GRO Workshops 2009

Working with your supervisor

Inger Mewburn (inger.mewburn@rmit.edu.au)

Research Fellow, Graduate Research Office, RMIT University www.rmit.edu.au/research/gro (email gro@rmit.edu.au)
Images in this presentation from stockxchange.com and www.phdcomix.com
Presentation Outline:

History of Supervision in Universities

The supervisor’s responsibilities

Limitations of the supervisory model

What supervisors expect from you

Then we will hear from some supervisors in person:

Lisa Dethridge (3pm)

Anne Sibbel (3:30pm)
Dinesh Kumar (4pm)
History of supervision in Universities

Research as we know it has only been around since the 19th century

Before that young scholars were expected to ‘defend the canon of knowledge’ through
the system of ‘disputation’

Early professors used to coach students for the disputation in their homes

Research candidature is still a form of ‘apprenticeship in knowledge’

Presentation Outline:

History of Supervision in Universities

The supervisor’s responsibilities

Limitations of the supervisory model

What supervisors expect from you

Then we will hear from some supervisors in person:

Lisa Dethridge (3pm)

Anne Sibbel (3:30pm)
Dinesh Kumar (4pm)
Supervisor Responsibilities

Supervisors must adhere to the RMIT Research Supervisor code of practice:

http://mams.rmit.edu.au/j4me8p0tcxsb.pdf . The explicit responsibilities of supervisors
are in section four, they must:

Give guidance about the nature of research, professional conduct and the
requirements of the degree

Be familiar with the Regulations, Policies and Procedures

Advise you on the productive use of your time

Give detailed advice as to the milestones and help you prepare for them

Let you know when they will be available for consultations

Solicit work from you regularly and give timely feedback that is ‘critical and constructive’
More Supervisor Responsibilities

Monitor your performance and let you know how you are doing

Ensure that you follow all RMIT rules and procedures relating to conduct of research

Nominate examiners for your thesis

Help you make leave applications and do paperwork

Arrange for you to present your work publicly according to RMIT guidelines

Ensure, as far as possible, that you “participate in the intellectual life of the school”

Ensure that you have adequate access to resources for your research

Ensure that you follow proper research methods and techniques

Ensure that you are spending enough time on your research

Even More Supervisor Responsibilities

Encourage you to present your work in public

Encourage you to publish

Discuss attribution of authorship of publications with you

Ensure that ownership of IP is talked about and agreed to with you

Ensure that data you gather is stored correctly

Help you deal with criticism, comments and recommendations on your thesis

Help you build career networks and with your career goals as far as possible

Make sure you adhere to ‘professional conduct and behaviour’

The shorter version:

Supervisors should provide you with:

Specific technical support

Broader intellectual support
Administrative support
Management
Personal support

Exercise:
Let’s take 5 minutes to think about it from the other point of view:

Is there anything about you that might make the supervisor’s job difficult? What
can/should you do about it?
Presentation Outline:

History of Supervision in Universities

The supervisor’s responsibilities

Limitations of the supervisory model

What supervisors expect from you

Then we will hear from some supervisors in person:

Lisa Dethridge (3pm)

Anne Sibbel (3:30pm)
Dinesh Kumar (4pm)
Limitations of the supervisory model
From: Phillips and Pugh (1987) “How to get a PhD”

You might find it hard to find your ‘voice’

Your primary supervisor might be an extremely busy person

Your supervisor may be inexperienced or too set in their ways

Your supervisor might not be an expert in your field (only in part of it)

Your other supervisor(s) may disagree with the primary supervisor

The ‘chemistry’ might not be right

Presentation Outline:

History of Supervision in Universities

The supervisor’s responsibilities

Limitations of the supervisory model

What supervisors expect from you

Then we will hear from some supervisors in person:

Lisa Dethridge (3pm)

Anne Sibbel (3:30pm)
Dinesh Kumar (4pm)
What supervisors expect from you
From: Phillips and Pugh (1987) “How to get a PhD”

Independence

Some degree of polish in writing

To meet with you regularly and for you to be be honest about your progress

Follow up on their advice – especially if you have asked for it

For you to be excited about your work and surprise them with what you find
How does a great candidate act?
(From: Rugg and Petre (2004) “The unwritten rules of PhD candidature”)

You make sure there’s something in it for them as well as for you

You show explicitly that you value their ideas and knowledge

You try it their way – until you can tell them it isn’t going to work and why

You don’t just refuse – you offer alternatives

You are scrupulous about giving credit where it’s due

You bother to find out something about their research

You let them be human

(sometimes)
Presentation Outline:

History of Supervision in Universities

The supervisor’s responsibilities

Limitations of the supervisory model

What supervisors expect from you

Then we will hear from some supervisors in person:

Lisa Dethridge (3pm)

Anne Sibbel (3:30pm)
Dinesh Kumar (4pm)
Recommended reading about Supervision

Rugg, G and Petre, M 2004, The Unwritten Rules of PhD Research, Open University
Press, Maidenhead, England
Phillips, E. M and Pugh, D.S 1987, How to get a PhD: a handbook for students and their
supervisors, Open University Press, Maidenhead, England
Denholm, C and Evans, T (2007) Supervising Doctorates Downunder, ACER Press,
Camberwell
Green, P, 2005, Supervising postgraduate research : contexts and processes, theories
and practices (available online through RMIT library)
Wisker, G (2004) The good supervisor : supervising postgraduate and undergraduate
research for doctoral theses and dissertations, Palgrave Macmillan, New York