Author: Pam Green

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University

Keywords: post graduate study, supervision

Article style and source: Moderated

Contents

• Introduction
• Super supervisors
• Support - at university and at home
• Organisation
• Write, write, write
• A final reflection

Introduction

The supervisory role involves looking after the thesis and the student so part of my role as supervisor entails offsetting the isolation that can plague students researching a thesis. Strategies to increase and maintain the commitment needed to complete the higher degree journey are welcome additions to the repertoire of student skills.

From 1992 to 1995 I embarked on my doctoral work at La Trobe University moving from a part time to a full time basis after the first year. The research, which focused on the literacy-related demands involved in the transition from primary to secondary school, was based on constructivist methodology and involved tracking ten students for two years.

These reflections are a practical attempt to share some ideas that may offset the potential isolation of the long journey, as well as assist students in getting started and/or keeping on track.

Super supervisors

Often one supervisor will not be adequate so two or more may be needed. Many universities insist that a Higher Degree student has two supervisors. A good mix is to have someone in your substantive area and another with expertise in research methodology. Another effective combination is having one supervisor with great experience in supervision and another with recent experience in completing a higher degree.

I was fortunate to have this latter scenario from the outset. While one supervisor advised me about what was expected, the other empathised with me about the nature of the journey and provided practical advice about how to keep on top of the task. Given that a PhD needs to break new ground it can sometimes be difficult to find a supervisor who has expertise in the precise area of your research. This was the case with my work which spanned both literacy and transition. While my supervisors had expertise in the field of literacy, this did not include the area of transition. In an effort to ensure that this gap was not problematic I sought a third supervisor for the latter part of my candidature.

An effective working relationship between student and supervisor needs to be established as soon as possible. Regular meetings are essential. If distance is an issue, e-mail or faxes are invaluable. Sending drafts to supervisors prior to meetings can ensure more fruitful discussion (provided you allow sufficient time for prereading).

At the end of each meeting it is useful to set some goals to be achieved before the next session. As a student I kept a separate journal for notes of supervisory meetings and always wrote a list of 'things to do'. By having the goals in writing, the direction was clear and I worked solidly to meet the newly established deadline.

A supervisor guides the thesis by advising what shape it should take, and by reading critically (a mammoth task). A super supervisor looks after the student as well as the thesis. Super supervisors:

• build a higher education community in which academics and students have opportunities to meet and debate pertinent theoretical concerns and current issues
• listen and offer encouragement when times get tough
• provide constructive feedback in a reasonable amount of time
• give advice about how to plan your life around your thesis
• make 'hard to obtain' texts available.

Support - at university and at home

• attending post-graduate seminars offered by your university
• joining research groups (some supervisors are wonderful at providing avenues for students to meet)
• attending conferences of relevant professional associations
• seeking out a critical friend with whom to discuss your work - often a colleague or fellow student
• joining a mentor program.

On an emotional level, encouragement and reassurance from family and friends, as well as supervisors, can go a long way towards keeping you on task.

Personal fitness is paramount. While you may be reluctant to spend too much time on seemingly frivolous activity, keeping fit will enable you to think - so take time out and enjoy it. Similarly keeping in touch with friends is important to help overcome tunnel vision.

Organisation

Some students find journal-keeping useful. A journal can be used as a place to note down important details such as those concerning access to research participants, to record emergent findings, to keep track of 'must have' references that need to be found, and to list unfamiliar terms (and their meanings) as they emerge from your reading.

The field work part of the research can result in a mountain of data, particularly in studies using qualitative methods. It is essential to organise the data along the way. For instance, I kept a record of procedure for all data collected. The following table shows the record of procedure for the interview data. (Note that the information provides anonymity in terms of the research sites and the participants.)

Interview number	Date	Tape number	Location	Focus	Participants
1	8/2/92	1	School 3	Expectations of Year 6	Students: D. SA. SO, P
...	...	...	...	...	...
...	...	...	...	...	...

I collected voluminous data, including 58 interviews, over a two year period. The record of procedure was invaluable for monitoring my data collection processes but also for retrieving the data and knowing, at a glance, the context of the data collected. When my thesis was audited and all data verified the record of procedure was most useful to the external auditor.

Simple things, like leaving a detailed list of tasks for the next work session and having 'the tools of study' (books, articles, notes and so on) set ready for work, save much time when getting restarted.

Exploit semester breaks when most university students are not on campus. Such breaks mean that university facilities are more easily accessed. For instance, the pursuit of concentrated library-based tasks, the conducting/updating of reference searches, photocopying notes and data, and organising interlibrary loans, are much easier at these times.

Keeping track of your readings can be facilitated using bibliographical software such as Endnote Plus or Procite. Be systematic and thorough about the details you keep as you read. One student I know spent three months at the end of her doctoral thesis chasing up bibliographical details that had not been recorded earlier. Remember to adhere to one system for referencing - consistency is paramount. For example in Education, APA (American Psychological Association) is most commonly used.

When analysing data, investigate computerised analysis programs such as NUD.IST from La Trobe University. Such programs save time by enabling systematic coding and retrieval of data, but also enable theorising and the search for patterns of meaning.

Write, write, write

A system of symbols may be helpful. For instance, I use *** when I need to return to a section with further information, for rewriting or other editing. I regularly search for this symbol so I can quickly find details that need attention. This saves time but also provides a systematic way of checking to see that all loose ends have been tied up.

You may find that there are periods of frenzied work in which you achieve a great deal. Make the most of such 'rolls'. If a lull follows, which is not uncommon on the completion of a chapter, allow yourself a break to regenerate and to plan the next focus for your energies. The most crucial breakthroughs in thinking occur during some distancing from work.

A final reflection

About the author

Email: p.green@rmit.edu.au