grad theo handbook

7/31/2019 Grad Theo Handbook

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WELCOME

Welcome to graduate studies in Theology at Oxford. Graduate work is stimulating and

rewarding, both for students and for those involved in teaching and supervision; we hope

that you will soon feel part of the graduate community in the Faculty, and settle into your

programme of study.

This handbook is intended to help orient you to graduate life in the Faculty, and to point you

to some of the resources in the Faculty, your college and the wider university which you can

draw upon in order to make best use of your time as a graduate student. Alongside this

handbook you should also consult the relevant Taught Graduate Course pamphlet, which

will be included in your pack if you are studying for a taught academic Theology course

(Postgraduate Diploma, M.St. or M.Phil. completed under the auspices of the Faculty), and

the current Examination Regulations, which contains full and authoritative details of syllabi

and other requirements for your degree programme.

If you have problems or questions, please do not hesitate to ask for help from thoseinvolved in graduate studies in Theology. You can find details of who to contact in the pages

which follow.

With best wishes for your studies.

Ms Naomi King

Graduate Studies Administrator

Theology Faculty Centre

34 St Giles

Oxford

OX1 3LD


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Your college, which will have a college office for routine business; mail will

normally be sent to you at your college address;

Y

The Faculty Annexe and Library at 41 St Giles, which has a Common Room

specifically for graduate use;

The Faculty Centre at 34 St Giles;

The Bodleian Library, and any other specialist libraries you may require;

The Language Centre, 12 Woodstock Road, which provides courses and self-

teaching facilities in major European languages, most of which are free to

members of the University;

The Computing Services (OUCS), 13 Banbury Road, which provides a great range

of courses and self-teaching facilities, as well as a shop. Further information can

be found on the OUCS website (http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/) or obtained from Dr

Michael Fraser ([email protected]), who liaises between the Theology

Faculty and OUCS.

INSTITUTIONS

Like every other student of the University, a graduate student is a member of both a

college and a faculty. Colleges are responsible for the general welfare of graduate

students, and may provide other services (as outlined above); the Faculty is

responsible for matters to do with your university degree.

The Faculty of Theology consists of all those who hold University posts (professors,

readers and lecturers), fellows and lecturers of colleges and permanent private halls,

and others, including staff of other institutions and members of other faculties who

play a role in teaching or research in theology.

the holders of professorial chairs, elected ordinary members and co-opted members.

The Faculty Board Chair for 2009-10 is Dr Paul Joyce and the Secretary is at present

Mrs Frances Jenkins. The Board meets twice per term, and decides on most matters

of policy within the Faculty, including curricular matters. It has several committees,

the most important of which, the Academic Planning Committee, includes a

representative of the Graduate Joint Consultative Committee (the role of this

committee is explained in more detail later on in this handbook). The Board is alsoresponsible for approval o

The Theology Graduate Studies Committee (Theology GSC) is a standing committee

of the Theology Faculty Board. It is chaired by the Director of Graduate Studies, who

is also the Deputy Chair of the Faculty Board. It meets on the Monday of weeks 1 and

6, as well as occasionally during vacations. Its function is to advise the Board on all

matters concerning graduate studies, and especially:


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you to the appropriate classes and to appoint special supervisors, as necessary, to

direct work on particular topics. Students are not expected to find their own

supervisors. If you wish to work with a particular member of the faculty, you may

propose it to your supervisor though the decision rests with the supervisor. The

general supervisor is responsible for receiving reports each term from special

supervisors and arranging for their payment, as well as for reporting, via the

Graduate Supervision System, on your general progress.

The topic of your thesis has to be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee not

later than its meeting in the first week of Michaelmas Term in your second year. You

should hand your proposed title, with a short statement of how the subject will be

treated, approved and signed by your supervisor to Mr Martin Cameron, 37a St

Giles, Oxford, OX1 3LD at the latest by the Monday of the week before Full Term i.e.

Monday of 0th

week. Full Term dates can be found online at

http://www.ox.ac.uk/about_the_university/university_year/dates_of_term.html.

An entry form for the examination must be submitted. This will usually be donethrough your college office. You should contact your college secretary if you are

unsure about who initiates this process.

Two copies of the thesis must be submitted to the Chair of Examiners at the

Examination Schools at least fourteen days before the beginning of the

examination.

Unsuccessful candidates for the M.Phil. are permitted to sit the examination again

on one occasion only. If the thesis has been successful, it may be re-submitted for

the new examination. If the papers have been successful, you may be exempted

from re-sitting them on the second occasion. The examiners may offer an

unsuccessful candidate the option of being awarded the M.St. degree as an

alternative to re-sitting for the M.Phil.

Postgraduate Diploma in Theology

The purpose of the Postgraduate Diploma in Theology is to provide graduates fromother disciplines with the central elements of the undergraduate course in theology,

enabling some to proceed to a postgraduate level of study.

The levelfor the award of the Diploma is what may reasonably be expected of a good

honours graduate from another discipline after one year of theological study.


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(iii) Current curriculum vitae

(iv) Two pieces of written work

(v) Three references

(vi) English Proficiency score Test Certificate if English is not your first language

Re-

If you wish to re-must specifically request

these items from the Graduate Admissions Office ([email protected]).

Deadline

You should ensure that your re-admission form and all supporting materials, including your

references, are submitted to the Graduate Admissions Office in time to meet the application

deadline for your chosen programme. The Theology Faculty uses the late January

Application Deadline and the March Application Deadline.

Late or incomplete re-admission applications will not be considered.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING FUNDING: If you wish to apply for an AHRC award

(UK and other EU students) or a Clarendon award (international students), you must apply

by the January deadline.

Application fee

You will be exempt from paying the graduate application fee of 25.

.Phil.

If there is any break in your study (even if it is only for a term), you will not be able to use a

re-admission form; you must complete a graduate application form (available at

www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/postgraduate_courses/apply/how_to_apply.html) and you will be

required to pay the application fee.


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iv. That the thesis is presented in a lucid and scholarly manner;v. That it merits the award of the Degree of Master of Letters.

Examiners shall bear in mind that their judgement of the extent of the candidate

contribution to knowledge or understanding of the relevant field of learning shall take

into account what may reasonably be expected of a capable and diligent student after two

years of full-time study in the case of a full-time student, or twelve terms in the case of a

part-time student.

When the Graduate Studies Committee considers any proposal of a topic for a

research degree it will seek to be assured:-

a) That the subject falls within the fields of learning proper to the Faculty ofTheology, and that adequate supervision is available;

b) That the subject is such, in its scope and nature, as to give the student aproper opportunity to fulfil the statutory requirements for the award of the

degree in question, and in particular, in the case of the D.Phil., the

a significant and substantial contribution in the particular. This may include, for example: discovery of new knowledge,

the relating of previously unrelated facts; the development of new theory or

the revision of older views; the opening up of debates with new literature;

c) That the subject is a valid one, satisfactorily defined, of feasible scope forcompletion in two (M.Litt.) or three (D.Phil.) years, and can profitably be

studied at Oxford;

d) for the successful completion of the proposed research;

e) That the university can appoint a suitably qualified supervisor or co-supervisors in the proposed area of study.

Progression via entry as a Probationer Research Student

to

the D.Phil. on the basis of your previous qualifications, you will initially be registered as a

Probationer Research Student(PRS).

A Probationer Research Student is normally expected to apply for transfer within three

terms (or six terms in the case of part-time students). A Probationer Research Student who

has not successfully transferred by the end of the six terms for which such status may be

held in total (twelve terms in the case of part-time students) shall lapse from the register of

Graduate Students.


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To apply for Transfer to D.Phil. or M.Litt. status you must submit a completed transfer of

status form (GSO2), accompanied by duplicate copies of:

A typewritten copy of a piece of original written work of about 5000 words generally

relevant to the theme of the proposed thesis, paying proper scholarly attention to

primary sources, secondary discussions etc. and demonstrating scholarly

competence in the organisation of the arguments.

A description of the proposed research topic, including a provisional title and a

statement in approximately 1,000 words of how it will be approached, together with

a brief bibliography.

The Graduate Studies Committee will appoint two assessors to read your written work,

interview you and submit a report back to the Committee. You must attend this interview in

person and be present in Oxford for it. The research supervisor may attend this interview. If

you fail to satisfy the assessor, the Faculty Board may set a date by which ONE further oral

examination must be held, with such conditions as it sees fit and grant an extension ofProbationer Research Status up to the limit of 6 terms. An applicant who fails to satisfy the

assessor after their second oral examination WILL NOT be allowed to proceed to the M.Litt.

or D.Phil. This is a rigorous process and should not be regarded as a formality by any means.

The Graduate Studies Committee may, at its discretion, grant someone who has applied for

transfer to D.Phil Student status transfer to M.Litt Student status only. This does not

to D.Phil. transfer at a later stage.

Please note that assessors are asked not to inform you of the result of a transfer interview.

They make a recommendation to the Graduate Studies Committee which considers the

reports and makes its decision. You should not read anything into their silence on the

outcome, as they are only acting in keeping with Faculty policy.

Research supervision: a brief guide for students

The role of the supervisor is to:

Advise, guide and support you in all aspects of your research, providing clear

intellectual leadership and giving precise guidance about academic expectations.

Agree with you a clear plan of research, identify milestones and provide information

on the availability of research resources

Agree with you a timetable for:


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appropriate for you to be undertaking the research and its contribution to

knowledge);

how you are going to establish your conclusion;

what each chapter contributes to the argument; and,

the reasons why you have ordered the material in the way in which you have done.

An outline of the thesis, indicating what has been completed to date and a timetable

for completion.

The GSO 14 and 14a forms will require detailed information about how the work is

progressing, and will require you to state a projected date of completion, which you should

not do without consulting your supervisor and coming to a common mind on what might

reasonably be practical. This date is not legally binding on you, but it enables the Graduate

Studies Committee to monitor your progress thereafter. If circumstances subsequently

require a change in this projected date, you should inform the Graduate Studies Committee.

On receipt of an application, the Graduate Studies Committee will appoint two assessors to

consider your work and interview you, with or without your supervisor present, on the

progress of your work and your plans for completion. You must be present in Oxford for the

confirmation of status interview and attend it in person. Particular attention will be paid to

the circumstances in which those who propose to leave Oxford intend to complete their

work.

The Graduate Studies Committee will not agree to the confirmation if it feels it lacks

reasonable grounds for confidence that the work can be brought to a satisfactory conclusion

in a reasonable time.

You should regard the confirmation of statu process,

feedback from which will enable you to complete the doctorate successfully. It is therefore a

serious assessment and one intended to aid you.

Transfer from M.Litt. to D.Phil. Status

An M.Litt. s apply for transfer to D.Phil. student

status. Normally such applications will not be conninth term.

To apply for the transfer you must submit the following:

A GSO2 Application for transfer of status form.

Submission of a draft chapter


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(2) You should assume that examiners will be critical, but not hypercritical or

destructive. Positive statements should be documented according to their novelty: a novel

or paradoxical assertion naturally needs to be supported, a truism or accepted conclusion

does not. A common fault in thesis-writing is caused by the fear that an examiner will

object that you seem not to have read some totally unimportant article in some obscure

journal. In consequence of this fear, you may prolong your thesis and obscure your style by

accumulating unimportant allusions and conducting unimportant arguments in the text. This

should not be done. If the article is really unimportant, it can be ignored. At most it can be

mentioned in a footnote.

The presentation of a dissertation or thesis

The University's Examination Regulations govern the preparation and presentation of

theses, and you must consult the latest edition of the Examination Regulations for an

authoritative statement of the requirements regarding such matters as numbers of copies,

page layout, binding, format of the abstract and so on. Both you and any other personinvolved in typing, printing or binding your thesis will need to be familiar with the

requirements.

The dissertation or thesis must not exceed the word limit and the word count does include

footnotes and endnotes but not the bibliography. An accurate statement of the number of

words (excluding bibliography) should accompany the thesis. A thesis which exceeds the

permitted length may be returned to you for abridgement.

If you, for special reasons (e.g. the need to quote at length from unpublished or inaccessible

sources), cannot confine yourself within the word limit, you should apply through your

supervisor to the Faculty Board for permission to exceed it by a stated number of words.

Such applications should normally be made not less than three months before the intended

date of the submission of the dissertation or thesis. Such permission, however, is granted

only in exceptional circumstances.

For M.Litt. or D.Phil. students in Theology, the thesis must be accompanied by two

abstracts, a shorter one of about 300 words required by the Humanities Divisional Board,and two copies of a fuller one of between 1,000 and 1,500 words for an M.Litt, and between

1,500 and 2,500 words for a D.Phil., required by the Faculty Board. This is not necessary

when submitting a M.St. or M.Phil. dissertation or thesis.


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taken to ensure uniformity and accuracy of references. A good thesis can be spoilt by lack of

attention to detail in the final stages of completion.

The Faculty Board, as at the time of publication, actually imposes very few regulations on

format. Both submitted copi

(though there is no formal requirement for the type of font used it should be clear and

legible) and bound or held firmly within a stiff cover with the title page visible. A sample title

page follows (you may either photocopy this sample or produce your own), and, for

BY CANDIDATE NUMBER

ONLY; no names should appear. The work should be accompanied by a declaration, signed

by your supervisor, that it is all your own work and that no part has been submitted for any

other degree at Oxford or another institution. Any other style points are guidelines rather

than rules.

Some graduates have found the notes on the presentation of theses prepared by the

Faculty Board of History useful as they consider the presentation of their dissertation.

Graduates may care to consult this, though this is informal guidance only and is notendorsed by the Faculty Board of Theology.

Change of title

In certain circumstances you may wish to make minor changes to the title of your

dissertation or thesis as your research evolves. In order to do this an application must be

made to the Graduate Studies Committee through Mr Martin Cameron, Graduate Studies

Assistant, Humanities Division, 37a St Giles, OX1 3LD. Students doing one of the taught

graduate courses merely need to submit the proposed change of title in writing, but

is

-1st

or 4th

week.

The form is available online athttp://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/gso/forms

Plagiarism

Please consult the University guidance on plagiarism which can be found online athttp://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/epsc/plagiarism/index.shtml. Graduate students are strongly

advised to take the online anti-plagiarism course which is linked from the EdC website

(www.admin.ox.ac.uk/epsc/plagiarism). Access to this course is available via the SkillsPortal

website (www.skillsportal.ox.ac.uk). You will need to create a user account before taking an

online course.


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FACULTY OF THEOLOGY

GRADUATE SUBMITTED WRITTEN WORK

Name:

College:

Candidate Number:

Year of Examination:

Dear Chair of Examiners,

ng essay/thesis is all my own

work and that no part of it has been submitted for any other degree - either from the

University of Oxford or another institution.

Yours Sincerely

(Signature of Candidate)

Name of Supervisor:

College of Supervisor

As

(Signature of Supervisor)


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Deadlines: Some programmes of study at the University of Oxford have more than one

deadline. If you wish to apply for an AHRC studentship, you must apply by the late January

Application Deadline

Notes of Guidance for applicants seeking to apply for AHRC BGP studentships at Oxford and

commencing graduate study from October 2010 are made available online at

http://www.humanities.ox.ac.uk/graduate_study/ahrc.

The AHRC take a strict line on research degrees that are not completed on time. Awards are

normally made for a three year period and the Council expect a thesis to be submitted by

September 30th

of the fourth year since the award was made. This may mean that you will

need to take emergency measures (e.g. borrowing) to fund the last, unfunded year. The

AHRC do not make allowances for full-time employment in that year. A consistently bad

record of submission can result in the Faculty - and so future research students - being

penalised in competitions in future years. AHRC award holders MUST, therefore, submit

their thesis by the end of their fourth year.

Faculty Studentships.

The Faculty Board conducts an annual competition at the end of each Hilary Term for

studentship awards, using funds made available from the University and from various trust-

funds. These are normally available only for those expecting to proceed to a D.Phil. degree,

and fall into two types:

(a) Fully or partially funded three yearstudentships, open to applicants currently applying to

Oxford or who are in theirfirst yearof graduate study, either with PRS or with M.Phil.

status. These cover, wholly or in part, college and University fees and a maintenance

grant.

(b) One yearstudentships for applicants who hold D.Phil. status and are well advanced in

their research. These provide maintenance-assistance only.

Full details are announced each year at the beginning of Hilary Term. Please contact Mrs

Elizabeth Macallister, 34 St. Giles, Oxford, OX1 3LD, who is responsible for administering

graduate studentships.

Some awards under this scheme are made in conjunction with a college, and imply that the

successful student becomes a member of that college.

Clarendon Fundconducts an annual competition for Studentship

awards for overseas students.


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The Squire and Marriott Fundmakes grants for maintenance (and/or fees) to persons

intending to be ordained in the Church of England, a church in communion with it, or

a church which is in ecumenical relations with it, or to persons who intend to serve

their church as theologians. Enquiries should be directed to the Secretary of the

Fund, currently Dr. Mark Chapman, Ripon College Cuddesdon, Oxon, OX44 9EX.

Most colleges have general funds available for special purposes (e.g. travel,

conferences) for which their own members may apply. Some will contribute to the

cost of producing a thesis. Some will help fund a final, unfunded year of a research

degree. Some colleges provide Senior Scholarships or Junior Research Fellowships in

which applicants in theology may compete alongside other applicants. A few provide

scholarships especially for theology.

The University Committee on Student Hardship considers applications from students

with financial difficulties during the course of their studies. Applications are

submitted through the college.

FURTHER OPPORTUNITIES

Language tuition

The Faculty offers some limited funding to research students for tuition in languages

relevant to their studies if tuition is not available via the University language centre. To

apply for this funding (up to a maximum of 200 per student in any given academic year)

you should send a statement of need, countersigned by your supervisor, to the Director of

Graduate Studies c/o The Graduate Studies Assistant for Theology, Humanities Division, 37a

St Giles, Oxford, OX1 3LD by Friday of -1st

week or 4th

week of term.

Travel grants

The Faculty offers some limited discretionary funding to graduate students to reimburse the

cost of travel for reasons related to their research (for example to consult texts that may

only be available in a specialist library collection or to present a paper at an academicconference). To apply for this funding (up to a maximum of 200 per student in any given

academic year), you should send a statement of need, countersigned by your supervisor, to

the Director of Graduate Studies, c/o The Graduate Studies Assistant for Theology,

Humanities Division, 37a St Giles, Oxford, OX1 3LD by Friday of -1st

week or 4th

week of

term.


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Oxford Theological Monographs

is that those who complete doctorates in the Faculty are eligible to have their doctoral

theses considered for publication in the Oxford Theological Monographs series. The series

stands alongside others managed by Humanities Faculties in the University, such as the

History Faculty (the Oxford Historical Monographs): volumes are produce to the highest

publication standards of Oxford University Press, and although print runs are restricted, the

volumes ensure their author a distinguished academic debut on a worldwide stage and a

small but guaranteed worldwide market. There are few comparable publishing enterprises

in other universities anywhere in the Anglophone world.

The series is run by a Committee of the Faculty Board, charged with the responsibility of

choosing doctoral theses of exceptional merit undertaken within the Faculty, and reporting

to the Delegates of the University Press. It meets formally three times a year, receiving

relevant reports from other Faculties when these are drawn to its attention as beingpotentially appropriate subjects. Examiners in Theology are encouraged to comment in their

reports on the suitability of a thesis for publication whether in the form of a monograph or

in articles. Currently the series is publishing three or four monographs a year.


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Humanities Division - www.humanities.ox.ac.uk/graduate_study- arranges training

sessions, presentations and workshops in a number of areas e.g. monograph

publication.

The Humanities Training Officer can answer any training-related enquiry or direct the

enquirer to the appropriate source of help: contact [email protected].

Careers Service - www.careers.ox.ac.uk/Computing Service (OUCS) - www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/

Language Centre - www.lang.ox.ac.uk/

Library Service (OULS) - www.ouls.ox.ac.uk/

Oxford Learning Institute - www.learning.ox.ac.uk/

University Skills Portal - www.skillsportal.ox.ac.uk/ - lists training workshops and

seminars across the University, including a range of online courses

ASPIRE - www.aspire.ox.ac.uk/ASPIRE/ -

planning tool which enables students to record, reflect on and plan activities and

achievements

Vitae www.vitae.ac.uk

Personal and professional development: framework for Humanities graduate students

The Humanities Division has developed a model for graduate researcher development

which positions a range of skills and knowledge acquired by students as part of their

doctoral studies in relationship to each other and to academic practice i.e. the things that

academics do.

Graduate study in the Humanities, especially at the D.Phil. level, is structured around the

principle oflearning by doing. You learn how to do research by embarking single-handedly

on a major research project. Along the way you learn to write a conference abstract by

writing a conference abstract, to teach, by teaching, and to publish, by submitting your work

for publication.

You do not become a researcher and academic practitioner through a process of trial and

error, even if it sometimes feels like it. You have a research community and a range ofsources of support and training to draw on. Your supervisor is your first point of contact

and your guide to the research culture in which you are a

support include academics and peers within your research community and training and

support services within and outside Oxford.

Subject-knowledge gained through research is only one element of researcher success.

Becoming a successful academic researcher requires learning how to engage in a range of


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research, teaching and service activities and building the skills and knowledge associated

with those activities.

Knowing a subject will only take you so far when you come to teach that subject, to explain

it to peers or to the public, or to make a strong case for why it should be funded or

published. Still less will subject-knowledge help you to prepare for the daily activities of

most academics - representing your faculty on a university committee, mentoring academic

colleagues, providing pastoral care to students, organising a conference or conducting a

radio interview.

Researchers are valuable in the world outside academia precisely because of the high-level

knowledge skills they develop through completion of a substantial research project. But just

as subject knowledge is not the sole element of life as a practising academic, the world

outside academia demands a range of skills including the ability to work successfully with

others, self-efficacy and project management.

Graduate study can and should develop a range of high-level transferable skills that will

enable you successfully to complete your graduate studies and will contribute to success inany field or career that you choose to pursue. However, it is crucial that you are able to:

Identify the personal and professional skills you are using and take up opportunities

to develop them

Draw on the training and development support available to you through your

faculty, the Humanities Division, or via University services (OUCS, OULS, Careers)

Understand, recognise and describe the skills and knowledge you have developede.g. in a CV

Provide concrete evidence of occasions when you have displayed your skills to good

effect.

Strike an appropriate balance between a range of academic and personal activities.

students

www.vitae.ac.uk/cms/files/RCUK-Joint-Skills-Statement-2001.pdf

Some years ago the UK Research Councils, which include the Arts and Humanities Research

Council (AHRC), published a statement describing the skills which they expect research


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students to acquire. The framework developed by the Humanities Division see page 53 -

maps onto the skills listed in the Joint Skills Statement.

Doctoral research students funded by Research Councils (e.g. the AHRC) are expected to

develop the following skills during their research training:

(A) Research Skills and Techniques - be able to demonstrate:

1. the ability to recognise and validate problems

2. original, independent and critical thinking, and the ability to develop theoreticalconcepts

3. a knowledge of recent advances within one's field and in related areas

4. an understanding of relevant research methodologies and techniques and their

appropriate application within one's research field

5. the ability to critically analyse and evaluate one's findings and those of others

6. an ability to summarise, document, report and reflect on progress

(B) Research Environment - be able to:

1. show a broad understanding of the context, at the national and international level,in which research takes place

2. demonstrate awareness of issues relating to the rights of other researchers, of

research subjects, and of others who may be affected by the research, e.g. confidentiality,

ethical issues, attribution, copyright, malpractice, ownership of data and the requirements

of the Data Protection Act

3. demonstrate appreciation of standards of good research practice in their institution

and/or discipline

4. understand relevant health and safety issues and demonstrate responsible working

practices

5. understand the processes for funding and evaluation of research

6. justify the principles and experimental techniques used in one's own research

7. understand the process of academic or commercial exploitation of research results

(C) Research Management - be able to:

1. apply effective project management through the setting of research goals,

intermediate milestones and prioritisation of activities

2. design and execute systems for the acquisition and collation of information through

the effective use of appropriate resources and equipment

3. identify and access appropriate bibliographical resources, archives, and other

sources of relevant information

4. use information technology appropriately for database management, recording and

presenting information

(D) Personal Effectiveness - be able to:

1. demonstrate a willingness and ability to learn and acquire knowledge


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9. The supervisor should aim to ensure that by the end of the first year the topic or goal of

the student's research is clearly defined, that the student has the necessary background

information, and that the required resources are available. The supervisor must have ascertained

by then that the student can write a coherent account of his/her work in good English.

10. The supervisor should try to ensure that unnecessary delays do not occur. These have

been known to arise, for example, for reasons such as the following:

(a) insufficient effort at the outset in choosing and formulating the research topic;

(b) a slow start because of the time taken to adjust to research work;

(c) distractions from the main line of inquiry;

(d) superfluous attempts to tie up every loose end;

(and mainly in the sciences)

(e) inadequate and delayed planning and assembly of apparatus and equipment;

(f) insufficient collection or recording of data at an early stage, so that work has to be

repeated in the later stages.

11. The supervisor should arrange for students to have the opportunity to discuss their

research with other staff and students in their subject area (see also (3) above).

12. Where a student undertakes research as part of a team or group the supervisor should

ensure that this is in full awareness of the way in which the student's own contribution fits into

the work of the remainder of the group.

13. The supervisor should not be absent on leave unless appropriate temporary supervision

has been arranged for the student.

Responsibilities of the student

1. The student should discuss with the supervisor the type of guidance and comment which

he/she finds most helpful, and agree a schedule of meetings.

2. The student should not hesitate to take the initiative in raising problems or difficulties,

however, elementary they may seem.

3. The student should seek to maintain progress in accordance with the plan of work agreed

with the supervisor, including in particular the presentation of the required written material in

sufficient time for comment and discussion before proceeding to the next stage. As groundwork

for the thesis, the student should as soon as possible write rough drafts of possible chapters.


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