Calling external doctoral supervisors: Share your perspectives for the Next Generation Research SuperVision Project (RSVP)
We are seeking the perspectives of external doctoral supervisors – professionals in organisations outside higher education who contribute to the supervision of doctoral (PhD) researchers.
Through focus groups, we hope to understand how external supervisors approach their roles, support doctoral candidates, and work with university-based supervisors.
These focus groups will form part of the UK-wide Next Generation Research SuperVision Project (RSVP), a four-year funded project to review and enhance research supervision culture and practices.
We plan to run four focus groups of approximately 15 participants, and would like to hear from external supervisors based in partner organisations outside higher education, including those who are contributing to professional doctoral degree programmes (e.g. EngD, practice-based PhDs, clinical doctorates).
The groups will focus on the following broad sectors:
- Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
- Medicine, including clinicians and allied health professionals
- Arts, heritage and the creative industries
- Business and management
The 90-minute focus groups will take place online and will be recorded for the purpose of analysis. The questions, which will be provided in advance, will focus on your understanding of your role within the supervisory team, how you are supported to understand the PhD process and research context, and your professional development needs.
Purpose of the focus groups
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To better understand the role of team supervision in supporting doctoral candidates and, in particular, what people from outside a university setting bring to the supervision experience in the way of specialist knowledge and experience.
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To explore how supervision of professional and practice-based doctorates (where there is a focus on developing practical, work-based research skills and applying the knowledge to professional practice – for example, in clinical practice, computer science, bio-pharmacy, music, theatre, film and television) differs from traditional supervision.
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To learn from industry and business what form of continuing professional development they engage in and find useful, and whether this can be translated to a university setting. This intelligence will help to inform our creation of CPD for supervisors both within and outside of universities.
Focus Group topics for exploration include:
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Supervision in different contexts – managing expectations of the student and industry needs, relationships with other supervisors, experience of supervising candidates from different backgrounds
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Skills and Professional Development – induction and onboarding to the role of supervisor, ongoing CPD, engagement and time to participate in professional development, what skills and experience do you take with you into the supervisory relationship and what do you need more of in the way of training/support/mentoring for this role?
How are groups being run and planned?
The 90-minute focus groups will be conducted by Dr Liz Quinlan, RSVP postdoctoral research associate, and Dr Karen Clegg, Co-PI. All participants will be sent pre-focus group information and the question set to enable advance reflection on the topic areas. These will be used to frame the group discussions. We anticipate around 15 people in each focus group. Ethical approval has been secured by the University of York. Data will be stored on the University of York’s server.
What’s in it for participants?
The supervisors we have spoken to based within universities were extremely positive about the value of being asked questions about their practice and given an opportunity to share their experiences with each other. They found benefit in learning from each other’s experiences and reflecting on their approach to supervision and CPD. They recognised that supervision is an important part of their role and one they enjoy, and appreciated that the RSVP project aims to give them a voice.
By asking questions about supervision, the RSVP project aims to celebrate good doctoral supervisory practice and diminish less desirable practice. In publishing our work in a variety of outlets (see WonkHE: Research Supervision in the Context of REF) we aim to raise awareness of the role of supervisors, the time allocated to it, and the part it plays in supporting a positive research environment.
Perhaps most importantly – and as an incentive for participation – we want to be able to evidence the role and value of a supervisory team that includes a non-academic/university member to the doctoral experience, to the range and scope of research possible, and the value of this for society.
How to get involved
RSVP is committed to enhancing doctoral supervision practice and developing appropriate onboarding and continuing professional development (CPD) for all those involved in doctoral supervision. Anonymised data from the discussions will be used to inform the design of novel CPD resources and help us better understand the contribution that external supervisors make to the doctoral process. Ethical approval for this process has been approved through the University of York.
If you are interested in taking part, please complete this short (2 mins) Expression of Interest form with your details and the times you are available, and we will get back to you to confirm a slot. Please note that groups will be arranged by sector based on the availability of a majority of potential participants and capacity is limited, so an early response is very much appreciated.
For additional insights, announcements and perspectives about Doctoral Education, visit the conversation here.
