Programme
Research Training
Modular CPD — £1,500 per module
Brenkley Doctoral College's Research Training programme provides professional development in research methods for practitioners, whether or not they are undertaking a formal doctoral programme. Each module is a standalone unit of CPD that can also count towards doctoral methods training requirements for enrolled Brenkley Doctoral College researchers.
Who It's For
Research Skills for Professionals
Research Training at Brenkley Doctoral College is for professionals who need rigorous research skills but are not necessarily pursuing a full doctoral qualification. You might be a policy professional who needs to conduct evidence reviews. A consultant who wants to strengthen the methodological rigour of client work. An HR leader building internal people research capacity. Or a doctoral student at another institution seeking supplementary methods training.
Modules are also available to Brenkley Doctoral College doctoral researchers as part of their programme methods training — in which case module fees are included in doctoral programme fees and do not carry additional cost.
Delivery
How Modules Are Delivered
Format: Online, asynchronous with live Q&A sessions. Modules run over four weeks with approximately 8–10 hours of study per week.
Assessment: Each module includes an assessed piece of work (typically 2,000–3,000 words) with written feedback from a Brenkley Doctoral College tutor. Pass/fail with tutor feedback. Certificate issued on completion.
Schedule: Modules run three times per year (January, May, September). Enrolment opens six weeks before module start. Maximum cohort of 15 participants per module.
Available Modules
The Module Portfolio
Research Design
An introduction to research design for professional and applied contexts. Covers the relationship between research questions and methodology, the main research paradigms (positivism, interpretivism, critical realism), and the key design choices that shape a rigorous research project.
Pre-requisites: None. This is a foundation module suitable for all levels.
Qualitative Research Methods
Practical and conceptual coverage of qualitative data collection and analysis. Includes interview design and conduct, focus groups, observation, thematic analysis, IPA, and grounded theory. Particular attention to practitioner-research contexts and insider positionality.
Pre-requisites: Research Design module or equivalent background.
Quantitative Research Methods
Survey design, sampling, descriptive statistics, and introductory inferential statistics for non-statisticians. Focus on understanding and interpreting quantitative data in management and organisational research contexts. Practical work using accessible analysis tools.
Pre-requisites: Research Design module or equivalent background. No prior statistics knowledge assumed.
Mixed Methods Research
The design and conduct of research combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. Covers the rationale for mixed methods, key designs (sequential, concurrent, embedded), integration strategies, and the methodological challenges of mixed methods in practitioner-research contexts.
Pre-requisites: Qualitative and Quantitative modules, or demonstrated equivalent knowledge.
Academic Writing for Professionals
Developing the writing skills required for academic and professional research outputs — from the doctoral thesis to policy reports and journal submissions. Covers argument construction, academic register, paragraph structure, and the conventions of research writing across different genres.
Pre-requisites: None. Suitable for anyone wanting to strengthen their research writing.
Literature Review and Evidence Synthesis
Systematic and critical approaches to reviewing academic and professional literature. Covers database searching, reference management, critical appraisal of sources, narrative review, and systematic review approaches. Includes guidance on synthesising evidence from heterogeneous sources.
Pre-requisites: None. Particularly useful for those early in their research journey.
Build your research capability
Whether you are preparing for doctoral study or developing your professional research skills, our modules provide rigorous, accessible, and practical training. Enrolment is now open for the September 2026 cohort.