Guide for Higher Degree Research Students

Classics, French, European Studies, General Linguistics and German Disciplines

NB: What follows is calibrated for full-time students. If you are part-time, the milestones listed below will take longer, twice as long probably, to reach. This guide needs to be read in conjunction with the Adelaide University Postgraduate Students' Association Postgraduates Students Handbook, which is very helpful. See:

http://www.adelaide.edu.au/pgsa/

First Year of Candidature

The first tasks to be undertaken once candidature has started are to

1. attend the University’s Induction Session, for all starting higher degree research students
2. attend and complete the Core Component of the Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty Structured Programme and
3. complete a Research Proposal, 3000-5000 words in length.

In addition, there is a short meeting with the Centre’s Postgraduate Co-ordinator. If you are an international student, you will need to attend the Integrated Bridging Programme (unless you have obtained exemption) put on by the Centre for Learning and Professional Development. You will be informed about this programme when you enrol. For students starting at the beginning of the year, it usually occurs in late February, in the first week of Orientation Week.

It is recommended that you fill out and hand to your supervisors at an early meeting an Expectations of Supervision form, so that you can come to a mutual understanding as to how your supervision should be conducted. You will be given this by the Postgraduate Co-ordinator.

If you believe a work not in the Barr Smith library is essential for your research, you may order it on Inter-Library Loan after discussing it with a supervisor. The finance code to enter on the application form is

uniad 3006 10 414 00 2005 100285500

Your use of this service will be monitored and you will be informed if it is considered excessive. If you have difficulty completing the application form, ask a supervisor or library staff for help.

Give a 4 digit PIN to the office staff so that you can use one of the Centre's photocopiers.

If you need after hours access to the Hughes Building your student card needs to be coded to permit swipe card entry. See the office staff.

Induction Session

You will receive notification of the time and place of this from the Adelaide Graduate Centre, located on the 13th floor, 10 Pulteney St. Ring 8303 5868. The Centre sends out AGC News to all postgraduates every 2 weeks. It is worth looking at, it often contains useful information on courses that can help, such as how to present a seminar paper or improve your computer skills. The AGC administers all higher degree candidatures and is the source of almost all information that you need to fulfil the requirements of a higher degree. There you can find various documents setting out the university’s policies and procedures, and what is required for a MA or PhD thesis.

Core Component

This involves 4x2 hour sessions held during first semester at fortnightly intervals. If you start mid-year, there will be 3x2 hour sessions in second semester. Attendance at these sessions, which are about preparing you for a research degree, are compulsory, and you cannot progress without completing this programme and yes, filling out another form.

Research Proposal

This is a tool for getting you to focus on just what it is you are trying to do and to think about how you will do it. In some ways, it is like a draft of your thesis introduction. It needs to be approved by the Centre’s Postgraduate Co-ordinator and is then submitted for approval to the university Higher Degrees Committee. You may need to present an oral summary of it (perhaps lasting 20 minutes and therefore half or two thirds of your written proposal) to some staff and fellow postgraduates and to take into account any feedback you receive.

In your Research Proposal you need to address 3 main questions:

• What am I doing? (This may involve stating not just the main question you are seeking the answer, but important subsidiary ones)
• Why am I doing it?
• How will I do it? that is, what is your methodology?

Part of answering the first two questions involves a literature review, which helps indicate the current state of the problem you are dealing with. This means that you should list a preliminary bibliography. You should also include a provisional contents page, outlining your chapters.

You could also ask your supervisor to let you look at copies of previous theses in your area.

Along with the Research Proposal, you will need to submit a Minimum Discipline Resources form, which will be given to you at an early meeting with the Postgraduate Co-ordinator. If you are a full time student, aim to complete the Research Proposal within 6 months of commencing study.

Annual Review

If you started at the beginning of the year, you will need to complete an annual review by 31st October (If you started at or around mid-year, you will need to complete this review the following April. Remote students also have an April review). The forms will be sent to you in mid-September and you will need to record what progress you have made and what you intend to do in the next 12 months. Your supervisors will add their comments and sign in the appropriate sections and then you will need to see the Postgraduate Co-ordinator for his/her signature, before you sign it yourself and get it to the Graduate Centre.

Twelve months into candidature

This period has essentially been a probationary period and you need to undergo a major review of progress to confirm your candidature. The forms and checklist of minimum requirements for confirmation of candidature can be found at the Graduate Centre.

The supervisors, Postgraduate Co-ordinator and Head of Discipline/Centre/School will need to certify that the probationary period has been successfully completed.

Second year of candidature

Before this second year half completed, aim to get at least one post-introduction chapter to your supervisors completed. At some time in the year, you should make at least one 20-minute seminar or conference presentation. There will be another October review and once again, supervisors and students will summarise progress made in the last 12 months and outline goals to be met in the next 12.

Third year of candidature

This may be the last year of your candidature, if all has gone well. Being a part-time candidate or taking longer than expected to gather information away from Adelaide or some other difficulty may have delayed you and may require a fourth year of study. (Note, however, if your are holding a scholarship or postgraduate award, funding may only last for 3 years, unless you can make a case for being funded for an additional period. This is possible but don’t assume it will be a simple matter.) However, you will still need to make another presentation to an appropriate audience on you work and complete the annual October review which may, if you have reached that stage, include plans for and the date for submitting the thesis. Before you start on the final draft of your thesis, consult the Faculty’s thesis presentation guide. You do not have to follow it slavishly, but it contains some useful advice that will help you to present your thesis in the best way. See the Graduate Centre's website for forms.

Before you submit, you must complete a Notification of Intention to Submit form at least 3 months before submission.

Examiners should take no longer than 4 weeks after they have received it to examine your thesis but sometimes delays are unavoidable.

Some further points

1. If you are a Remote Student or have to spend a long period outside Adelaide, you should keep in regular contact with at least one of your supervisors, say, once a month.
2. Full-time MA students should try to complete in 2 years, and so, the above milestones will need to be compressed into a shorter period. If you have begun work on an MA and wish to upgrade to a PhD, this is normally done 12 and 18 months into your candidature. You will need to have completed at least one chapter of what was to be your MA thesis, and to submit a revised research proposal. This will need to address the extra requirements of a PhD, including a new chapter outline and, if necessary, a modified methodology and a further literature review.
3. If you need to change your supervisory arrangements, including suspending your research by taking leave of absence, you should contact your Principal Supervisor or the Postgraduate Co-ordinator. See the Graduate Centre's website.
4. If you need to undertake research related travel away from Adelaide, you should fill out the appropriate form. To be eligible for coverage under the corporate travel policy, you must fill out a Study Leave form available from either the Student Centre or the Adelaide Graduate Centre, have it authorised by your Discipline and return it to the Adelaide Graduate Centre. On this form you must complete your travel details, including associated holidays or private travel. Note the need to fill out a return from any kind of absence form.
5. If you need to change your address and contact details, please do so at Access Adelaide
6. If you have been allocated a computer in one of the Hughes PG studies and are having a problem with your machine, ring ITS on the internal phone, 33000.

For some practical and encouraging advice on how to go about producing your thesis and not feeling overwhelmed about the amount of work to be done and by the difficulty of keeping your thesis under control, see Joy McEntee’s Milestones in the English PhD, or How to Get Your PhD Sometime Before You Retire, on the English discipline’s website.