ips presentation for phd 2011

8/2/2019 IPS Presentation for PhD 2011

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An Alternate Route to a

PhD DegreeEmeritus Professor Dato’ Dr. S.K. Lam

Research ConsultantUniversiti Malaya



The Lifeline of Research

Students

Good supervisors

Choice of discipline

Good ideas

Enthusiasm

Hard work

Funding

Finished products : thesis and publications



UM PhD Scholarships

Since 2006, 483 PhD scholarships awarded, 128for studies in UK, 84 in Australia and 271 locally

National target to produce 60,000 PhDs by 2020

Many unable to finish degree within stipulatedtime of 3-4 years

Poor selection of students, poor monitoring

Special committee of 6 set up under TNC(A) tolook into weaknesses and to recall students fromoverseas where necessary



Know Your Rights!

Choose discipline and topic Check out the track record of your supervisor using

UM Expert List of ISI publications Citation index, h-index Past PhD student’s performance Views of current PhD students Funding history

International linkage New technologies or re-cycled technologies Beware of IP Rights



PhD Thesis : Conventional Route

Standard chapters Introduction

Literature review

Materials and Methods Results

Discussion

Summary References

No more than 100,000 words



PhD Via Publications

Many universities adopted this University of Reading, UK

City University, London

University of Technology, Sydney University of New York, Prague

University of Southampton, UK

University of Canterbury, UK University of Cambridge, UK

University of Sydney, Australia



UNIVERSITI MALAYA

Initiated this in early 2009

Worked with IPS Dean to get paper approvedby Senate

Several rounds of meetings with Deans andothers to seek views

Final paper submitted to Senate in June 2009 Approval obtained and implemented in 2009



IPS PhD Guidelines (IPS195/2009)

UM permits presentation of thesis for PhD inthe format of published and/or submittedpapers in high impact journals during the period

of candidature

Papers must be based on a particular theme orfocus and form a cohesive research write-up

Quality of thesis by published papers should bein accordance with PhD-level research



Quality and Quantity

High impact journals such as ISI and WoSjournals of respective disciplines

Minimum number of papers and/or manuscriptsis normally THREE

In some disciplines a larger number of papers isrequired (e.g. crystallography)

Candidate must be main or first author of atleast TWO out of THREE papers



THESIS CONTENT

List of publications and/or manuscripts

Acknowledgements of joint writers and evidenceof permissions from various authors

Published papers or evidence of acceptance by journals

Clear statement of each published joint paperthe role or contribution by candidate



Thesis Synopsis

The preface should summarize the mostimportant findings presented in each publishedpaper

Indicate how the included works arethematically linked or tied to a particularresearch framework and how, when considered

together, they contribute significantly toknowledge in the discipline



Introduction Chapter

Similar to a traditional PhD thesis with:

Description of research problem investigated

Objectives of the study

Account of research progress linking the researchpapers so that the examiners can understand thelogic behind the progression of the research



Literature Review

This should be comprehensive and provide acritical review of relevant literature

Knowledge gaps must be highlighted to justify the objectives of the research programme

Published work, both national and international,must be cited



Conclusion Chapter

Materials and Methods which are included in thepublished papers need not be detailed

Conclusions from each published papers shouldbe linked thematically into a cohesive whole

The cumulative effect of the published papers,the significance of the findings and the new knowledge claims must be substantiated



PhD Thesis Examination

Examination process is similar to the traditionalthesis

2 external and 1 internal examiners in the

discipline Theses which are considered not meritorious

enough may be referred for further work within

a period of 6-18 months Thesis may be re-submitted in the same format

or in the traditional PhD thesis format



Who Qualifies?

EVERYONE

Identify project topic and good objectives

Significant progress within first 12 months Discussion with supervisor re possibility of

alternate route of PhD submission

Department/Faculty Panel to make decision Be prepared to make oral presentation (similar

to conversion seminar)



He Qualifies

Dr. Tee Kok Keng, UMMC Topic : HIV – molecular analyses and evolutionary

biology of HIV strains Finished within allowable period 16 published papers to date, mostly during PhD

candidature 10 papers as first author 2 review articles in peer-reviewed journals 1 book chapter as sole author on HIV Diversity and

Antiretroviral resistance Graduated in 2009 based on conventional route



She Qualifies

Dr. Sim Yoke Leng, Chemistry Department

Topic : Organic solvents

10 published papers in peer-reviewed journals Good citation index (J. Org. Chem.)

Graduated in 2008 by conventional route

Could have completed PhD well within 3 yearsif alternate route was in place in 2008



Academic Staff Qualifies Admission criteria for academic staff

Served not less than 3 years as an academic staff of the University

and still active in the service in the University

Graduates of the University having the minimum qualification as

follows:(1) a Master’s degree

(2) a Bachelor of Medicine or Dentistry degree

An individual who, through prior publication and contribution

towards the body of knowledge, is accepted by the Senate as ascholar in the field

The candidate must NOT already hold a doctoral degree from the

University in the same discipline or area of research



PhD APPLICATION

Candidate must submit a written application together with a curriculum

vitae to the Registrar

Application should include the following:

(a) at least 5 samples of published work in high impact journals

(e.g. ISI journals) prefaced by a critical summary of about 3,000 words about the publications

(b) the summary should document the theme or research focus as

well as identify the contribution of the research to the advancement

of knowledge

(c) a detailed list of the papers with a synopsis of about 1,000 words

summarizing the most important findings of each paper



Administrative Process

Duration of Study

(a) Minimum period 6 months

(b) Maximum period 24 months

Faculty will appoint at least one supervisor for the candidate whose role

will be to advise and guide the candidate

Format of thesis is as stated in IPS 196/2009

(a) Number of papers not less than 5 and published within 10

years to the date of submission

(b) Academic publication in the form of a book acceptable

(c) Candidate must be main author of at least four out of 5 papers

(d) Evidence of accepted paper can be considered



MOCK THESIS

CONVENTIONAL THESIS



Writer’s block : I need help!



HELP AT HAND

Emeritus Professor Dr. Yong Hoi Sen

Dr. Sim Yoke Leng

IPS Academic Staff Emeritus Professor Dato’ Dr. SK Lam

Other senior professors in respective disciplines

Help in stringing chapters together to make into acohesive whole

Help in writing of papers



TO BE THE FIRST CANDIDATE TO OBTAIN SUCH A PhD

AND MAKE HISTORY

ips presentation for phd 2011

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