Guide to External Research Student Supervision

1.1

The thesis must be the research student’s own work, for which they have taken responsibility. The research student should, however, expect to have effective supervision arrangements which provide them with regular, high quality, support, advice and guidance while they are enrolled as a research student. All research students will be allocated a supervisory team. At a minimum, the research student will be assigned two supervisors throughout the duration of their programme of study. This is from the time of their initial enrolment until completion of the examination process (including resubmission if applicable).

1.2

The research student’s Primary/First Supervisor will normally be the main contact throughout their research student journey and will have overall responsibility for their academic supervision. The academic input of the Secondary Supervisor will vary from case to case. The principal role of the Secondary Supervisor is often as a first port of call should the research student’s Primary/First Supervisor become unavailable. The University recognises that supervision practice may vary between disciplines and Faculties/Schools. For example, some Faculties/Schools may include one or more additional supervisors to complement the work of the Primary/First and Secondary Supervisors. Typically, this may be an advisor from industry/partner institution/HEI/research establishment or a specific area of professional practice to support the research. External supervisors may also be drawn from other Universities. Such arrangements would be put in place by the research student’s Faculty/School. The Faculty/School and/or the Regulations, Quality and Standards Board ensure that all external supervisors have the necessary qualifications and experience to support the research student’s research.

1.3

One of the research student’s supervisors, normally the Primary/First Supervisor, will act as Director of Studies, with primary responsibility for supporting them on a pastoral level and for the administrative oversight of their candidature. The Director of Studies will be responsible for guiding the research student in administrative matters and for ensuring that their progress is reported to the Progression and Awards Board.

1.4

The research student should ensure that they have received information on the specific arrangements in place regarding the role of their supervisors.

The Primary/First Supervisor has a variety of roles. In broad terms they are the research student’s academic advisor, tutor, and champion. The research student can normally expect their Primary/First Supervisor to:

• Provide regular supervision. The frequency of supervision will vary during the duration of the research. The research student can expect more intensive supervision in the first year and final year when their supervisor will be reading and commenting on drafts of the thesis. At a minimum, there must be at least four formal supervision meetings each year; however, due to the nature of the Doctor of Philosophy (External) Programme, it is recommended that there are significantly more supervisory meetings (ideally on a monthly basis) to provide support and to ensure engagement. Research students will not normally be required to physically attend the meetings unless there is a particular request or reason to do so. The discussion and action points arising should be summarised in a formal written record. It is the responsibility of the supervisor(s) to keep records of the supervisory sessions, to ensure the research student is sent an electronic copy of the record of the meeting, and for electronic copies of the record to be kept within the Faculty/School centrally. The research student’s Faculty/School should advise them of the amount of supervision which they can expect;
• Be accessible, within reason (e.g., by e-mail contact) outside planned supervision meetings when advice may be required. Overseas research students should bear in mind different time zones to that of the UK and national holiday periods;
• Provide guidance on the nature and requirements of the research degree being pursued and standards expected. This should include providing the research student with a clear understanding on the main aspects of undertaking postgraduate research, the nature of a research degree awarded at Swansea University and the form and structure of a thesis;
• Provide guidance and advice to the research student to ensure the research can be completed, including the preparation of the thesis, normally by the end of their minimum candidature period;
• Assist the research student in producing a detailed work-plan and timetable for the research and monitor their progress in relation to this plan;
• Give advice and guidance on the research undertaken. This would include advice and guidance on:
  • Choice of topic; also, ensuring the correct procedure is followed in the event any subsequent changes are made to the research student’s research topic. For more information, the ATAS and Change of Research Topic Policy and Procedure should be referred to.
  • Selection of research questions or hypotheses;
  • Literature in the research student’s field and how to access it;
  • Selection of research methods;
  • Where applicable, ethical considerations of the research student’s research;
  • Fieldwork/laboratory work to be undertaken;
  • How to write for an academic audience;
  • Thesis structure, content and presentation.
• Complete Progression Reports as required in a timely fashion.
• Ensure the research student is given sufficient warning at the earliest stage where their progress is inadequate or of an unsatisfactory standard;
• Request written work as appropriate and in accordance with the agreed work-plan and return such work with constructive feedback within an agreed period of time;
• Provide guidance and advice on the writing up of the thesis, including reading and giving commentary upon the whole of the thesis during the period of composition. However, the thesis is the research student’s own work, and they have the final responsibility for ensuring the thesis is submitted by the maximum candidature end date;
• Prepare the research student for the viva voce examination and explain its role in the overall examination process;
• Provide supervision in the event of any re-submission;
• Maintain the necessary supervisory expertise, including accessing relevant professional development opportunities in order to effectively perform in the role of supervisor;
• Provide advice on how to network within the research student’s specialist field and opportunities to achieve this. This may include advice on which learned societies to join and which conferences to attend;
• Provide advice on how and where the research student should present their work, e.g., in seminars within the Faculty/School and University and/or at meetings/conferences;
• Give advice on how and where to publish, if appropriate.

The research student’s Secondary Supervisor’s primary role is normally a supporting and complementary one. In some cases, the research student’s Secondary Supervisor will be actively involved in their supervision, e.g., to assist with particular academic aspects of the research student’s work, in a similar manner to their Primary/First Supervisor. The Secondary Supervisor may also have a pastoral role. In other cases, there may not be the same degree of day-to-day involvement. Secondary Supervisors need not necessarily be experts on the research student’s particular topic of research to the same degree as required of the Primary/First Supervisor. The Secondary Supervisor’s unique role, however, is to:

• Act as a first port of call should the research student’s Primary/First Supervisor become unavailable, e.g., due to illness, research leave (sabbatical), maternity leave, change of employment;
• Act as a first port of call, in case of disagreement between the research student and their Primary/First Supervisor. In cases of disagreement, the research student may also contact their Head of Department or their Faculty Postgraduate Research Lead. Where issues cannot be resolved in this way, the research student will be referred to the Faculty/School and University complaints processes.

The supervisor who acts as the research student’s Director of Studies both has a pastoral role and has the responsibility for providing advice and assistance with the necessary administrative processes as and where necessary, e.g., as regards progression, transfer of mode/programme of study, or in the event of seeking a suspension, or an extension of the maximum candidature. Their role is to:

• Provide pastoral support as and where necessary and/or refer the research student to other sources of support, e.g., Education Services, Student Support Services, the Careers Centre;
• Assist the research student in assessing their training needs at commencement and during their programme of research, and help them plan a programme of research and transferable skills' development (including language training and auditing of Master’s Level modules) as necessary in order to complete the thesis. The research student should be made aware of training opportunities provided by the Faculty/School, Education Services, Postgraduate Research Office Training and Development Services, and sources relevant to their discipline or if applicable, the funding body. Training needs should be re-assessed throughout the duration of the research student’s candidature. Skills development should be seen as an integral part of their research programme;
• Ensure that Progression Reports are completed as required in a timely fashion;
• Take note of any feedback from the research student, the Faculty/School or Education Services;
• Ensure the research student is aware of Swansea University regulations for their research degree including, but not limited to, Academic Integrity and Academic Misconduct, intellectual property, health and safety, and any ethical issues which may arise during the course of their research;
• Provide advice and assist in the necessary administrative processes as and where necessary, e.g. in the event of seeking a suspension, transfer of mode/programme of study, extension of maximum candidature;
• Give detailed advice on the expected milestones and dates for successive stages of the research student’s research. This should include but not be limited to giving them information on what criteria must be met in order to progress satisfactorily and the dates which these must be achieved by.

5.1

The Supervisory Team

Each research student will have a Supervisory Team consisting of a minimum of two eligible supervisors who are members of staff at Swansea University. These main supervisors will assume responsibility for both the academic guidance of the research student and the administrative and pastoral activities associated with the research student, according to the following designations:

5.2

Academic: The Primary/First Supervisor will normally take primary academic responsibility, the other supervisor(s) will take secondary academic responsibility; in some cases, the Primary/First and Secondary Supervisor will both assume equal academic responsibility.

5.3

Administrative/Pastoral: One supervisor, the Director of Studies, will take primary administrative/pastoral responsibility and the other(s) will assume secondary administrative/pastoral responsibility.

With regard to administrative responsibility and pastoral guidance, the normal arrangement will be for the Primary/First Supervisor also to act as Director of Studies and take primary administrative and pastoral responsibility, and the Secondary Supervisor also to take secondary administrative and pastoral responsibility (see Eligibility Criteria below).

Additional supervisors (third, fourth, etc.), who may be industrial/HEI partner organisation researchers/academics (or equivalent) external to the University, may be part of the supervisory team to provide appropriate academic and, as applicable, administrative/pastoral guidance.

Where the Primary/First Supervisor or the Director of Studies becomes unavailable (e.g., due to illness, research leave (sabbatical), maternity leave, change of employment), the other/another main supervisor will temporarily assume this role(s) and/or will, in consultation with the Faculty/School, ensure that an appropriate alternative supervisory team is constituted.

5.4

Eligibility to act as Primary/First Supervisor

A Primary/First Supervisor:

5.4.1

Must hold a contract of employment as a member of staff of Swansea University which should outlive the normal maximum candidature period for the research student to be supervised;

5.4.2

Should have supervised to successful completion, at Swansea University or another higher education institution, as Primary/First or Secondary Supervisor, at least one student at the same level of degree as (or higher than) the one they are to supervise. If the Primary/First Supervisor designate does not fulfill this criterion, (i) they cannot act as Director of Studies and (ii) the Executive Dean or, as delegated, the Faculty Postgraduate Research Lead (or equivalent), must sanction the appointment of the Primary/First Supervisor);

5.4.3

Must have undertaken relevant training regarding supervision, progression monitoring procedures and systems, and institution-specific policies;

5.4.4

Should be on an Academic Career Pathway with Research as an Enhanced criterion. A member of staff not fulfilling this criterion may be considered eligible if a case is made by their Executive Dean or nominee to the Student Cases Board. This case should set out, with evidence, how the individual demonstrates clear research competence and has relevant and recent research expertise in the proposed field of research. Examples of evidence include peer-reviewed publications, regular conference attendance, or research grant income;

5.4.5

Must hold an academic award at the same level (or higher) as he or she is to supervise, or be able to demonstrate equivalent professional experience;

5.4.6

Should not be a candidate for a research degree at Swansea University nor other higher education institution;

5.4.7

Should have a good supervisory record, as verified by the Executive Dean or, as delegated, the Faculty Postgraduate Research Lead (or equivalent).

5.5  Eligibility to act as Secondary Supervisor

A Secondary Supervisor should meet the same criteria as the Primary/First Supervisor. With regard to point 2 above, the requirement ‘to have supervised a student to completion at the same level before’, it should be noted that if neither the Primary/First nor the Secondary Supervisor meet this criterion, a third main supervisor who must meet this and all the other criteria in full must be appointed as Director of Studies.

5.6  Eligibility to act as Director of Studies

The Director of Studies is a member of the supervisory team who meets all the criteria above without exception.