INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION
Handbook for
ResearchDegree Students
2009 – 2010
Michael Hammond
Contents
1Welcome
2Research degrees team
2.1 Warwick Institute of Education Graduate Association (WIEGA)
2.2 International Tutor
3Overview of the doctorate experience
4Role of the supervisor
4.1 Joint supervision
4.2First meetings with your supervisor
4.3Supervision meetings
4.4 Yearly reviews
4.5Changing supervisor
5Who to turn to if you have a difficulty…
6 Ethical approval
7Plagiarism
8The upgrade process
10Extensions
11Funding and Fees
Appendix A: Research proposal guidelinesAppendix B: Conference support form
Appendix C: Interlibrary loans form
Appendix D: Code of practice for authorship
Appendix E: University code of practice for students and supervisors
Appendix F: Audit and review form
Appendix G: Meeting write up form
Appendix H: Six monthly review
Appendix I: Ethical approval form
Appendix J: Upgrade form
Appendix K: Request for temporary withdrawal or extension form
1Welcome
First, thank you for choosing to come to Warwick. We hope your time here will be a stimulating and productive. This booklet is aimed at helping you in developing your project and making best use of the available resources. Please let us know how we can improve this booklet and better support you in the future.
Michael Hammond
2Research degrees team
The Research Degree Programme is led by Joe Winston and Michael Hammond.. The day to day administration of research students is carried out by the research office, with Louisaresponsible for research office management. The research methods programmes are led by Pia Christensen and Steve Strand (Advanced) and Ian Abbott (Foundation).
Please feel free to contact us at any time:
Joe Winston / / WE041 / 22291Michael Hammond / / WE103 / 72517
Louisa Hopkins / / WE132 / 24763
2.1 Warwick Institute of Education Graduate Association (WIEGA)
WIEGA is a student led and student run group that aims to integrate and unite postgraduate researchers working within WIE. It has been running since 12 October 2006. You can find out more about WIEGA at:
A key activity of WIEGA is production of the research working papers book. There are four volumes of this book – the research office has copies. Please take part in WIEGA activities.
2.2International Tutor
Sue Johnston-Wilder is International Tutor and her role includes:
- meeting students to discuss problems
- liaising with people who can help your studentincluding the accommodation office, the Centrefor Applied Linguistics and other academic staff
- facilitating social and cultural events
Sue can be contacted at or on extension 23813.Sue is based in room WA1.03 in the AvonBuilding.
3Overview of the doctorate experience
An essential point of reference is the programme website
go.warwick.ac.uk/wiedoc
Your supervisor is central to your experience of studying for a doctorate however we would like you to take a wider view of study. Some of the pieces which may make up a successful doctorate experience at Warwick include:
Advanced Research Methods (ARM) / Centre for Applied LinguisticsConferences / Counselling service
Disability Services / Doctorate Day
e-learning support / Equality and Diversity Policy
GraduateSchool / Learning Grid
Library / Module options
Printing and photocopying / Other academic staff
Rooms / Peer support
Seminars / Study Skills
Thematics groups / WIEGA
Writing papers (see also conferences)
Advanced Research Methods (ARM)
This is the programme which provides an introduction to the research methods which you might use in your project. This generally runs from January to April and is often taught on Saturdays. Pia Christensen and Steve Strand are leading this programme. Please see the separate handbook for course details. All students should attend this programme unless they have taken a recognised M level course in research methods at another University. This, of course,may create difficulties if you are a part time students at a distance even if most of the sessions we offer take place on Saturdays. We are working on online material please feel free to get involved. Some support is already available which you can access at:
go.warwick.ac.uk/wiedoc/ research/
Foundation Research Methods (FRM) is an introduction to both quantitative and qualitative methods and generally takes place in the Autumn and early Spring term. Again the default is that you should attend the course unless you have taken a recognised research methods course in the past. There is a separate course handbook, you should see Ian Abbott for more information.
Centre for Applied Language Linguistics
They offer language support. Their pre-sessional programme of five or ten weeks offers an orientation and preparation for academic study in English. Their in-sessional programme takes place in the Autumn and Spring terms and has been helpful for students with difficulties in reading / writing in the English language. In the summer term there is tutorial support for dissertation writing. More information at www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/al/
The programme co-ordinator Gerard Sharpling can give advice on language support material and we have referred students with marked language difficulties to him for support. Note that the Centre for Applied Linguistics cannot provide the intensive one to one support some students need - there are too many demands on their time. They tend to ‘diagnose and recommend’ by, for example, looking at samples of students’ work and reporting back on difficulties. There is some online support for students at the Centre web pages and they have a set of CD ROMs to support ‘essential academic language skills – for more go to
Meanwhile in WIE Val Brooks has produced a guide for writing called theLittle Academic Writing Booklet which is available from the research office and downloadable from the doctorate web site.
Conferences
There is some, though limited, conference support for attendance. Funding of £800 per research student over the course of their study is available (this is to be confirmed and you will not be able claim all £800 in your first year) and may be requested using form IE1b, (see Appendix B). Please get your supervisor to counter sign this form. In exceptional cases you may make an argument for further funding (e.g. the conference is very expensive or there is a further conference they would like to attend). Here you will have to make your case and your supervisor will need to support it. In the past students have negotiated reduced rates at some conferences by explaining their status directly to the organisers and, in other cases, students have simply been unaware of existing reductions for students. You might also apply to the GraduateSchool for small funding – or at least some students have asked in the past! You are strongly encouraged to submit papers for conferences (see writing papers).
Counselling service
The Counselling Service Counselling offers you an opportunity to talk in confidence about issues that are troubling you. It offers to an opportunity ‘to access professional therapeutic counselling so that students may better develop and fulfil their personal, academic and professional potential.’ A range of support is offered, alongside self help publications and guides. The decision to seek counselling support is a one for you to make, but take account of any advice your supervisor may offer. For more go to:
www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/tutors/counselling/
Disability Information
The Disability Co-ordinator‘offers support and guidance to all students with disabilities. The Co-ordinator also promotes awareness of disability issues and works to ensure that no student is disadvantaged in their programme of study by disability’.The university may be able to support claims for special help (for example, readers for unsighted students) and will almost certainly be able to provide advice. Go to: www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/tutors/disability
Further note that details of the University’s Equal Opportunities Policy and support for students with disabilities, can be found in the Handbook for Graduate Students and at:
www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/equalops
Doctoral Day
Each summer we run a research day with presentations on aspects of research and an opportunity for an exchange between students through poster presentations. Please attend this day and feel free to suggest workshops / events for the following year.
E-support
The major site for E learning support is the programme web site given earlier. You can find here further information about using Web logs or blogs which some students are using to write about their social activities and their research and get feedback on ideas.
For a directory of WIE blogs at Warwick, go to: blogs.warwick.ac.uk/groups/ie-all.
E portfolios are an E lab initiative to support reflection and communication on academic progress. Their use is growing and it is now a requirement for you to have created an e-portfolio by the time of your upgrade. For examples, go to: www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/wie/courses/degrees/docs/who/students/.
Please note that we will use only yourWarwick email account to communicate about the course. It is imperative, therefore, that youaccessyour account on a regular basis – at least twice a week.
Finally, and very important, you may be confused about IT facilities as we have a multi media centre with a network of IT services machines as well as our own networks of WIE machines. You will need different user names to access the two networks. Linda Proud will help support WIE machines contact her at l.b.proud@ or on extension 28352.There is some special hardware (such as Tablet PCs, digital recorders or video recording machines) and certain software (in particular school’s software) which the office can loan. For other needs use IT services who provide support and training for general and some specialist software, such as SPSS and N Vivo, for more on this go to:www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/its/servicessupport/training
GraduateSchool
The GraduateSchool offers a range of courses, online support and guidance. Much of this is faculty based or generic. Go to www2.warwick.ac.uk/study/csde/gsp/
The extent of provision is expanding and the feedback on recent courses has been very good. Note some students are reluctant to attend GraduateSchool events but you will be expected to attend sessions of value. Note also that the Graduate school may be willing to tailor courses to WIE students which we then host. Finally note the GraduateSchool have put on e-portfolio and poster competitions in the recent past – WIE have often done well in these competitions and feedback from the event is again good.
Learning Grid
The Learning Grid is part of the Library. It is located on the ground and first floor of University House. It is a study facility which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year around except for Christmas Day. Go to
There are student advisors which have at times been able to assist in study skills and language support and there are drop in sessions for post graduate students.
Library
In addition to the obvious – for example you have attended an induction event and have a library card – make sure you know about the full range of services offered by the library. Electronic resources (accessed at a distance through an Athens username) are essential in research; we encourage you to explore Ref Works and other library supported reference systems. Note also that the library gives useful advice on citation of sources and support for bibliographic management. Go to
www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/main/research
Many students do not understand how interlibrary loans work. You need to fill in the form (Appendix C) and your supervisor needs to counter sign it. You then take this to the library. One use of loans is to access completed theses on similar topics undertaken at other universities. Feel free to request books you would like for the library and mail suggestions to your supervisor who can then forward these to Christine Bradford, , the librarian with responsibility for WIE. Find out too about carrels – small study rooms in the library – if that would assist your studies. As you might expect carrels are in short supply and a joint application is more likely to succeed. Library pages can be found at
www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/
For more on interlibrary loans go to:
Module options
Theoretically anyone registered for a research degree can attend any Masters Module option throughout the University but in practice those in WIE are likely to be of most value. The list of modules being offered differs year on year and you should get an update from Gillian Hayward (Masters Administrator). You should introduce yourself to module tutors and explain you will not be expected to follow the assessment process. Other than this you should be treated as any other student. These modules can be an important input into your project particularly when the content resonates with your interests. Some students find attending modules gives them more structure for their study and more opportunities to meet other people. Some however are reticent about taking modules, perhaps because of worries about their status. We encourage you to attend – you have nothing to lose!
Peer support
This is central to research study. Much develops on an ad hoc basis but it is very difficult for you to begin this process if you do not meet each other. We encourage you to meet other students, make sure you are aware of the common room (WA 1.14) and of international societies on campus or, if part time, ask if there are forums you can join. We encourage you to read each other’s work, share proof reading, swap books and articles and so on. Note the work of WIEGA given earlier.
Rooms
Note the policy at the moment is to move new research students to one shared room in the Avon building where you will be better able to meet each other informally and support each other through the process of the PhD. We encourage you to use this room and report back any difficulties to the research office. Lockers and pigeon holes for communications are available.
Seminars
Follow the full range of seminars offered at WIE (institute; faculty and research centre ones) and check you are receiving details from the Research Office. There is a news and events page within the University web site in which WIE and faculty seminars are recorded which you should consult regularly, go to:
www2.warwick.ac.uk/insite/newsandevents/
Ask your supervisor about seminars you are attending or giving and encourage them to come. There are thematic seminars planned for students and maths education students have pioneered student led seminars.
Study Skills
We were fortunate to have Kirsten Winter available in the past to help you with strategies for reading efficiently, writing clearly for a specific audience, managing your time and dealing with procrastination, or giving a presentation (just a few examples). She produced bequeathed some web pages at www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/wie/teaching/support/studyskills/postgrad/
Meanwhile, note the Graduate school support for study skills.
We are planning to offer a set of seminars for all research students next year on the frequently recurring difficulties many students’ experience, the aim is to provide advice tailored to the students’ own data or projects rather than generic guidance. Topics will be suggested by students themselves but might include avoiding lists in literature review, coding data, describing data, keeping references and so on.Your colleagues
Try to identify other staff at WIE with specialist knowledge that may be useful, for example, someone with a background in aspects of the topic or familiarity with a research approach with which you are uncertain. There is a collective responsibility on colleagues to support research students.
Writing papers (see also conferences)
You are encouraged to submit papers to professional journals, academic journals and to conferences. Some universities do not encourage this before submission of the thesis but we do. The process is a valuable one and even if you may be disappointed in the review process - the feedback is useful. Communication lies at the heart of the doctorate and while many students actively seek publication, others will need to be pushed. Remind yourself that a criteria for a thesis is that the work in publishable – getting published is the most obvious way to meet that criteria. Your supervisor can support you by jointly authoring papers. There is more guidance on this in the doctorate online guide
www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/wie/docs/support/writing_/
There are guidelines on co authoring in Appendix D. There is no presumption that a supervisor’s name will appear on a student’s paper but equally important is that a supervisor is made co-author if they have contributed significantly to the output. In nearly all cases arrangements for co authoring are mutually agreed but establish at the outset yourexpectations.
If your supervisor has several research students you could organise informal seminars together. You could each have an opportunity to present your work to each other and deal with any general themes you would like to discuss. If your supervisor only has one or two students buddy up with other students in the same broad area of work as yourself and organise a seminar for yourselves.4Role of the supervisor
Aside from encouraging you to take part in a wider network of support your supervisor has a specific responsibility to guide your research project. Key processes usually include: