This paper examines the function of 'expertise' in mediating the student-supervisor relationship in Higher Degree Research (HDR). Prevailing conceptualisations of expertise generally translate as "disciplinary acumen" and reference the supervisor's specialist disciplinary and methodological knowledge. Beyond establishing the disciplinary…

The increasing need for innovative research driven by rapid global changes gives doctoral supervisors of early-stage researchers a significant role in facilitating the ethical conduct of qualitative research. In the context of European Commission funding, the demands of research ethics and integrity place a tremendous responsibility on the…

The supervisory relationship is widely understood as central to the experience, success and wellbeing of PhD students. However, complex issues and struggles are frequently reported as associated with it. Although an extensive literature recommends useful, practical changes to improve supervisory relationships, current approaches generally focus on…

This article offers a critique of the manner in which doctoral supervision is conceptualised in a higher education system dominated by the market order. The authors consider the process of research supervision as an experience held in common, as a way of discovering the world together rather than as the fulfilment of discrete roles within a…

This interview-based study with thirty doctoral supervisors in the UK focused on the diverse goals and intentions behind their supervisory activities, from which we derived a six-dimensional model of concepts of supervision. We explored how strongly each of these concepts featured in supervisors' intentions and whether this varied by discipline.…

Students may experience uncertainties when planning and conducting research. On the one hand, a measure of uncertainty is an inherent part of knowledge creation and represents the positive dimension of uncertainty in research. On the other hand, if uncertainties are not handled well, it could negatively affect the process and quality of research.…

Pursuing doctoral degree is a prestigious achievement to a doctoral student and it encompasses contribution of new knowledge to the discipline. Research conducted at this level is the most sustained and the most demanding for both doctoral student and doctoral supervisor. The supervisory practices adopted by the doctoral supervisor and the…

The dissertation is a highly valued form of teaching and learning in higher education, yet the practice of undergraduate supervision is understudied and under-theorised. Effective supervision is regarded as essential to student success -- by students and supervisors alike, although training, resources and support for supervisors is limited.…

Supervision is intrinsic to institutional-based research projects as it acts as a catalyst for the successful execution and completion of said projects. If students are to be independent in research and learning, they need to experience a supervision approach that supports their engagement in learning dialogues alongside their supervisors. This…

While the interpersonal nature of the supervisory relationship in research degree supervision has been recognised and different models of supervisory styles have been developed, the research supervision literature has yet to acknowledge the relational individual differences and the relational dynamics that are at play within the…

The quality of the relationship between academic research supervisors and their students has been recognized as the most important determinant of successful and timely postgraduate degree completion. Many functions have been deemed important in facilitating this alliance. However, due to resource constraints and personal capabilities, supervisors…

This article presents a work-based learning and research approach to professional postgraduate education specifically in the case of Higher Degree by Research (HDR) programs. It highlights a prototype of the Cohort-based Advisory Team (CAT) model as a useful strategy. The authors propose that a design thinking approach that empathises with the…

This exploratory case study examined supervisors' perceptions of supervision of undergraduate research projects, and whether the level of experience affects the quality of the supervision process. Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews. Participants were three supervisors with varying levels of experience in the supervision…

The use of social networking technologies (SNTs) for academic purposes has created new pedagogy opportunities, especially for well-resourced teaching and learning institutions. This article reports on a study that analysed the use of SNTs for postgraduate research supervision at a South African university classified as previously disadvantaged…

Using the invariance test, this study compared the research experiences of students from two sibling cultural groups in a Hong Kong context. Data were collected from 304 Mainland Chinese and 225 local Hong Kong research students. Their research experiences were measured using the Student Research Experience Questionnaire (SREQ) and two scales…