Research supervision

Equipment travellers will take on safari

Why academics need to find adventure beyond the classroom

The best research inspiration happens organically. Here’s how to free yourself from the constraints of campus and go out into the field

Kenneth Pratt

University of the West of Scotland

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Better together? The secret to successful collaborative arts and humanities PhD research

Insights into managing collaborative relationships in arts and humanities PhD research, based on Alastair Owens’ extensive experience with museums and doctoral students

Alastair Owens

Queen Mary University of London

A supervisor and PhD student having a meeting

Reimagining PhD supervision through allyship, creativity and decolonising practice

How a creative, person-centred and decolonising approach to PhD supervision can transform outcomes for postgraduate researchers from diverse and non-traditional backgrounds

Ursula Hurley

University of Salford

A woman wearing a cape with a light saber in hand, ready for battle

How to train PhD Jedi

Training PhD students is less about supervision and more about empowerment. By fostering independence, creativity and diversity, supervisors can nurture the next generation of scientific leaders

Lars Chittka

Queen Mary University of London

An octopus

An octopus with three hearts: how to approach PhD supervision

Instead of thinking of PhD supervision as a fixed method, be aware that it flows and changes. These four principles can help nurture a flexible and adaptive journey to a PhD

Setenay Dilek Fidler

University of Westminster

An illustration of a team held aloft by a robot hand

Three reasons to harness AI for interdisciplinary collaboration

New advances in artificial intelligence could be used to communicate across disciplines and share knowledge more seamlessly. Here’s how

Raymond Chan

Hong Kong Baptist University

An academic marking essays

Nurturing supervisor-supervisee relationships

How to foster productive supervisor-supervisee relationships and address challenges when they arise

Aspasia Eleni Paltoglou , Stephanie Dunn

Manchester Metropolitan University

A jigsaw puzzle shaped like a head, brightly coloured blocks emitting from it

How to support neurodivergent postgraduate researchers

How can universities ensure PhD students of all neurotypes can thrive? Here’s how to provide neurodiversity-affirmative supervision

Deborah Riby , Amy Pearson, Jess Hirst

Durham University

Older woman mentoring young Asian female university student

Intercultural communication between PhD supervisors and candidates

Culture goes beyond language and national origins, so doctoral supervisors need curiosity and an open mindset in their interactions to maximise performance and timely completion

Thuy Dinh

Western Sydney University

A mortarboard pencil topper

‘I’ve been a research supervisor for 35 years and I’m still learning’

How can we supervise our PhD students to give them the best chance of success? Here are seven tips to keep in mind when taking on the role

Kimberly Hutchings

Queen Mary University of London

An illustration of trapeze artists in business suits, performing a catch

How to build trust as a research supervisor

Building trust is a crucial foundation of the supervisor-supervisee relationship. Kingsley Omeihe argues it’s a two-way process

Kingsley Omeihe

University of the West of Scotland

A mountain climber helps another up a steep hill

What does a research supervisor do?

Research supervisors must learn to be authentic mentors, as well as sharing their experience and knowledge. Robert Crammond reflects on his time in the role

Robert Crammond

University of the West of Scotland

Daffodils under blue sky

How to foster PhD excellence

How can PhD supervisors help early career researchers blossom? Support them with finding funding opportunities, understand each doctoral candidate’s motivations and reach out to your own network, suggests Julia Hörnle

Julia Hörnle

Queen Mary University of London

Guide leading a tour

Research supervisor or tour guide?

Reflecting on her own PhD journey as a supervisor and student, Ruth Northway offers her key signposts and mapping techniques to help candidates reach their destinations

Ruth Northway

University of South Wales

Young man in conversation with supervisor

Five ways to support PhD students’ well-being

Doctoral researchers are often absent from university discussions around well-being support, writes Jenny Mercer. Here, she argues that their situation requires bespoke attention and sets out ways this might be achieved

Jenny Mercer

Cardiff Metropolitan University

Hands writing on a laptop

Advice for supervising a PhD by published works

The route to a PhD by published works requires a different approach to supervision. Here, Alison Brettle provides aspects to consider based on her experience conducting, supervising and developing institutional guidance

Alison Brettle

University of Salford

Detail of hands collecting river water

Celebrating failure and other advice for PhD supervisors

PhD researchers should be given space to work independently, share their results and test their own limits with the support of supervisors who see them as people first and scientists second, explains Hannah Cloke

Hannah Cloke

University of Reading

A young female researcher working in the lab

How can PhD researchers be supported to complete an alternative format thesis?

How universities can best support PhD researchers who wish to produce alternative format theses, based on a review of institutional policies

Caitlin Robinson

The University of Bristol

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Five characteristics of effective supervisor training

What constitutes effective training to ensure research supervisors are well equipped to work with doctoral students? Sioux McKenna and Puleng Motshoane share advice based on their research in South Africa

Sioux McKenna, Puleng Motshoane

Rhodes University, University of Johannesburg

A female tutor speaks to a younger woman

Giving and receiving doctoral writing feedback

Advice for PhD supervisors on setting out clear expectations and strategies for delivering effective feedback to their doctoral students

Susan Carter

The University of Auckland

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A vision for graduate supervision

Supervising graduate students is a responsibility and skill that goes far beyond the mere transmission of knowledge, as Daniel Jutras explains

Daniel Jutras

University of Montreal

Cropped image of hands of PhD candidate receiving their certificate

Individual consultations can help PhD students to complete their studies

Personalised consultancy gives assistance to PhD students and candidates to keep their momentum and build their academic careers, and it also helps instructors identify and train future supervisors

Szabolcs Várbíró , Judit Réka Hetthéssy, Marianna Török

Semmelweis University

Two women sitting talk to one another

Supervising neurodiverse postgraduate researchers

Advice for supervisors to tailor their support and guidance for neurodiverse postgraduate researchers, based on conversations with two autistic PGRs

Kelly Louise Preece

The University of Exeter

How to improve PhD student well-being

How to change research cultures to support the well-being of PhD students

From providing mental health champions to simply having honest conversations about expectations and pressure, there’s much that can be done to help students

Imelda Bates

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN)

Mentoring postgrad students well requires much planning

Setting up right is crucial for supervision success – here’s how

Successful supervision requires careful planning. Tania Crotti and Anna Szorenyi share road-tested approaches to establishing and maintaining effective supervisory practices

Tania Crotti , Anna Szorenyi

University of Adelaide

Midwife hands baby to mother after hospital birth

Ways to support research students in nursing and midwifery

PhD supervision requires a specific skill set – from communication to emotional intelligence – to meet its challenges and secure its rewards. Here, Helen Allan shares her advice based on more than 20 years of experience

Helen Allan

Middlesex University

Signposts for help, support, advice and guidance

Tips for new PhD supervisors: how to hold effective meetings

Supervisory meetings should be planned, regular and positive in tone. Here are key elements to include in thesis supervision meetings for academics new to the role

Alice Ling Jiang

Macau University of Science and Technology

Image showing collaboration between doctoral students and supervisors

Co-creation: how to find the ‘super’ in supervision

Co-creation can bring together research supervisors and doctoral students to unpick the tensions and challenges in the supervisory relationship and seek solutions, researchers from the University of Warwick explain

Elena Riva, Louise Gracia, Rebecca Limb

The University of Warwick

Illustration of heads with lightbulb and leaves, mentorship

Ten platinum rules for PhD supervisors

Is it time to add PhD supervision to your skill set? Tara Brabazon explains the pitfalls, challenges and rewards of this key academic role for the rookie mentor

Tara Brabazon

Flinders University

Advice on using literary reviews to create a narrative and context for new research projects

Using literature reviews to strengthen research: tips for PhDs and supervisors

Anne Wilson explains how to develop a narrative and context for new research through your literature review, with tips for early career researchers and their supervisors

Anne Wilson

Royal Literary Fund

The relationship between supervisor and early career researcher is crucial

Lessons learned from supervising more than 150 researchers

The transition from PhD candidate to ECR is when the relationship between researcher and supervisor comes to the fore, say Tara Moore and Louise Robertson

Tara Moore, Louise Robertson

Ulster University

paper boats illustrating different pathways to PhD

Fostering freedom in PhD students: how supervisors can shape accessible paths for doctoral research

Clive Palmer looks at alternative approaches to PhDs that open postgraduate research to more candidates – for professional development, career change or just love of learning

Clive Palmer

University of Central Lancashire

Advice on what matters most to students in effective research supervision

Lessons from students on effective research supervision

Richard Godwin shares lessons in effective research supervision based on his former students’ feedback

Richard Godwin

Harper Adams University

Yellow butterfly in a group of blue butterflies

Research supervision: working with the individual in front of you

Lorraine Hope explains how to mitigate student anxiety and avoid toxic competition with a person-centred approach to supervision

Lorraine Hope

The University of Portsmouth