SUPERVISOR SUPERVISEE'S RELATIONSHIP IN RESEARCH

1. Managing the
Student-Supervisor
Relationship
SESSION ONE
DAY ONE

2. Planning for Best
Practice in Research

3. Coverage
 Managing expectations
 What you expect of us
 What we expect of you
 Ethics and Governance
 Planning your research strategy
 Acquiring the necessary skills

4. Managing Expectations
Why is this important?

5. Your expectations of the
University
 What are your expectations of the University?
 High quality, trained supervision
 Reasonable access to resources …
 Guidance on submission and completion
 Career development advice
 Managing expectations …

6. The university expectations of
you
 What are the University’s expectations of
you?
 Enthusiasm, commitment, professionalism,
good work ethic, curiousity, honesty and
integrity, knowledge of subject, organised
 Foster creativity, independence and reflection
 Ownership of your own research degree
programme

7. Role & Responsibilities of
Researchers
 Role and responsibilities of the supervisor
 Role and responsibilities of the student
 Work plans and timelines
 Good research practice
 Research degree training
 Research supports and infrastructure

8. Why is this important?
 We need to understand the relationship
between the supervisor and student – many
elements to a successful relationship
 The relationship may impact on what you do
and on your research and writing
 The roles vary over time – need to
understand how they change
 What is the objective of the research?

9. What should you expect of
your supervisor?
 PhD, qualified – professional, academic,
ethical standard of work
 Supervisor must know the regulations,
documents and procedures …. training
 Aware of available support services
 Can assess the research topic – does it have
merit?

10. Continued…
 Can identify your training needs
 Is accessible and gives adequate time for
uninterrupted supervision
 Competent in mentoring … adaptable …
watchful and resourceful … helps with career
 High expectations!

11. Responsibilities of the
student
 Be responsible for your own research
activity – only you can write the PhD
 Be responsible for your own personal
career development
 Be aware of academic rules, regulations,
ethical guidelines & grievance procedures
 Maintain regular contact with your
supervisor, agree & keep deadlines,
report on progress (end of semester
report) & keep a written record of
meetings

12. Continued…
 Seek and participate in training courses
 But do so in ordered way: not course junkies!
 Seek to publish your work, acknowledging
the role of the supervisor, co-publishing with
the supervisor when appropriate
 Submit your thesis within the agreed time
frame

13. Responsibilities of the
supervisor
At the outset at supervisor should
 Explain what is involved in doing a PhD
 Agree a programme of work and time
frame
 Agree the ground rules – find out what
your supervisor expects
 Acquaint you with regulations /
postgraduate charter
 Agree on a schedule of meetings /
deadlines

14. Work Plans and Timelines
 Plan out your project: Personal Development
Planner
 Use a weekly/monthly planner – plan each year
out
 Year 1, 2, 3 (4) – what are your supervisor’s
expectations? Parallel tasks, meetings, revision,
and writing tasks
 Be aware of time management
 What are your goals
 What tasks need to be completed
 Set deadlines for yourself
 Monitoring and review your progress

15. Common problems
 Poor planning & management of project
 Unrealistic expectations for the research
 Poor formulation of research question /
hypotheses
 Methodological difficulties
 Writing up
 Isolation
 Personal problems outside the research
 Inadequate or negligent supervision

16. Good Research Practice
 Research must be undertaken independently with the
support your supervisor(s)
 Research must be of the highest standard and conducted
in ethical manner … research ethics
 Maintain a good working relationship with your supervisor
 Importance of holding regular supervisory meetings
 Agree on training needs & skills development at the outset
 CV development / awareness of profession / networking
 Be prepared to attend conferences / give papers / publish
your research
 Be aware of IP issues and commercial possibilities

17. Working ethically
 Be honest: says it all
 Research Governance issues
 For example: what happens if a researcher
falsifies the data?
 Concentrating on avoiding the problem, not
trying to deal with it by legislating for it
 Plagiarism: short discussion on issues
 Co-authorship

18. Generic and transferable skills
 Personal Development Planning
 Training Needs Analysis
 Short programmes of skills: e.g.
 Research skills
 Searching databases, bibliography
management
 Data analysis
 Communication: posters, oral presentation
skills
 etc, etc

19. Transferable skills
 Define a research question / problem
 Literature searches
 Design how to collect the relevant data
 Write a report (“thesis”)
 Defend your thesis (viva voce exam = “the
viva”)

20. Plan what skills you need
 Personal Development Planners
 See them as a diary / planner for your entire
research programme

21. Theses: never too soon to start
planning!
 Monograph form
 e.g in sciences, Introduction, Materials &
Methods, Results, Discussion & Conclusions
 By publications (see code of practice)
 Individual chapters mimic publications
 DVD etc of supplementary materials: PhD
by practice
 Examination Board for your viva voce
examination determines what is the
accepted norm in your discipline, and
provides quality control for the university

22. Managing the
Student-Supervisor
Relationship

23. Relevance
 A PhD is difficult enough without problems
working with your supervisor!
 Other benefits
 learn how to manage professional relationships
 should minimise research problems

24. Supervision model
 Not static
 Freedom to supervise within guidelines to
own model
 Is your supervisor’s model clear to you?

25. Defining the Student’s Role
What should a PhD student take responsibility
for?
Feedback the range of activities that should
make up your role.

26. Student
 conduct original
investigations
 test ideas
 understand the context
of work
 identify and learn
necessary techniques
 ensure all work is
related to the final goal
 keep a research log book,
and keep it up to date
 regularly review their
personal timeline
 get involved in research
activities
 learn how to discuss their
ideas openly
 heed the supervisor's
advice!

27. Refining the Student’s Role
Think about the three years of a PhD…
With a time-line across the top, describe:
 how you develop during your first six months
 the competencies that you need to develop
 and how your professionalism will be seen by others
Groups of four, in 15min we will share these insights !

28. From other sessions…
0 6 12 18
• Familiarisation with field
• ‘Practice’ research
• Develop methodology
• See the need
• Define question
• Tune in
• Culture change
• Direction from supervisor
Competencies:
• ‘On top’ of literature
• Skills in place - incl writing
• Project mapped out
• Ideas/results emerging
• Apply & develop methodology
• Begin to meet the need
• Ask for feedback
• Debate ideas

29. From other sessions…
18 24 30 36
Professionalism:
• INDEPENDENCE
• contributing
• confident about hypotheses
• good ambassador
• report on project
• ask for feedback
• increase visibility
• Write towards thesis
• Deliver
• Move on
• Plan career
• Write thesis
• Next Question

30. Defining the Supervisor’s Role
What should a PhD supervisor take
responsibility for?
Feedback the range of activities that should
make up this role.

31. Supervisor’s Role
 Interest in your
research
 guide with
encouragement
 be available for
meetings
 ensure the final goal is
realistic and identifiable
 assess progress
objectively and provide
honest feedback
 support involvement in
research activities
 encourage open
discussion of ideas
 set a standard to follow

32. Refining the Supervisor’s Role
Think again about the three years of a PhD…
Under that same time-line:
 what did your supervisor do in the first six months
 what do you need from your supervisor to develop
the competencies you identified
In 10min we will share these insights !

33. Where might problems lie?
 What can go wrong with the relationship?
 Look at problems arising from BOTH sides
 Next we will split into two groups…

34. Thinking more broadly
What other problems can arise
between the student and
supervisor during a PhD?

35. Problems - Students
 Lack of guidance
 Not available for
discussions
 Fault-finding
 Unreasonable
expectations
 Not interested
 Lack of resources or
facilities
 no attention to “whole
person”
 lack of support in
process of research
(techniques, data
analysis)

36. Problems - Supervisor
 Students lack
independence
 poor written work
 not honest about
progress
 lack commitment
 don’t realise how much
work it takes
 Lack of effort
 absent from lab/desk
 Oversensitive
 don’t accept challenge
 No enthusiasm
 don’t follow advice

37. Basis of problems
 False expectations
 Failure to see whole picture
 Survival of the fittest?
 Personality clash
 Other pressures
 Lack of communication

38. Interpersonal problems
 In some cases the breakdown is due to
personality clashes
 Your behaviour can improve the situation
 Assertiveness
 Formalising the structure of your supervision
 Support mechanisms

39. Overcoming problems
 Keep things in perspective
 supervisor is human
 shares your long term goal (PhD success)
 criticize your actions, not you
 Be organised
 organise FORMAL meetings if not happening
 prepare for meetings with points for discussion
 Be honest
 report any mistakes (before the grapevine)
 report on difficulties whilst they are SMALL

40. Overcoming problems
 Be professional
 take criticism
 don’t expect to always get on with work
colleagues
 don’t bitch
 Ask for feedback
 don’t wait to be told what to do/read
 Show your enthusiasm
 Meet deadlines

41. Useful behaviours
 Transparency
 Identify your supervisors’ “rules” and make your
expectations clear
 Communication
 Take responsibility, but expect availability
 Consistency
 Equality of opportunity, accountable
 Distance
 professional, basis for management

42. ‘The Ladder of Inference’

43. © Dr Sara Shinton 2006 www.shintonconsulting.com
Select information
from what we see
Add meaning,
(cultural / personal)
Make assumptions
Draw conclusions
Adopt beliefs
about the world
Available information / data
Take actions
based on beliefs
The reflexive loop:
Our beliefs affect the
information we choose
to ‘see’ next time
Instead of going back to
select from the raw
available information

44. To summarise
 Understand your “job description” and what a
PhD demands
 Discuss supervision - either explicitly or by
“stealth”
 Take control of the project and get feedback
 Use meetings effectively - more in the
handout
 Other support

45. Effective Meetings

46. Why meetings?
 PhD is about:
 Training - so progress must be monitored
 Developing opinions - which need to be tested
against experts
 Seeking other views - usually face to face
 Disseminating contribution
….much of which occurs in meetings

47. Effective meetings
 structuring meetings
 addressing common problems
 chances to practice
 planning for future

48. Structuring meetings
 Purpose
 what is the meeting for?
 Give info? Make a decision? Address problems?
 Are all agendas / expectations the same?
 Power
 Who controls or has responsibility?
 Student or supervisor
 Logistics
 when, where,who

49. Structuring meetings
 Implications and outcomes
 what will happen after the meeting?
 How is this controlled/monitored?
 Record
 actions
 decisions
 discussions
 future meetings
Envisage the ideal outcome

50. Problems
 What problems have you experienced with
meetings?
 What good practice can you share with the
group to overcome these?

51. Common Problems
 Divided attention
 Confusion about purpose
 Not contributing
 Too much contributing
 No record of discussions
 No mechanisms to monitor progress
 Responsibilities poorly defined

52. Good practice
 Agree set time and ask for interruptions to be
avoided
 Write agenda and circulate in advance
 Identify “ideal outcome” for meeting
 Write up minutes and actions
 Take a ‘jewel’ along with you…

53. For example
 Your aim: To plan next stage of research and
convince supervisor of good progress
 Supervisor aim: To find evidence of good
progress and get student to come up with new ideas

54.  What to present:
 results + interpretation
 suggestions for new research to improve understanding
 questions you can’t answer or want another opinion on
 How to present:
 prepare agenda & circulate in advance
 have all papers needed
 Use active listening techniques
 Be assertive

55. All I said was “You
have my undivided
attention…..”

56. Respectforself
Respect for others

57. Assertiveness
 Belief in
 self
 values
 others
 Understand your Rights

58. Right to
 ask for what you want
 an opinion
 make decisions
 to make mistakes
 be successful
 change your mind
 be independent
 to respect
 to refuse

59. Behaviours
 In pairs or small groups, try to identify the
behaviours associated with
 non assertiveness
 aggression
 assertiveness

60. Effects
 Aggression provokes
 aggression
 defensiveness
 ultimately irritation and non co-operation
 Non assertion provokes
 pity
 guilt
 irritation
 lack of respect

61. Assertiveness Techniques
 Broken record
 Empathy
 Offer a compromise

62. Dealing with criticism
 Fogging
partial agreement…
 Negative assertion
small admissions of fault…
 Negative enquiry
does this person have more criticism they want to air?

63. Worst case scenario
 Supervisor is obliged to supervise
 Bullying or harassment is illegal
 Counselling / Welfare Services

64. Taking this forward
 Set some goals now and enter them in your
PDP diary or plan
 Identify a situation in the near future when
you can apply new strategies
Thank you !