nickels hcsnet dec2008 supervision revised

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Managing your supervisor

HCSNet Summerfest Skills session. 3rd December 2008, Sydney, Australia.

Lyndsey NickelsAssociate Professor

Macquarie Centre for Cognitive Science (MACCS),

Macquarie University, Sydney.


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Aims

To ponder on the nature of the PhD supervision

process

To discuss common problems

To suggest ideas and strategies to enhance thesupervisory process


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Intellectual challenge &hard work


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Intellectual challenge &Intellectual challenge &hard workhard work

Human factorsHuman factors


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Managing the supervisory process

How your personalities, styles, strengthsand weaknesses will best interact to

achieve a successful outcome

Understanding yourUnderstanding your

supervisor and theirsupervisor and their

responsibilitiesresponsibilities

Understanding yourselfUnderstanding yourself

and your responsibilitiesand your responsibilities


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Your supervisorYour supervisorYOUYOU GOALGOAL


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Your supervisorYour supervisor


YOUYOU GOALGOAL


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GOALGOAL

Perform enough research of sufficient quality


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GOALGOAL


And write this up into a thesis of sufficient quality to pass


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GOALGOAL



PLUS

Do this in time


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GOALGOAL



PLUS

Do this in time

And generate some publications


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YOUYOU GOALGOAL

So both are aiming forthe same thing why

would there be aproblem?


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YOUYOU GOALGOAL

So both are aiming forthe same thing why

would there be aproblem?

Mismatch of expectations Personality clash Other pressures

Lack of communication


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Communication about Expectations

Contract No explicitdiscussion

If it isnt made explicit

then YOU need to ask the questions

to find out what your supervisors preferences are/ what to expect

AND to express your opinion on how you might work best.

- Meetings

- Feedback & Writing


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PhDs require meetings!

When to have them

Weekly vs as requested

Expectations - Meetings


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When to have them


How to run them

Agendas

Minutes

Pre-reading

Length



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Meetings

When to have them


How to run them

Agendas

Minutes

Pre-reading

Length

What to get out of them

Aims of each meeting



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Meetings - summary

Draw up an agenda for your meetings

Make a note of the outcome of meetings and distribute

Start each meeting with a recap of the last

Plan next meeting at end of previous

Alert supervisor to problems as they arise


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Expectations Feedback & Writing

When to write

early

When to get feedback

outlines of chapters

Drafts (early incomplete vs complete)

What to expect from feedback


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Expectations - Feedback


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Minimalist feedback


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Minimalist feedback

Note specific questions you haveand raise them directly

-Was point A clear?-Do you agree that ?

-Should I include X?-Is there too much repetition of Y?

-How could I improve the draft?


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Expectations - FeedbackDetailed feedback


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Expectations - FeedbackDetailed feedback

- Dont take it personally.- Be grateful that they have taken

the time to read it in detail- Be pleased that they care enoughto make the comments.- Ask what they thought were the

strengths.-Take comments on board andlearn the lesson for the next drafts.


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Feedback

No passion in the world is equal to the passion to altersomeone else's draft.

H. G. Wells

- Its a learning process

- You cant expect to have perfect ideas, or perfectacademic writing style straight away

- Many academics will make changes to other academicswriting too (it isnt just you!)


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Other pressures

Time management Supervisors are busy people.

- They may need help planning their time.- They dislike having their time wasted.

- They will not be able to drop everything toread your draft.


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Other pressures

Time management Supervisors are busy people.

- They may need help planning their time.- They dislike having their time wasted.

- They will not be able to drop everything toread your draft.

Set deadlines(for you and them)

- I will produce this by X day- Can you read it by Y day

and meet/email feedback?

ASK what their schedule islikely to be in the coming

weeks.


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Communication

Be open and honest

Discuss what is and isnt working for you

Discuss the other pressures you are under

If they understand you better they can supervise youmore effectively

Dont try to second guess your supervisor

Especially if this leads to making promises you cant keep


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Keys to success

Communication,

Clarity, discipline, organisation

Knowing what you need

Knowing what your supervisor(s) expect

Motivation & Determination

To able to say no and

To ask for help

To be able to follow advice and learn from mistakes

To be able to keep things in perspective


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Keys to success

Discuss expectations at the beginning

Keep your expectations realistic (and align them withyour supervisors expectations)

Be organised

Give sufficient notice for requests

Be open and honest

Be professional this is an adult relationship

Even a successful relationship will benefit from carefulmanagement


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BUT.

Conflict is common

Supervision is like a marriage

Even divorce is possible

If problems persist despite an open, professional and organisedapproach from you:

Approach your departments doctoral programme director/convenor

Approach the Higher Degree Research Office


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Managing your supervisor

Their Goal = your goal

to get your Phd

BUT

Theyre human

They are unable to read your mind

GOALGOAL


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Acknowledgements and references

Lynn Clark: University of Liverpool

Managing Your Supervisorwww.postgradtalentnw.co.uk/downloads/prism2006/ManagingYourSupervisor.ppt

http://www.grad.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Online_

resources/Just_for_Postgrads/Managing_your_research/Managing_your_relationship_with_your_supervisor/p!egikjdp

www.Phdcomics.com

nickels hcsnet dec2008 supervision revised

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