ABSTRACT

This chapter provides an overview of current ideas and good practice in the effective supervision of research degrees. It will be of interest to those with responsibility for the management of research degree programmes, as well as new and experienced supervisors of research students. The management of postgraduate research degrees has been delegated to individual academic staff, who have recruited and selected students, inducted, trained, supported them, and supervised their research. Once research students have arrived at the institution, there is a need to induct them, train them in research and offer them appropriate support as they begin their studies. While research students may have previously undertaken small-scale projects, few have the range of expertise necessary to undertake larger-scale ones, and it is widely recognized that they need an initial training in the early stages of their research programme.