GSDRC and GFN-SSR /
1. Further Information
Post / Research AssistantDepartment/School / International Development Department (IDD), School of Government and Society, University of Birmingham
Project(s) / Governance and Social Development Resource Centre (GSDRC)
Global Facilitation Network for Security Sector Reform (GFN-SSR)
Hours / This work is offered on an occasional,freelancebasis, usuallyallocated in batches of 18.75 or 37.5 hours over 2 weeks. The availability of work will fluctuate and no minimum amount of work is guaranteed.
Rate per hour / £11.00
Contact / Sarah O’Connor
email:
tel: +44 (0) 121 414 3911
Application deadline / Weds 10 Dec 2008
Job description
The International Development Department (IDD)operates two resource centres that deliver information services at the cutting edge of policy development in the UK government: The Governance and Social Development Resource Centre (GSDRC) and the Global Facilitation Network for Security Sector Reform (GFN-SSR). We are now looking to expand our register of Research Assistants.
Research Assistants are employed on a freelancebasis towrite high quality, policy-oriented summaries of the best new materialavailable in the specialist subject areas covered by the resource centres.They also find contact details for authors and publishing organisations online. The document summaries, which are published on the resource centre’s websites,provide a valuable serviceto busy policymakers, and in turn are a vital tool for helping to ensure that research feedsinto policy development. In producing these summaries, you will gain insight into a wide range of new and emerging areas of development research, as well as experience of writing for publication.
Person specification
Essential
Excellent written English
Ability to understand complex written material
Attention to detail in written communication
This work is home-based, and requires internet access
Desirable
First degree in a relevant subject area (e.g. development studies, security, political science, conflict issues, international relations)
Knowledge of, or interest in, development and security issues
Interest in knowledge management for development
The Global Facilitation Network for Security Sector Reform (GFN-SSR) is a joint initiative of the Department for International Development, the Ministry of Defence, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. It delivers information and networking services at the heart of current policy discussions on security, not only in the UK but globally.
See
The Governance and Social Development Resource Centre (GSDRC) was established in 2005 to support the knowledge needs of the UK Department for International Development in relation to governance, conflict and social development. The GSDRC aims to help reduce poverty by better informing policymaking and enhancing professional knowledge.
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2. How to Apply
Please submit the following materials (via email to ) as your application, by Mon 8 Dec 2008:
1. A completed document summary test (see further instructions below)
2. A brief covering letter, outlining your interest in the post
3. An unedited sample of your own writing, not longer than 2000 words (please note there are no preferences on the content or type of writing sample you provide)
4. A copy of your CV
Document summary test
You are required to write a document summary as part of your assessment.
Our online resource centresconsiderconciselanguage and consistency in presentation as essential to effectiveonline communication. To this end, all document summaries are written in accordance with style guidelines. Please follow these guidelines (as set out below) carefully when writing your summary.
It may also help you to look at examples of summaries already posted on the GSDRC website. Here is one example:
The document we would like you to summarise is:
Crook, R, 2001, ‘Strengthening democratic governance in conflict torn societies: civic organisations, democratic effectiveness and political conflict’, Institute of Development Studies, Brighton
Please return your summary as a word document and include your full name in the header.
Document summary style guidelines
Objective of the summary
Document summaries aim to provide an accurate and readable insight into a document, highlighting its key findings and policy implications. The summary acts as a timesaving device for busy policymakers. It should be informative, explanatory and precise. It should be written in a style that is simple and,most importantly, concise.
Basic requirements
-500 words in length, but a variation of ± 50 is allowed
-Arial, size 12, single-spaced
-Use standard UK spellings
-Do not use sentences longer than 25 words
Accuracy
It is vital that the summary accurately represents the text - the author of the document will be asked to read the summary and confirm this.
-Summaries should not contain any of the summariser’s own commentary or assumptions.
-Do not make inferences in relation to the meaning or implications of the text.
-Where important points are made concisely by the author in their own words, you can copy those words in your summary.
-Summarise the document by bringing together different points and creating an overview, but be careful not to alter the meaning of the text through your own synthesis.
Language
The language you use is vital to ensuring that the summary is clear and comprehensible to the reader. Write to express, not to impress.Avoid flowery language - good ideas come across much better in plain English (see
-Be consistent in tone to avoid inadvertently emphasising some points over others.
-Use the correct tense and avoid switching from one tense to another without reason.
-Avoid using jargon, colloquialisms or Latin phrases. If such terms need to be included in the summary to accurately reflect the text, define them the first time you use them.
Writing concisely
-Write in the active rather than the passive voice.
- Example:
Passive - Action on the bill is being considered by the government (10 words)
Active - The government is considering action on the bill (8 words)
-Do not describe the contents of the document. Instead, relay itscontents first hand.
- Example:
Instead of writing, ‘The study concludes that government intervention of this nature will enhance service delivery’, write ‘Government intervention of this nature will enhance service delivery’.
Content
-It will not be possible for you to include an account of the entire contents of the paper, and you will need to make decisions about which are the most crucial or policy-relevant points. Often the author will themselves make it clear that some points are vital, and these should always be included. The introduction or conclusion can be particularly useful in identifying key points (although you shouldn’t rely on either when writing your summary).
Process
-When reading the document for the first time, have in mind the structure of your summary and annotate the text accordingly. The idea is not to read the document, digest it and then reproduce it in 500 of your own words. Rather, it is to survey the paper and convey the main points to the reader.
-After you have finished writing your summary, pretend that you haven’t read the full document and read the summary again to check that it makes sense as a stand-alone piece.
-It is essential to proofread your summary before submitting it, checking the language, spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Structure
-Where documents are structured logically, and where they already include bulleted implications or findings, you should follow this existing structure in your summary. Where documents don’t follow a logical structure, you will need to create your own.
-Keep sentence structure simple.
Pitch
-You should assume that readers of the summary are practitioners in the UK Government. It is therefore not necessary to include very basic background information (e.g.there are eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to achieve by 2015). Nevertheless, users will have different levels of prior knowledge on the particular subject in question, so key technical terms and concepts still need to be explained (e.g. Horizontal inequalities are inequalities amongst groups defined by race, ethnicity or caste).
Writing style
-Many academic and technical documents aren’t written in an easily accessible style. Academic writing in particular can be wordy and unnecessarily complicated. Where this is the case, you should be careful that your summary doesn’t mirror this style. Keep sentences short by cutting out unnecessary words.
-Do not write in a journalistic style: avoid using words that are subjective or judgemental, unless they are used in the original document.
Structure
Your summary should follow the structure set out below.
Section 1: Short summary (Approximately50-80 words. 1 Paragraph.)
Aim: to introduce the paper, tell the reader who it is by, and relay the central argument or key finding. This summary doubles as the opening paragraph to the longer summary. It is presented in search results on the resource centre’s websites, so it needs to give the reader enough information to help them decide whether or not a document is relevant to them.
What to include here:
-A sentence to set the context and introduce the topic
-Who the document is written by (spelling out acronyms)
-What the document aims to do
-The key argument and key conclusion
And where appropriate:
-The key and compelling question(s)that the document addresses (these are important for engaging the reader, and should be included wherever possible)
-The country or region of study
Section 2: Establishing paragraph(s) (Approximately 100 words. Maximum 3 paragraphs)
Aim: To introduce the key ideas, debates or concepts.Essentially, this is the place to put forward the key line of enquiry or rationale behind the document.
What to include here (where appropriate):
-Any relevant background information that is key to the rationale behind the document
-An introduction to the key concepts, thinking or rationale
-An explanation of key theoretical or technical terms
Section 3: Important findings or insights (Up to 200 words)
Aim: To highlight the key insights, findings or problems identified in the document. The idea here is to tell the reader what the research has found, or (where the piece isn’t research-based) what the main observations or assertions are.
What to include here (where appropriate):
-One or two sentences introducing the main findings or insights (e.g. conflict-prevention isn’t working for a number of reasons).
-3-6 bullet points listing and briefly describing the main findings/insights (bullets can include up to three sentences).
Section 4: Policy Relevant Implications (Up to 200 words)
Aim: Following on from the key findings or theoretical assertions, this section identifies whatthe policy implications are, or what the author’s recommendations are for future policy.
What to include here:
-One or two opening sentences establishing the main conclusion or implications (e.g. policies towards conflict prevention need to be more long-term and forward-thinking).
-3-6bullet points listing and briefly describing the implications and recommendations (bullets can include up to three sentences).