Research Services

Higher Degrees by Research - information for students

Supervision, Progress Panels and Reporting

Supervision

Supervision is the single most important part of your study for a higher research degree. Establishing and maintaining an effective working relationship with your supervisor gives you the best chance of succeeding. Your supervisor, co-supervisor and any associate supervisors all have the same responsibilities, but you will usually work most closely with your principal supervisor.

Your supervisor is responsible for providing appropriate academic support throughout your candidature to enable you to achieve a high standard of research (AVCC, 2005 Universities and their Students: Principles for the Provision of Education by Australian Universities). The Research Services Office keeps a register of staff who can supervisor and Heads of Schools and HDC(R) approve the registration of supervisors (see Supervision Of Research Students Procedures (131006D). Your Head of School will have also approved the specific allocation of your supervisors to support your research. Supervisors are either academic staff or people considered ) to have achieved distinction in a field of research.

You will also have a co-supervisor, and may have associate or external supervisors who have the same responsibility as your principal supervisor, although it is usually your principal supervisor who works most closely and intensively with you.

• Your supervisor will discuss the nature of your research, your choice of topic, planning your research program and its timeframe, and the availability of library resources in your field.
• You will need to maintain close and regular contact with your supervisor.
• Your supervisor will help you to access the resources you need for your research, and assist you with information about University requirements and procedures.
• Your supervisor will ask you for written work (and other work as appropriate for your research), often on a pre-arranged and agreed schedule. Keeping to a schedule will help you to maintain good progress.
• Your supervisor will provide you with feedback and will help you to develop solutions to problems as you identify them.
• You and your supervisor will discuss reports for your Research Progress Panel and your supervisor will complete his/her section of the report form.
• Your supervisor will give you feedback on the content and drafts of your thesis and, at the time of submission, certify that your thesis is prima facie worthy of examination.
• Your supervisor may also provide career advice and other assistance as appropriate.

There is a more detailed version of above points in Australian Vice-Chancellors’ Committee, 2005, Universities and their Students: Principles for the Provision of Education by Australian Universities.

Some supervisors ask that you create a blog or keep a research diary - a personal record of your research - to enhance your learning from your work.

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Research Progress Panels, Reporting and Milestones

Soon after you enrol for a higher degree by research your supervisor and post-graduate coordinator, in consultation with yourself, will establish your Research Progress Panel (RPP). It consists of your principal supervisor, other supervisor(s) and the chair person of the RPP. RPPs may have other members if they can contribute to the Panel's purpose. The Panel’s purpose is to become familiar with your research to support your work, comment on progress reports and dissertation drafts and to offer other forms of advice and support. The panel will complement the expertise of your supervisors. If you are a full-time HDR Student you will meet with your RPP twice a year otherwise at least once a year.

If you are studying fulltime, you will usually report to your panel twice a year. If you are studying part-time you will report at least annually. At meetings with your RPP you will report on your research and thesis and agree major aspects of your project, such as your proposal, the timeframe and draft dissertation. You will present at least one report in person each year. The RPP can recommend that candidature should be terminated but not before working with you to achieve the quality of research required for the degree and within the time allowed.

The timeframe establishes target dates for milestones for your research project. The milestones required for all higher degrees by research are:

• Confirmation of Supervisors
• Appointment of the Research Progress Panel
• Agreement on the Milestone and Timeframe for your research and writing the thesis with your RPP (The timeframe may include variations of the standard milestones and/or their timeframe, for part-time students or if the nature of your project requires special plans.)
• Research Proposal approved by your RPP
• Progress Reports
• Significant Work Presentations which may take the form of a paper prepared for publication, a School Seminar (for Masters candidates this may be a post-graduate seminar) or a presentation at a national or international conference.
• Ethics (human or animal) and other approvals as required (see the Research Quality, Ethics and Safety page) for your research
• Draft Dissertation Outline approved by your RPP
• Notification of Intention to Submit lodged with Research Services at least three months prior to submission of the dissertation.

Your research project may have other milestones such as completion of a literature review, data collection, field work, experimentation, obtaining resources, documents or samples, analysis of results, writing certain chapters, and others.

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Typical Milestones (full time candidature)

You may agree with your RPP to add milestones to these timelines and may modify the completion dates for individual milestones according to the specific requirements of your program. Standard Milestones cannot be deleted.

The Draft Dissertation Outline Approval is a milestone that depends on the nature and progress of your research. Consequently you and your Research Progress Panel will agree an appropriate date for this milestone.

In many programs or departments RPP meetings will be organised alongside a seminar program involving staff and all postgraduate candidates in your discipline. The RPP will review your work and provide feedback, possibly some suggestions and help with problems. You can consult members of your RPP at other times, too.

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Supervisor's Absence

If your supervisor is not available to provide supervision for more than 2 months for Masters candidates or 3 months for doctoral candidates, arrangements for an alternate supervisor must be made. Your supervisor should discuss the arrangements with you and your Postgraduate Co-ordinator (or Head of School). The change of supervisor form (Application to Vary Supervision Details) is required the Research Students section the Research Service office.