Guide to Research Supervision

1.1  

Your thesis must be your own work, for which you have taken responsibility.

You should, however, expect to have effective supervision arrangements which provide you with regular, high quality, support, advice and guidance while you are enrolled as a research student. All students will be allocated a supervisory team. At a minimum, you will be assigned two supervisors throughout the duration of your programme of study. This is from the time of your initial enrolment until completion of the examination process (including resubmission if applicable).

1.2

Your Primary/First Supervisor will normally be your main contact throughout your research student journey and will have overall responsibility for your 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 your Primary/First Supervisor become unavailable. The University recognises that supervision practice may vary between disciplines and Faculties/Schools. For example, some Faculties/Schools actively encourage or require students to work as part of a group or team which may include one or more additional supervisors to complement the work of the Primary/First and Secondary Supervisors. Typically, this may be a supervisor from industry or a specific area of professional practice (e.g. medicine) to support the research. External supervisors may also be drawn from other Universities. Such arrangements would be put in place by your Faculty/School. The Faculty/School and/or the Regulations, Quality and Standards Committee ensure that all external supervisors have the necessary qualifications and experience to support your research.

1.3

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

1.4

You should ensure that you have received information on the specific arrangements in place regarding the role of your supervisors.

Your Primary/First Supervisor has a variety of roles. In broad terms they are your academic advisor, tutor and champion. You can normally expect your Primary/First Supervisor to:

• Provide regular supervision. The frequency of supervision will vary during the duration of the research. You can expect more intensive supervision in the first year and final year when your supervisor will be reading and commenting on drafts of the thesis. At a minimum, there must be at least four formal supervisions meetings each year (however, in exceptional circumstances supervision may be provided online e.g. via Zoom or Skype), and the discussion and action points arising should be summarised in a formal written record. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to keep records of the supervisory sessions, to ensure the 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. Your Faculty/School should advise you of the amount of supervision which you could expect;

• Be accessible, within reason (e.g. by e-mail contact) outside planned supervision meetings when advice may be required;

• Provide guidance on the nature and requirements of the research degree being pursued and standards expected. This should include providing you 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 you to ensure the research can be completed, including the preparation of the thesis, normally by the end of your minimum candidature period;
• Assist you in producing a detailed work-plan and timetable for your research and monitor your 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 your research topic. For more information, please read the ATAS and Change of Research Topic Policy and Procedure.
  • Selection of research questions or hypotheses;
  • Literature in your field and how to access it;
  • Selection of research methods;
  • Where applicable, ethical considerations of your 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 you are given sufficient warning at the earliest stage where your 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 your own work and you have the final responsibility for ensuring the thesis is submitted by the maximum candidature end date;
• Prepare you 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 your 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 to present your work, e.g. in seminars within the Faculty/School and University and/or at external 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 your 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 you to other sources of support, e.g. Education Services, Student Support Services, the Careers Centre;
• Assist you in assessing your training needs at commencement and during your programme of research, and help you 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 your thesis. You should be made aware of training opportunities provided by the Faculty/School, Education Services, APECS Training and Development Services, and sources relevant to your discipline or funding body (e.g. students in receipt of Research Council Awards). Training needs should be re-assessed throughout the duration of your candidature. Skills development should be seen as an integral part of your research programme;
• Ensure that Progression Reports are completed as required in a timely fashion;
• Take note of any feedback from you, the Faculty/School or Education Services;
• Ensure you are aware of Swansea University regulations for your research degree including, but not limited to, plagiarism, intellectual property, health and safety, and any ethical issues which may arise during the course of your 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 your research. This should include but not be limited to giving you information on what criteria must be met in order to progress satisfactorily, upgrade to a higher level research degree, and the dates which these must be achieved by.

5.1   

The Supervisory Team

Each student will have a Supervisory Team consisting of a minimum of two eligible supervisors who are members of staff at Swansea University. No exception to this rule is allowed. These main supervisors will assume responsibility for both the academic guidance of the student and the administrative and pastoral activities associated with the student.

The term ‘Internal Advisor’ should be used to include Swansea colleagues who are involved as 3rd, 4th, … supervisor.

The term ‘External Advisor’ should be used to include researchers external to the University but involved in the supervision.

5.2

Academic: The First Supervisor will normally take primary academic responsibility and the Second Supervisor will take secondary academic responsibility. Should first and second supervisor contribute equally, it is possible to request 'joint first supervisor' status by contacting the Faculty PGR subcommittee. The designation of First and Second Supervisor is not based on seniority.

5.3

Administrative/Pastoral: 

One supervisor will take primary administrative/pastoral responsibility and the other(s) will assume secondary administrative/pastoral responsibility.

The normal arrangement will be for the First Supervisor to take primary administrative and pastoral responsibility and the Second Supervisor to take secondary administrative and pastoral responsibility.

If there is a disparity in experience, e.g. in the case of early-career researchers or supervisors with less research experience, it is expected that the more experienced supervisor will take on a mentoring role and provide advice and pastoral support for both the colleague and the PGR student.

Internal and External Advisors may provide appropriate academic and/or administrative and pastoral guidance.

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

5.4 

Category A and B Supervisors

We define two categories of supervisors: Category A and Category B supervisors. Supervisors in both categories:

5.4.1

Must hold a contract of employment as a member of staff of Swansea University which must outlive the normal maximum candidature period for the student to be supervised* and be at a grade equivalent to Lecturer or above;

5.4.2

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

5.4.3

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

In addition, a Category A Supervisor:

5.4.4

Should have supervised to successful completion, at Swansea University or another higher education institution, as first or second supervisor, at least one student at the same level of degree as (or higher than) the one they are to supervise;

5.4.5

Should be on an Academic Career Pathway Research (R) or Education & Research (E&R);

5.4.6

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;

5.4.7

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

Category B Supervisor:

5.4.8

A Category B supervisor is someone who does not satisfy the requirements specific to Category A.

* Note that academic staff member refers to Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Reader, Associate Professor and Professor, as well Research Fellows on (fixed-term) contracts which exceed the period of maximal candidature. A list of current eligible Fellowships is available from the PGR Board.

5.5  

Eligibility to act as First/Second Supervisor

The standard supervisory team will consist of two Category A supervisors, or one Category A and one Category B supervisor. In the latter case, either can be designated as First Supervisor.

If both first and second supervisor are not Category A supervisors, it is necessary to appoint a Senior Advisor. The Senior Advisor provides pastoral care, mentorship and academic oversight to the less experienced colleagues and the PGR student.

Colleagues who are on Education only pathway are typically not eligible to supervise PGR students, they might however be permitted to do so, where appropriate, and by exception.

 A formal process to allow for those who are not on the Research Pathway to supervise includes:

• A request-for-supervision form asks for cv, research experience, publications, research grants.
• The request is evaluated by the Faculty PGR subcommittee in the relevant Faculty, as a “restricted item” on the agenda. In case of a dispute, the request is escalated to the Chair of the PGR Board, normally the DPCV-PGR.
• Final oversight is provided by Regulations, Quality and Standards Board.

5.6 

Eligibility to act as Senior Advisor

It is generally assumed that the Senior Advisor will be a person of sufficient seniority in the Department or School and that they are appointed based on their mentoring skills and experience in PGR supervision, and not necessarily on the overlap of research areas.