This paper presents preliminary findings from a research study in Australia, Malaysia and Iran on students' perceptions of the roles of supervisor and student in the production of their thesis and the contribution of their cultural knowledge to thesis development. The 360 respondents who answered an online survey were studying for their Master's or Doctorate degrees in universities in Malaysia, Australia and Iran. The results of the study indicate that despite some variations, most students, whether or not their native language was English, have similar ideas about the process of thesis writing, the role expected of a supervisor and themselves, and the role of cultural knowledge in thesis development. (Contains 6 tables.)