Launch Your Research Journey With Confidence For A Successful First Semester Or Year

Boost your confidence and understanding by knowing what you need to learn and how you are going to learn about research to make progress in your thesis, for a productive first semester or year

98% Increased Confidence To Start Or Progress

95% Valuable Use of Time

97% Recommend To Peers

*Student Feedback For My Online Training, Masterclasses, & Webinars

Uncertain, confused, or unsure how to start your research?

DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR?

I’m Unsure How to Start My Research Or Uncertain About What I Need To Learn

I Don’t Want To Be Confused Or Overwhelmed By Research Or My Thesis

My Time And Mental Energy Are Valuable So I Don’t Want To Waste Them

I Feel Demotivated When I Work With Full Effort But Don’t Make Progress

I Want A Productive First Semester Or Year And Don’t Want To Fall Behind

Hi, I'm Your Instructor, Dr. Ben!

I’m the creator of The Research Design Canvas. After struggling with my own research and PhD journey at The University of Cambridge, I created the research design canvas to support the complex process of planning, designing, conducting, and writing research and a thesis.

The research design canvas and other academic design tools have been downloaded by thousands of students across academic disciplines at hundreds of universities around the world, and I have trained students online and in-person, from groups of 3 to 3000, how to utilise the research design canvas and other academic design tools for an easier and more productive research journey.

I’ll be your guide for The Research Launchpad Academic Toolkit Masterclass, where we’ll demystify academic research with a simple research orientation, to give you a clear picture of your current understanding of the academic building blocks of research. Then we’ll develop a systematic plan to ensure time spent learning and working on your research is productive, with consistent progress for a successful first semester or year.

How Will The Research Launchpad Help Me?

Use Time Productively

By identifying how time you invest in learning and working on your research will improve your understanding and progress in the academic building blocks of your thesis.

Reduce Complexity

With a simple research orientation to the academic building blocks of research and the important questions, decisions, and choices in research investigations and theses

Remove Doubts & Uncertainty

About what you need to know and learn about academic research for your thesis. Be clear about what academic building blocks you’ll need to learn about to understand academic research and your thesis.

Get Help From Your Supervisors

Prepare to meet with supervisors to summarise your learning plan and get advice on how to improve and implement it, and ongoing feedback on your research ideas, work and progress.

Avoid Falling Behind

With a systematic learning plan, which identifies scheduled research classes, activities, commitments, so you know exactly what and when you will learn about research.

A Productive First Semester / Year

Utilise all study and research work time to increase your understanding of academic research and make consistent progress in your thesis.

A Video-based Online Training Masterclass from Dr. Ben Ellway, the creator of The Research Design Canvas

Launch Or Kickstart Your Thesis Journey

15 instructional videos, where I will be your guide, with step-by-step instructions to help you complete a research orientation and show you how to create a systematic learning plan for your academic journey

Reduce Doubts & Uncertainty, Boost Confidence & Productivity

Identify the pay-off for all your time invested in learning about and working on your research, for your understanding and progress in the building blocks of your thesis.

Understand Research & Make Consistent Progress

Have a productive and successful first academic semester or year, with your supervisors onboard to give you feedback on your ideas, work, and questions, to make consistent progress in understanding academic research and building your thesis.

Join other students and researchers who have used the The Research Design Canvas - a “clever”, “excellent”, “amazing”, “great”, “ingenious”, and “simple & clear” academic tool - to “guide”, “plan”, “map out”, “design”, “understand” and “write” research and the thesis.

How students have benefited from my research training…

Best Pay-Off For Time Invested

“I’m mature age, STEM, with no language difficulties but what you presented became the basis for my confirmation seminar. The session was the best pay-off for time invested in research training so far.”

David, 1st year Phd Student

Scholars Unanimous

“The scholars from across the ANU campus have been unanimous in their extremely positive responses to your Research Design Canvas, as indicated by their energetic conversation and engagement with the material, and interest in receiving follow-up workshops.”

Professor Michael Dobson

Exactly what I needed

"The research design canvas showed me an iterative way to build my research approach, whilst ensuring that I understood the specific value of the different building blocks such as literature, theory, methods, and methodology.  It certainly ensured that when I am working late into the evening I have a tool to help and guide me.”

Dr. Louise Mayo

Frequently Asked Questions

  • With 15 videos and a total watch time of 3 hours and a further 4 hours to complete 3 tasks, you can successfully complete the course in 7 hours or less. You’ll finish the course with…

  • You’ll need to learn and work productively in the second half of the year and beyond,

  • The training guides you through the process step-by-step, with clear instructions, and you can pause or rewatch videos at anytime during the course.

  • Don’t worry, focus on the questions you feel confident or able to answer. terminology which is new to you and

  • The canvas is the perfect tool to help you easily keep track of changes. Update your canvas after making progress or major changes to your thesis. Use the canvas to help you ensure consistency and flow between the evolving ideas, decisions, and progress you make

  • No, you’ll get something much more valuable than a certificate - two academic design tools personalised to you: a completed academic self-assessment and a thesis learning roadmap, which you can use

Ready To Start Your Research Journey With Confidence?

Make progress right away in this masterclass with your research orientation and academic self-assessment to create a thesis learning roadmap to understand research in your topic area, and make progress in your thesis.