    4. Identify areas where support is most needed when planning a project, and develop an action plan for getting support
    5. Understand the role of the supervisor and how to utilize the help they can offer
    6. Recognize the main stages of the project road map and formulate a plan for starting

    • Course Instructor: Kelly Trivedy

      • Kelly Trivedy

        Kelly Trivedy holds a multi-faceted career in education ranging across multiple course specialisms. She is an independent academic consultant, tutor and coach with Advance HE Senior Fellow status specializing in Higher Education with a key focus on reflective practice, critical thinking and research projects.

        Upon completion of the Post-Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE), Kelly worked as an academic skills coach and lecturer for Law. She has worked in various Higher Education and Further Education settings.

        View Bio for Kelly Trivedy

      • Course Resources

        You will need to access certain files and resources throughout the course to get the most out of the activities. You can find them all here. 

      • Video Transcripts

        You can access all video transcripts here.

      • Pre-Course Self Assessment

        Before you dive into this course, spend a few moments reflecting on your familiarity with the topic and your current level of skills confidence. 

        You will then re-visit the same questions in our Post-Course Self Assessment and reflect on how the course has helped you develop in confidence and grow your skills. 

        • Module One: Before You Begin Your Project

          This module will help you to:

          1. Formulate a plan to prepare to start your project
          2. Understand what is needed to plan your project

        • Module Two: What Does a Good Research Project Plan Look Like?

          This module will help you to:

          1. Recognize the main stages of your research journey
          2. Map out and start to organize the development of your research project

        • Module Three: How Do I Avoid Procrastination?

          This module will help you to:

          1. Identify how your procrastination is manifested and pinpoint the root cause of your loss of focus
          2. Develop strategies to avoid the common pitfalls of procrastination
          3. Apply tactics to maintain your focus

        • Module Four: What Tools and Resources Can Help My Planning?

          This module will help you to:

          1. Identify accessible resources and digital tools that can support project planning
          2. Choose the tools that will be most effective for planning your own project
          3. Use suitable resources to develop a blueprint to plan your project

        • Module Five: Who Can Support Me to Bring My Plan Together?

          This module will help you to:

          1. Identify the areas where you need the most support when planning your project
          2. Develop an action plan for getting the support you need
          3. Understand the role of your supervisor and how to utilize the different kinds of help they can provide

        • Module Six: How Do I Stay on Track?

          This module will help you to:

          1. Apply strategies to sustain focus and progress through the development of your academic project successfully
          2. Construct calendar plans to carefully map out your project milestones

        • Glossary of Key Terms

          In addition to the glossary you’ll find woven throughout the course, you can find the full glossary collated in one place here.

        • Post-Course Self Assessment

          Now you’ve completed the course, spend a few moments reflecting on where your familiarity with the topics and your confidence skills levels are at now. 

          Has the course helped you develop new skills and grow your confidence?

          You'll need to complete the Post-Course Self Assessment in order to download your certificate. If you didn't do the Pre-Course Self Assessment before starting the course, please go to the top of the page and reflect on your familiarity with the topic and your level of skills confidence before you started the course.

          • Completion: Certificate

            Completing all modules (plus the pre and post-course assessments) will unlock the course certificate, which you can then download here. Your course certificate will only be made available once you have completed all these sections.

            If you have difficulty accessing your certificate, please contact the Sage support team at: onlinesupport@sagepub.co.uk. You can also check out this FAQ page which may be helpful.

            • Give Feedback About This Course

              Did you enjoy the course? Please take two minutes to share your feedback. We use learner feedback in future course updates and developments to provide an excellent learning experience.

            • Accessibility, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

              We have high standards of accessibility on Sage Campus and as of May/June 2024 all activities within this course are keyboard and screen reader compatible. For more details on accessibility standards, please see the Sage Campus Accessibility Guide.

              For those using assistive technology, please note that within this course:

              • Tab components: JAWS and NVDA behave slightly differently. For NVDA to keep reading, it is best to exit focus mode and go back to browse mode. 
              • Matching: JAWS does not read out question label on dropdown focus. 

              Additionally, please refer to our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion statement which outlines our commitment to high standards of DEI on Sage Campus.