ABSTRACT
In this chapter, research training as a process and its changing nature are addressed. It raises the question of whether the success or failure of the research training process relies heavily on, or is determined by, effective supervision. The attrition of doctoral students suggests that the research training process is complicated. Effective supervision involves many issues. The process-focused perspective is discussed, as the common thread of the authors’ argument in the book is that research training is a learner-oriented process. The supervisory process is intertwined with the learning process. This chapter lays the cornerstones for the succeeding chapters, investigating how research trainees are struggling and how postgraduates have survived all the challenges, in both their personal and professional lives, successfully.
