Welcome to the Plymouth University

Plymouth University

Graduate School

Research Student

LOG

Welcome to the Plymouth University

Welcome toPlymouth University

Plymouth University’s Graduate School is committed to ensuring that researchstudents have an excellent learning experience, are involved in a research community andsupported in their studies.

The Research Student Log aims to help you acquire all the skills necessary to become aproficient researcher and to embark on a professional career. It is designed to help youreflect on your development, check your progress and to assist discussion with yoursupervisors. The Research Student Log was first developed by Professor Roland Levinsky atUniversity College London and we are grateful to them for permitting us to adapt it foruse at the Plymouth University.

We hope that you have a successful and enjoyable time as a research student atPlymouth.

Professor Michael P Fuller

Director of Graduate Studies and

Head of the Graduate School

If found

This log forms an important part of the student’s development. If found, please return it to theGraduate School and it will be forwarded to the student or his/her School. If you are not on aUniversity Campus, please post to:

FREEPOST

Graduate School

Plymouth University

Plymouth PL4 8AA

Name:

School:

DTC:

Important Contacts

All documents requiring student and supervisory team signatures must be copied for yourDTC Administrator

Welcome to Plymouth University

Contents

Rationale

Student’s Summary Record

Research Degree Candidates Annual Monitoring

Record of formal Supervisory

Sessions and your Skills Self Audit

Initial Supervisory Session (Student)

Project Approval Form (MPhil, MPhil/PhD, ResM)

Supervisory Session(Student) 3 months

Supervisory Session(Student) 6 months

Supervisory Session(Student) 9 months

Preparation for Confirmation of Route (Student) 12 months

Confirmation of Route (MPhil/Transfer from MPhil to PhD)

Transfer/Confirmation of Route(Student) 15 months

Supervisory Session(Student) 18 months

Supervisory Session (Student) 21 months

Supervisory Session (Student) 24 months

Supervisory Session(Student) 27 months

Preparation for Submission (Student) 30 months

Supervisory session (Student) 36 months

Writing up year (Student) 39 months

Writing up year (Student) 42 months

Writing up year (Student) 45 months

Writing up year (Student) 48 months

Generic meeting record Date:

Academic and Key Transferable Skills Development Self Audit

Skills Development Self Audit

Academic Skills Self Audit Start of Programme

Academic Skills Self Audit End of year 1

Academic Skills Self Audit End of year 2

Academic Skills Self Audit End of Studies

Examples of Research and Key Skills - definitions

Record of your Skills Development Activities

Skills Development Activities Courses Attended

Skills Development Activities Presentations Given

Skills Development Activities Publications

Skills Development Activities Other Activities

Sign Off Sheet

Diploma Supplement

Rationale

Purpose of the Research Student Log

This Log has been prepared to assist you throughout your degree programme atPlymouth University. It provides a framework for recording details related toyour graduate research programme, scheduled supervisory meetings and activitiesconcerning the development of academic and key skills. Your Log will also help youto assess your progress and to plan and chart evidence of the development ofacademic and discipline specific skills and key skills.

In education and employment there is an increasing emphasis on skills and theirdevelopment. It is important for individuals to demonstrate that their skills havebeen actively developed over time. The skills development self audit part of this Logwill help you in identifying your skills and also assist you in planning your skillsdevelopment programme as part of your academic studies.

You are therefore asked to audit your skills in a more formal, reflective way beforethe first formal supervisory session and then at the end of year 1 and 2 and at theend of your studies.

How to use the Research Student Log

You are asked to document ‘formal’ supervisory meetings in this Log (SectionB). It is not intended to record the (far) more frequent ‘informal’ meetings thatoften occur several times per week/month. The Research Student Log is for youto retain but certain pages, which are clearly marked, can be copied for yourfaculty records. The framework of meetings is taken from the Research StudentHandbook which contains the University’s Code of Practice and Regulations forResearch Degrees and should be used as a guide only.

The self auditing process (Section C) embodied in this Log may not be familiarto you but it is quite simple and flexible in its design. Evidence of the development of skills does not necessarily take the form ofcertificates or awards; rather it is a measure of your accomplishment, whetheracting alone or as part of a team. Feedback from others, especially supervisors,also constitutes useful evidence. It will strengthen your claim to have mastered avariety of situations, personal as well as professional, in which you may havedemonstrated your skills. Increasingly, employers are asking for such examples atinterview and in continuing professional development.

Having done this audit, you should be able to identify those skills which youmay need to develop further (Section D). It is recommended that you focus ona limited number of development areas at a time and the section at the end ofthe self-audit is intended to support this. Development needs and opportunitiesmay change as time progresses, but the practice of intentional development ofskills should give you the confidence to develop further in any area you choose.

Using the Log as a Part-time Research Student orContinuing MPhil Student

The timings for the supervisory sessions have been modelled on those for a full timeMPhil/PhD student. If you are studying part-time or you intend to complete an MPhildegree, you and your supervisors will need to adjust the timing of the requiredsupervisory sessions to reflect the different period of study.

Section

Section A

Student’s Summary Record

Name:

Student Enrolment No: Email:

Nationality:Fee paying status:

Degree:Mode of Study:

Supervisors

Director of Studies: Email:

School:

Supervisor 2:Email:

School:

Supervisor 3: Email:

School:

Additional Supervisors or Change of Supervisor (if change of supervisor, indicate date/s). If you are adding or changing asupervisor, together with your Director of Studies, your Director of Studies must complete the form RDC.1A as the change will requireapproval by the Graduate Committee.

Anticipated Date/s Actual Date/s

1. Start Date

2. Project Approval

3. Transfer

4. Field Work away from PU

5. Thesis submission

Funding Applications Outcome

1. First Year

2. Second Year

3. Third Year

4. Any additional years

Student’s Summary Record

The following schedule is a guide that may be modified to match school procedures as long as the minimum requirementsas outlined inPlymouth University’s Research Degree Handbook are met.

Date HeldAnnual Monitoring due?

1.Initial supervisory meeting

2. 3 month meeting

36 month meeting yes no

4. 9 month meeting yes no

5. 12month meeting - preparing for confirmation of route yes no

6. 15 month meeting - confirmation of route yes no

7. 18 month meeting yes no

8. 21 month meeting yes no

9. 24 month meeting yes no

10. 27 month meeting yes no

11. 30 month meeting preparation for submission yes no

12. 33 month meeting preparation for examination yes no

13. 36 month meeting yes no

14.39 month meeting – writing up year yes no

15. 42 month meeting – writing up year yes no

16. 45 month meeting – writing up year yes no

17.48 month meeting – writing up year yes no

Dates of any formal requirements stipulated by the DTC

Study Leave Record (study leave refers to absences from University of longer than 4 weeks for research purposes).

DestinationStart dateEnd date

1. Destination, start/end dates

2. Destination, start/end dates

3. Destination, start/end dates

Have you submitted an Instance Mobility form? yesIf not, please contact your DTC Administrator ASAP.

Agreed Formal Extensions and Suspensions (these Extensions and Suspensions can be granted for medical or personalreasons or in cases of difficult research conditions such as the necessity to master a difficult field language, etc.). TheDTC, the Graduate Committee and the Funding Body must officially give approval in writing where appropriate.To ensure the appropriate approval process, together with your Director of Studies, you must complete and submit formRDC.1A.

New anticipated thesis

Reason Start Date End Date submission date

Student’s Summary Record

Research Degree Candidates Annual Monitoring

Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) – annual MONITORING
RESEARCH Student FORM

All research studentsincluding those who started during the last academic yearmust fill in the proforma below – and then send it to by 1st November 2015.

This document should be expanded as appropriate when being word-processed:

1)Your Name and PU registration number:
2)Your Project Title:
3)Type of Research Degree:
4)Current Mode of Study:
5)Date Started:
6)Expected Date of Completion:
7)Which RDC/formal processes did you complete this year (i.e. August 2014– July 2015)? Please tick all that are relevant:
RDC.1 project approval
RDC.2 confirmation of route (for MPhil/PhD students only)
Submission of thesis
Viva voce examination
8)Please list what you have achieved this year (i.e. August 2014 – July 2015) in terms of your research project[1].
9)How does this compare with what you planned to do at the start of the year[2]?
10)What are you most proud of accomplishing this year?
11)Please list any research skills or career development training you have undertaken this year[3].
12)If your supervisors recommended training that you did not undertake, please explain why this was the case.
13)Please list any taught modules you may have undertaken this year.
14)How did your supervisory team help you to progress your research or achieve your goals this year[4]?
15)Is there anything your supervisory team could have done (perhaps differently) to help you to further progress your research or achieve your goals this year?
16)On average, how frequently do you discuss your research with your supervisory team (including phone and e-mail contact):
at least once a weekat least every fortnightat least every month
at least every 2 monthsat least every 3 months
less often than 4 months
17)Which RDC/formal processes will you complete next year (i.e. August 2014 – July 2015)? Please tick all those relevant.
RDC.1 project approval
RDC.2 confirmation of route (for MPhil/PhD students only)
Submission of thesis
Viva voce examination
18)Please list what you will achieve next year (i.e. August 2015 – July 2016) in terms of your research project[5].
19)What research skills or career development training do you need to undertake next year either to achieve either these outcomes or your goals for the future?
20)Is there anything that either your supervisory team or the Doctoral Training Centre can specifically offer to help you to achieve your research goals next year?
21)Any there any issues or problems that you believe might affect your progress with your research studies next year[6]?
22)Do you have any other comments or feedback which you would like to share with your supervisors, your school or the Doctoral Training Centre that you have felt unable to address or include above?
23)Would you like to discuss any issues outside the matters raised in this form outside the supervisory team?
YesNo

Please sign below or input your name if form is to be sent electronically:

Applicant name:
Signature:
Date:

What next?

Once you have completed this form,email it to by no later than 1st November 2014.

A copy of this form will be sent to your Director of Studies.

This report has been reviewed by the DTC Director/Research Coordinator:

DTC Director/Research Coordinator Name:

Signature: Date:

Action Required: Yes No

Section

Initial Supervisory Session (Student)

To be filled in by the student before the first Supervisory Session.

Student Name:

PU Computer AccessYesNo

PU Email AccountYesNo

PPP updatedYesNo

Working title of research project:

Initial skills assessment summary

Fill in after completing the Academic and Research Skills Audit in Section C.

Academic & Research Skills

Please give details

Key (transferable) skills

Please give details

To be completed during the Supervisory Session.

Supervisor & Student Date

To be completed by the student before Supervisory Session.

Student Name:

Working title of research project:

Planned Skills CourseYesNoN/A

These are available in your subject area and from the postgraduate portal.

Agreed research plan and activitiesTime frame

Confirmation (sign below)

Student: Signature ………………………Date:

Director of Studies: Signature ………………….….. Date:

2nd Supervisor: Signature ………………….…..Date:

3rd Supervisor: Signature ………………….…..Date:

4th Supervisor: Signature ………………….…..Date:

Once fully signed, please send a copy of this entry to your DTC Administrator in order for them to update your PGReLog.

Project Approval Form (MPhil, MPhil/PhD, ResM)

RDC.1

Applications must be typed. Minimum type size 10 pt.

The process for project approval should be completed by 6 months for full-time students or
12 months for part-time students. The approval would need to include:

An agreed project plan (including a time line or a Gantt chart) (attached)
A review by an expert commentator (to confirm the appropriateness of the project and to offer independent constructive comments)

Application for Approval for the Degree of: / MPhil / MPhil/PhD / ResM
Name of Applicant: / Enrolment N.:
Faculty:Arts and HumanitiesBusinessFalmouth UniversityHealth and Human SciencesPU Peninsula Schools of Medicine Science and Engineering / DTC:Arts and HumanitiesBioscienceComputing and MathematicsEarth and Environmental ScienceFalmouth UniversityMarine Science and EngineeringSocial Science
Particulars of Funding for the Research Programme:
Name and Details of Relationship with Collaborating Establishment (if applicable):
The Programme of Research - Title of Project (up to 12 words)
Description of Project (to be completed by the candidate. The space provided should not be exceeded):
Candidate’s Signature: / Date:
Research Training – to be completed by the candidate (include details of any training to be attended during the programme, such as specific and generic skills training sessions, professional courses, language training, conferences attended…):
Recommendation by the Expert Commentator:
I support this application and believe that the project and project plan are suitable and that the candidate has the potential to successfully complete the research programme.
Name of Commentator: / Signature…………………… / Date:
Supervisory Team:
Has the supervisory team changed since the beginning of the project? / Yes / No
If yes, has an RDC.1B requesting the changes been processed and approved? / Processed / Approved
Recommendation by the Supervisory Team:
We support this application and believe that the candidate has the potential to successfully complete the research programme.
Name of Director of Studies: / Signature: / Date:
Name of Second Supervisor: / Signature: / Date:
Name of Third Supervisor: / Signature: / Date:
N
Name of Fourth Supervisor: / Signature: / Date:
Recommendation by the DTC Director/Dean/Head of School/Local Research Degree Coordinator(please check Faculty/College procedures)
I confirm the DTC’s/Faculty’s/College’s support for the project approval for this candidate.
Name: / Signature: / Date:

Supervisory Session(Student) 3 months

To be completed by the student before Supervisory Session.