'Pull communications' (ie. where people find us rather than our communication reaching out to them) generate the vast majority of initial interest. It follows that the most critical aspect to PGR recruitment is to ensure that websites are fit for purpose.

Staff research interests

Staff research interests on the web should be up to date, well presented and clear. We recommend listing research interests so that sites invite enquiries from prospective students about topics for supervision rather than prescribing narrow areas of supervision. There may be occasions when in addition to this, it is useful to suggest specific research topics.

It’s not always easy but try and describe research interests in the way in which people would search for them through a search engine. This will optimise your pages from a search engine perspective. Contact Mike Simpson in the Division to discuss website development.

Prospectus and Research portal

You should ensure the online postgraduate prospectus is kept up to date with staff contact details and their research interests. It is routinely updated annually but we can make changes at any point. There is a search facility on the prospectus. Contact Mike Simpson in the Division to request changes.

The University's research website was launched in 2009 and should help raise the profile of research at the University and act as another conduit into the website for prospective PGR students.

Website content and structure

Ensure that your website navigates well with logically labelled links, has good content written for prospective PGR students, clearly lists staff and their research interests and includes obvious ‘calls to action’.

Calls to action may be to read about staff and their research areas, or make an enquiry to the department about research topics.

Try and communicate the wider benefits of study through your website, not just research interests. Although finding an appropriate supervisor is the key factor, funding and support issues are also incredibly important to students. Describing how PGR students will be supported could give you the competitive edge in a market that is increasingly competitive as we approach the Research Excellence Framework. For advice on creating strong, benefit focussed copy contact Helen Pennack.

Managing enquiries

Making an enquiry needs to be made as easy as possible. You can route general enquiries through to the on-line prospectus enquiry form which students can use to request a prospectus from us. Postgraduate prospectuses are sent out with covering letters. These letters can be customised. Contact Simon Edwards to arrange this. Specific and detailed enquiries should of course be routed to individual academics or a PGR co-ordinator.