Managing your Supervisor

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Managing your Supervisor
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Objectives

• Opportunity for you to think about
  student-supervisor relationship
• Provide some practical guidelines for
  establishing and maintaining effective relations
• Opportunity to discuss these issues with other
  postgraduates
• Provide list of resources on the
  student-supervisor relationship

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What is a PhD?
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What is a PhD?

• PhD product process
• Period of training apprenticeship
• Research project
• 3 years full time

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Official definition

• The degree shall be awarded on the examination of
  a thesis embodying the results of a candidates
  research, and an oral examination.
• A successful candidate for the degree of Ph.D.
  must show convincing evidence of the capacity to
  pursue scholarly research or scholarship in his
  or her field of study on a scale which can be
  completed during three years of full-time
  research.
• The results of this research must then be
  embodied in a thesis which makes an original
  contribution to knowledge and the completed
  thesis must contain material of a standard
  appropriate for scholarly publication. The thesis
  must comply with the requirements for the form,
  submission and deposit of theses.

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Roles Responsibilities

• Student
• Supervisor(s)

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Roles Responsibilities

• Role of student
• Role of the supervisor(s)
• What role of student is not
• What role of supervisor is not

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Roles Responsibilities

• Code of Practice for Research Students
• Guidance notes for Supervisors
• Responsibilities of Supervisors
• Research
• Other PhDs/Masters/Contract Research Staff
• Teaching
• Other motives
• Expectations

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Dimensions of the relationship
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• Crucial understand your role
• Recognise going through a learning process
• Foster a professional relationship
• Professional qualification
• Independent and responsible for your project

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Supervisory Meetings

• Organisation preparation
• How often?
• How long?
• What goes on agenda?
• Who keeps a record?
• Action planning
• Realistic time planning
• Formal/Informal
• Format

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Preparation for an initial supervisory meeting

• Produce a list of the what you see as the three
  most important things your supervisor could do to
  help you at the start of your research.
• List some of the practical issues you would want
  to discuss with your supervisor at your
  first/next meeting .

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Gaining confidence
Supervisor is less directive, expecting student
to take the initiative What do you think should
be the next stage? How do you propose to conduct
the survey? What resources will you need for that
experiment? Have you identified any training
needs? How long do you think it will take you to
complete that sample?
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Things you need to bear in mind

• Flexible
• Perspective
• Advice
• Enjoyment!

• Expect change
• Honesty respect
• Be organised
• Initiative
• Meet Deadlines
• Positivity
• I have done this.

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Key Points

• Planning is VITAL efficient effective use of
  time
• Be PRO-ACTIVE be able to say yes no
• ask for a meeting / help
• be honest
• be positive
• EXPECT CHANGE take control / key milestones