Evaluating your experience
There are a variety of ways that the experience and progress of research can be evaluated. The annual report provides one such formal means - the focus of that report is the progress of the research. Candidates may submit papers to journals/conferences and/or present their work in seminars. These activities also provide the candidate with an opportunity to evaluate the quality of the research, and journal and conference editors/readers usually provide detailed comments on any reviewed work. The university also provides a service from the Centre for Professional Development where the quality of student/supervisor interactions can be evaluated. Each year the experiences of first year research students are monitored. The MUSEQ-R is an annual satisfaction survey of currently enrolled HDR candidates. Data from these evaluation tools are used to improve the supervision and administrative support activities for candidates.
Candidate
It’s important to keep a check on your own research progress. Research can be a consuming activity and maintaining a balance between research work, employment and home life is essential. Your Department and Division will assist you with formal evaluations of your progress and your experience, but it is always good to put those evaluations in the context of your entire life. If things become too difficult to manage (financially, with health, with changing family or work commitments) then there are processes that can assist. Candidacy issues should be discussed first with your supervisor or other members of your panel, and you can receive assistance for health related issues by contacting the University’s Health and Medical services etc.
Principal supervisor
To maintain the quality of your supervision, it is good to evaluate your practice regularly. You could ask a colleague to look at the feedback you gave on some work and talk with you about it, you could invite a trusted friend to join in with some supervisory meetings, you could have joint supervision meetings, you could invite the supervisory team in for a discussion regarding the candidate’s progress and your advice, or you could use the CPD evaluation system.