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Supervisor's Roles in Master's Thesis and PhD Dissertation

Preprint · November 2020

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.29624.16646

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Md. Sirajul Islam

International Islamic University Malaysia
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 Supervisor’s Roles in Master’s Thesis and
PhD Dissertation

Md. Sirajul Islam

PhD candidate in research methodology, Department of Qur’ān & Sunnah Studies

Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences
International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)
53100 Jalan Gombak, Selangor
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Introduction
Supervising Master’s thesis and PhD dissertation is a grate academic
part of university’s academic staff. An excellent research student also fails to
contribute expected contribution through his research if a supervisor do not
play his roles appropriately, although he is a skillful supervisor. An average
research student can complete a Master’s thesis or a PhD dissertation with
outstanding contribution if a supervisor play his vital supervisory roles.

In fact, a supervisor is a most important person who has skill and ability
in enabling a research student an excellent researcher, scholar as well as a
scientist. The status of supervisor is highly appreciated. He is guiding in the
highest level of academic study and research. Therefore, a skillful and
responsible supervisor is very smart and ethical in playing his supervisory
parts. Following 36 roles can help a supervisor to maintain a standard
supervising in thesis and dissertation in their early supervising career.

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At a Glance Supervisor’s Roles
1. Discussing with the research student to know his research idea and
research interest.
2. Assessing the student to identify the weakness and note present
weakness, and then systematically try to improve gradually.
3. Giving a talk to improve student’s research mentality, remove the short-
cut mentality in research work from the student mind, and encourage to
outstanding unique contribution.
4. Conducting with research student soft, norm and generous behavior as
though they feel-well to keep regular academic communication with
supervisor in order to continue the speed of research work.
5. Studying literatures related to the approved topic of thesis/dissertation
to get adequate relevant information in the topic.
6. Guiding student to prepare his research design/research plan.
7. Giving the student names of relevant references such as dissertations,
books, articles and so on to review.
8. Recommending reading a handbook on research and research
methodology to be required knowledgeable about few key subjects of
research. For example, important of research, research and research
methodology and research ethics.
9. Teaching student relevant thinking terminologies, thinking styles and
analyzing.
10. As a motivation, acknowledging the component of research work if
research student do very good work, and giving remarks to make it
excellent.
11. Rejecting the poor research work of any component of research in the
thesis/dissertation.
12. Advising students if possible for attending to class of few courses
relevant to the research area.
13. Advising to review relevant primary and secondary source of
literatures to recognize the valid research gap in basic research, and the
problem in applied research, and in some cases both the research gap
and the problem of a research topic.
14. Supervising student to formulate a potential sound research proposal
where will be appeared interesting topic, valid problem statement,
coherence among topic, literature review, problem statement, research

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 questions, objectives, methodology, justification, significance and
motivation.
15. Inspiring the student to undertake scholarly activities such as seminar
preparation, article writing and presentations, and the preparation of
academic discussion.
16. Inspiring student to participate and present research paper in national
and international conferences.
17. Motivating student to join in research workshops.
18. Sometimes giving information of research workshop and motivating
by sponsoring to join in the workshop as my respected supervisor has
done for me two times.
19. A supervisor supervise in many different research topic related to
various types of research. For example, academic, basic, applied,
empirical, qualitative, quantitative and so on. Hence, a responsible
supervisor guide research student in conducting research through
relevant research components according to research title, type and
research questions from following components of research:
Literature review, recognizing the research gap, identifying
research problem, writing research gape and problem statement,
formulating hypothesis and generating relevant research questions.
In addition, selecting appropriate relevant several methodologies
according to the research questions, writing aim and objectives of
research, significant of research, justification of research and limitation
of research.
Moreover, citation ethics, developing methods, developing data
collection methods, data collection as well as sources of data related to
the present research.
Furthermore, interpretation of facts, proving the ratio of positive
or negative, verifying knowledge, verifying theory, verifying validity
as well.
Similarly, developing new idea, developing sample, developing
model, describing phenomena, seeking facts, selecting variables,
visiting, survey, making observations and interviews.
Also, analyzing of existing data, evaluating existing data,
assessment of attitudes, academic analysis, empirical analysis,
quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis, historical analysis,
archaeological analysis and statistical analysis.

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 Finally yet importantly, revealing fact, identifying new
relationships among facts, acceptable new interpretation, attaining
unique information, accurate reporting of results, unique contribution,
as well as conclusion with fairness.

20.Writing type of modifications, corrections and revisions, and

suggesting necessary changes to improve the quality of research.
21. Facilitating student in conducting research.
22. Should not creating pressure to hurry up in research work.
23. Should not give time to do too delay.
24. Hurry up in research work is an obstacle of acceptable standard
research.
25. From the beginning until accomplishing the thesis, a suitable
supervising have to be maintained in research.
26. Ensuring regular contact with student.
27. Completing successfully the study plan within a period.
28. Submitting the progress report to department in every semester.
29. Acknowledging of email.
30. Standard replying of email and SMS.
31. Receiving call or callback.
32. If student suddenly few weeks do not contact with supervisor in this
case supervisor may contact with the student to know his situation or is
he suffering any problem and try to solve present problem of student if
possible.
33. Supervisor may inform his all research students If he take leave for
week or few weeks or go to abroad for performing Hajj, Umrah,
participating and presenting research paper or keynote speaker in
international conference.
34. When really the thesis being accomplished with acceptable standard
then certifying that a completed thesis/dissertation is of acceptable
standard in terms of content, quality and presentation style and that is
ready for submission.
35. Assigning an appropriate grade for Master’s thesis.
36. Being helpful in giving recommendation letter to get scholarship,
giving signature in official forms immediately without delay.

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 Conclusion
An acceptable, a high quality, an outstanding as well as a unique
contribution in the body of knowledge through thesis and dissertation is
results of a supervisor and research student those are responsible and careful
about their own roles in a research work. They are cooperative, motivated,
determined and diligent continuously in research. An ethical supervisor not
only guide a research student to accomplish the thesis successfully but also
teach the student through playing his responsibilities how to be a skillful,
ethical, smart and responsible supervisor in near future.

Acknowledgement
I am very gratitude to my respected supervisor assistant Professor Dr.
Sofiah Samsudin who has supervised me in my Master’s thesis ‘The Elderly
and their Care in the Light of the Holy Qur’an’, and PhD dissertation
‘Foundations of Research Methodology in the Holy Qur’an’. She has played
her vital supervisory roles skilfully and ethically. Abovementioned 98 percent
roles I have learned from my respected supervisor. I am highly motivated to
be a skillful, ethical, smart and responsible supervisor of Master’s thesis and
PhD dissertation in near future in my academic career in university.

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