With an imperative to become knowledge societies, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Island are moving towards more structured PhD programs, while considering what preparation in the Honours year and earlier is also required. How can educators at all levels in different types of institutions and different disciplines meet demands to prepare students to contribute to a "knowledge society"?

I propose that some answers to this question pertain to the `research skill development' and `autonomy' of students from first year university onwards. A model designed to incrementally develop the skills needed to conduct and report on independent research, the Research Skill Development (RSD) framework, has been used and evaluated in 20 disciplines across five Australian universities. The RSD framework may have application in Irish Higher Education, because it has been successfully adapted to other countries, such as the USA, South Africa, and Holland. Contexts in which it has been used include undergraduate, Honours, Masters by coursework and PhD programs in research intensive universities, technology universities and rural universities. Academics teaching in the sciences, engineering, health sciences, professions, humanities and social sciences have used the RSD to develop and assess student literature, laboratory and field research skills. In some cases, the RSD has served as a conceptual model for curriculum redesign. Moreover, in every instance, the distinguishing characteristics of the disciplines, contexts and individuals using the framework have been maintained and fostered while research and reporting skills have been, overall, enhanced, with measurable increase in independent learning.

In this presentation I will give an overview of the RSD and discuss evidence of its efficacy when adapted by academics in discipline-and-context-specific ways, to illuminate the advantages and the downsides of approaches informed by it. The audience will be invited to consider whether the Research Skill Development framework is suited to Irish Higher Education as a conceptual model for drawing together common threads of the research enterprise from First Year university to PhD thesis submission, and at the same time embracing the diversity of disciplines, contexts and individuals.

After this AISHE conference, John is conducting 3 days of workshops with the School of Nursing and Midwifery at TCD, and welcomes other opportunities of collaborating with colleagues from Ireland.