Demystifying Thesis Supervision

The focus of this full-day workshop is on a supervisor’s role in helping students take a strategic approach to dealing with not only the intellectual but also the social and creative challenges of completing a Higher Degree by Research. Before the workshop, participants will be provided with a copy of the notes accompanying the student program Demystify Your Thesis completed by University of Canberra HDR students during the previous three days.

These notes will be the point of reference for the supervisor workshop, which covers the following topics:

• Understanding student expectations
• Understanding examiner expectations
• Understanding the importance of ethical research
• Encouraging independent researchers, not just thesis-writers
• Developing a research question that guides the research design
• Approaching the literature as fields of knowledge production
• Understanding the architecture of a thesis
• The supervisor’s role in brainstorming, planning and revising chapters
• Providing effective feedback

The workshop will be facilitated by Ron Adams, Professor, Graduate Research Programs in the Office for Researcher Training, Quality and Integrity at Victoria University, and Adjunct Professor in the Graduate Research School at Edith Cowan University.

Ron developed and teaches in the PhD and PhD (Integrated) preparatory programs at Victoria University, and over the last twenty years has delivered workshops to research students and supervisors at a range of Australian and overseas universities. Each year, his acclaimed Performing the Word Writing Retreat attracts students from all over Australia. His awards include the Victoria University Vice-Chancellor’s Medal for Excellence in Research Supervision and the Australian Learning and Teaching Council’s peak Program Award for Postgraduate Education.

For more informaiton please contact ResearcherDevelopment@canberra.edu.au