About Supervision

Supervision brings together research, teaching and learning through a relationship between a student and experienced researchers, educators and mentors.

The opportunity to learn from one another grows the student’s capacity for research, writing, thinking and contributing to their field of study.

It helps to build a new generation of researchers who will push boundaries in their fields and hopefully conduct excellent research during but especially beyond their PhDs!

How does supervision happen?

Supervision can happen through formal and informal meetings.

For full-time students at Queen’s there should be ten formal meetings per year between them and their principal supervisor (and/or co-supervisor, if appointed) to monitor progress against the research plan.

For part-time and thesis-only students at Queen’s there should be six formal meetings per year between them and their principal supervisor (and/or co-supervisor, if appointed) to monitor progress against the research plan.

At an initial supervisory meeting between the student and supervisory team, the roles and responsibilities of the student and each member of the team and the frequency, duration and format of formal meetings should be agreed.

Informal meetings include any additional meetings as required.

Supervision can also take place through Supervisors:

• Providing written and verbal feedback
• Writing publications with their students
• Having deliberate conversations with students about ideas
• Providing students with illustrative examples of exemplary researchers’ work
• Assisting students to develop conference or seminar presentations
• Showing their students ways in which to talk about their work