This paper examines the PhD by publication in the humanities and social sciences in US, UK, Canadian and Australian universities. A set of PhDs by publication from each of these countries were collected for the study. The theses were analysed to see to what extent they fitted, or not, with discussions of thesis types described in previous research…

A review of the trends in doctoral education reveals that the focus has been on what supervisors should do in supervision and very little on ways of being in the supervisory relationship. A new direction for doctoral supervision foregrounds the importance of mindfulness traits that well-regarded supervisors embody in their highly valued…

Supervision in initial teacher education is a pivotal component of professional experience, widely considered to be the most valued aspect of preservice teacher learning. Key to these experiences is the work of the university appointed supervisors who mentor the novices during their in-classroom learning. This is a dichotomous and often…

Nursing is a relatively new discipline in research with a small number of registered nurses holding a research higher degree (RHD). Entry into RHD study for nurses is often via a less direct route than the traditional bachelor's degree through honours to PhD pathway. The supervisor-candidate relationship is an important factor in RHD completions…

With the massification of higher degrees, the efficiency gaze has fixed on students and supervisors, or on their relationship, as the "problem" to be managed, in need of administrative regulation, skill improvement or perhaps emotional management. This critical review of a selection of higher education journal articles on doctoral…

This article presents an analysis of rich data, gathered from interviews with 46 candidates and 38 supervisors from three Australian universities, about experiences of doctoral supervision in cross-cultural situations. Our analysis shows that many of the issues reported by international candidates are the same as those encountered by domestic…

The past decade has seen an intensification of the external measurement of both the quality and the quantity of research, in Australia, and other parts of the Western world. This has led to a growing interest in the ways in which institutions develop a research environment that maximises research activity, particularly in the areas of research…

Supervision of doctoral students needs to be improved to increase completion rates, reduce attrition rates (estimated to be at 25% or more) and improve quality of research. The current literature review aimed to explore the contribution that technology can make to higher degree research supervision. The articles selected included empirical studies…

While much research focuses on factors contributing to doctoral completion, few studies explore the role of the doctorate in forming active researchers with the skills, know-how and appetite to pursue research post-completion. This article investigates 15 existing studies for evidence of what factors in the doctoral experience may contribute to…

The internet has led to an increasing number of international students enrolling for postgraduate degrees. The literature confirms that there have been problems such as attrition, motivation, supervision and others. Professors struggle to appease international student learning styles, while simultaneously international students strain to…

There has been a substantial increase in the number of candidates enrolled in PhD programmes in the past decade. Whereas the literature is relatively informative with its advice to candidates and supervisors, there is little evidence of research related to supervisory styles and changes of style over the supervisory period. This paper attempts to…

The Frontline Management Initiative (FMI) provides a framework for competency-based development of frontline managers in Australian enterprises. The FMI's impact on businesses was examined in a national study that included the following activities: focus groups; a national survey of management development and targeted national survey of FMI users;…