Quality Assurance in Doctoral Programmes and Research Training at Newcastle University

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Quality Assurance in Doctoral Programmes
and Research Training at Newcastle University

• Dr Robin Humphrey
• Director of Research Postgraduate Training
• Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
• Newcastle University, UK

EUROPOS SAJUNGA Europos socialinis fondas
MYKOLO ROMERIO UNIVERSITETAS
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Who am I?

• Active researcher
• Have a PhD!
• PhD Supervisor and Examiner
• PGR Director in Sociology, then GPS
• Director of PG Training Social Sciences , and
  then Arts and Humanities too
• EUA Doctoral Project, Coordinator
• Bologna Process, Brussels and Nice

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Lessons from International Work

• UK Most experience with QAA and Training issues
• But, much to learn from others (Progression and
  Examination)
• However, Beware best practice from other
  contexts!
• Embedded in Institutions, and developed in own
  cultural and political national and local
  contexts
• So, Learn from others, but adapt to own
  circumstances

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UK Context What is a Traditional UK PhD?

• Three years of Registration
• One or two supervisors
• 80,000 - 100,000 word thesis
• Examined by thesis
• And a viva
• Internal and external examiner

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City of Newcastle

• Largest city in the North East of England
• Population of 284,000 33,000 are students
• Three hours by rail from London
• International airport, 10km from campus

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Newcastle University

• Established 1834
• City centre campus in North East of England
• Employs over 4,000 people
• One of UKs top 20 research universities member
  of the Russell Group.
• 13,500 full-time students
• Over 2,500 international students from more than
  100 countries
• Low living costs in comparison with rest of UK

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University Research

• Very strong research ethos
• Over 50 research centres
• Ten academic Schools awarded top ratings in UK
  govt. research assessment exercise (RAE)
• Russell Group member, major research
  universities in the UK

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Newcastle University

• Accounting
• Agriculture
• Archaeology
• Architecture
• Art
• Biology
• Biomedical Sciences
• Business
• Chemistry
• Classics
• Combined Studies
• Computing
• Dentistry
• Economics
• Education
• Engineering
• English
• Environmental Sciences
• Film Studies

• Gender and Womens Studies
• Geography
• Geomatics (Surveying)
• History
• Languages
• Law
• Mathematics
• Medicine
• Music
• Philosophical Studies
• Physics
• Politics
• Psychology
• Religious Studies
• Sociology
• Social Policy
• Speech
• Town Planning

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Postgraduate Culture

• In top ten of UK Universities for numbers of
  research postgraduate (2,200 850 in HASS)
• Extensive recognition by ESRC, AHRC and NERC (UK
  Govt. Research Councils)
• Recognised research masters programmes
• Funded studentships

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Faculty of Humanities, Arts, and the Social
Sciences

• Schools
• Architecture, Planning and Landscape
• Arts and Cultures
• Business School
• Education, Communication and Language
• English Literature. Language and Linguistics
• Geography, Politics and Sociology
• Law School
• Modern Languages

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Newcastle University Code of Practice for
Research Degrees

• Code of Practice approved in October 2003 for
  implementation in September 2004.
• Policy and procedures revised slightly in Spring
  2006.

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Research Degree Programmes Code of Practice

• Code of Practice for Research Degrees ensures
  equity and good practice across University
• Clarifies expectations of the University staff
  and students
• Copy of Code of Practice included in Research
  Student Handbook.

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Newcastle University Code of Practice

• Enquiry/Application/Admission
• Registration
• Induction
• Research Training Portfolio
• Learning agreement (within 3 months)
• Supervisory arrangements
• Approval of Research Project and Supervisory Team
  (within 9 months)
• Faculty Research Training Programme
• Annual Progression Panel
• Examination
• Complaints, Appeals, Disciplinaries

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Newcastle UniversityPostgraduate Research
Training Programme

• Faculty of Humanities
• and Social Sciences

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Postgraduate Research Training in the Social
Sciences in the UK

• The Government Research Council The Economic and
  Social Research Council
• Concerned about submission, completion and
  employment (Knowledge economy)
• About 700 Postgraduate Research Studentships
• Of these 700 studentships. Around 500
  studentships allocated through Quota System.
• About 100 studentships will go to special schemes
  eg CASE,
• About 100 studentships Open Competition (one per
  outlet)

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ESRC Recognition

• outlets (ie Sociology, Politics, Law) apply for
  recognition to apply for studentships
• Benchmark for RPG recruitment, and Gold Standard
• Based on
• Institutional provision for PGRs (Code of
  Practice)
• Critical mass of PGRs
• Submission and Completion rates
• Quality of Research Environment
• Meeting Research Training Guidelines
• To maintain recognition, Submission rate (60 of
  research studentships they fund)

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ESRC Research Training Guidelines

• Generic guidelines
• Discipline specific guidelines
• 13 system (1 year research masters, 3 years PhD)

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Postgraduate Culture

• Intensive, Multi-disciplinary Research Training
  Programme
• To gain specialist knowledge to help you complete
  your research degree successfully
• To gain a broad range of research and research
  management skills that will help you compete in
  the Global Knowledge Economy

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Impetus behind Faculty provision

• Economies of scale
• Drawing on expertise across Faculty (see
  academics contribute from disciplines)
• Interdisciplinarity
• Multi-disciplinary learning environment

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JSS Skills Agenda

• Research Skills and Techniques
• Research Environment
• Research Management
• Personal Effectiveness
• Communication Skills
• Networking and Teamworking
• Career Management

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Research Training Modules Year 1

• Semester 1
• Managing your PhD
• Information Skills
• The Nature of Explanation and Enquiry
• Semester 2
• Introduction to Qualitative Methodology
• Introduction to Quantitative Methodology
• First year conference (oral presentations)

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Years 2 and 3

• The Research Training and Research Development
  Programme Year 2
• Progressing Your PhD
• Research in the Wider Context
• Second Year Research Postgraduate Conference
  (posters)
• The Research Training and Research Development
  Programme Year 3
• Final Stages of Your PhD
• Research Ethics in a Wider Context

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Roberts Generic Skills Researcher Development

• Academic Writing and Self-Editing Your
  Thesis
• HSS8010 Research Ethics in a Wider Context
• Learning by Doing
• Researchers in Residence
• Mentoring Training Becoming and Being a
  Mentor
• Netskills How to Design Your Own Website
• Collaborations and Partnerships
• Peer Review
• Innovation in Research Skills Awards
• UK Grad and Resources for Researchers

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Monitoring

• ESRC
• Apply for recognition every four years
• Submission rate survey (70 of research
  council-funded students)
• HEFCE
• Institutional Audit
• Completion Rates (from 2008)