AGC News 7 March - 20 March 2008

  Table of Contents

• Lapsed Candidature
• Thesis Length
• Thesis Format
• The Conventional Thesis
• Publication Format
• Combination Conventioal/Publication Format
• Creative or Visual Works
• Quality in Postgraduate Research Conference
• Researcher Education and Development: RED for students
• Attention all NEW academic staff - Research Supervisor Induction Workshop
• Effective Supervision Program, Semester 1 2008
• Postgraduate Scholarships Currently Available

Lapsed Candidature

The candidature of a student who has not submitted his/her thesis for examination by the end of candidature (expiry date) will be lapsed with effect from the expiry date.

A student whose candidature lapsed BEFORE 1 January 2008 may submit a thesis at any time, provided that the School/Discipline certifies that the thesis is satisfactory to the School/Discipline.

A student whose candidature lapsed/lapses from 1 January 2008 ONWARDS has twelve months from the lapse date in which to submit a thesis, provided the School/Discipline certifies that it is acceptable to the School/Discipline.

Approval of the Research Education and Development Committee is required for submission of a thesis under any other conditions.

Thesis Length

Irrespective of the thesis format, the word length, including footnotes but excluding appendices, tables, diagrams, bibliography and references, should not exceed 80,000 words in the case of a PhD thesis or 40,000 words in the case of a Master by research.

The size (word-length) of a professional doctorate thesis should be in proportion to the duration of the research undertaken, which will be not less than two years full-time. As a guide, the product of a PhD thesis comprising the product of three to four years of full-time research is expected to be approximately 80,000 words, whilst a Master’s by research thesis comprising the product of two years of full-time research is approximately 40,000 words in length.

Students who enrolled prior to 2008 will be permitted to submit a thesis governed by the rules about thesis/submission length applicable at the time of their initial enrolment.

Please note that approval from the Research Education and Development Committee must be obtained, prior to submission of the thesis, if it is considerably longer than the stipulated length.

Thesis Format

The University recognises that publishing and writing formats have changed with the advent of modern technology and has agreed to adopt a more liberal view of the formatting of theses. However, it is important to realise that the academic requirements of the PhD and Masters’ degrees as stipulated in the Rules have NOT changed.

Examiners of a PhD thesis will still be expected to have satisfied themselves that the thesis:

(a) displays original and critical thought;

(b) is a significant contribution to knowledge;

(c) relates the topic of research to the broader framework of the discipline within which it falls; and

(d) is clearly, accurately and cogently written and is suitably illustrated and documented.

Examiners of a Master’s thesis will still be expected to have satisfied themselves that the student has:

(a) a thorough understanding of the relevant methodology as demonstrated by a thorough critical review of the literature;

(b) demonstrated competence through judicious selection and application of appropriate methods to yield meaningful results;

(c) demonstrated the capacity to evaluate critically these results and presented a clear and well-written thesis in accordance with the specified format.

Candidates must be aware that examiners will demand that these outcomes be clearly demonstrated in a thesis irrespective of its format and students are advised to consult closely with their supervisors as to the appropriateness of the format chosen.

The Conventional Thesis

Generally, theses submitted for examination comprise a substantial written narrative of around 80,000 words in the case of a PhD or 40,000 words in the case of a Master's thesis. Please note that approval from the Research Education and Development Committee must be obtained, prior to submission of your thesis, if it is considerably longer then the stipulated length.

Candidates who enrolled prior to 2008 will be permitted to submit a thesis governed by the rules about thesis/submission length applicable at the time of their initial enrolment.

Publication Format

An alternative to the conventional written thesis is a thesis that comprises a portfolio of publications that have been published and/or accepted and/or submitted for publication and/or text in manuscripts. The publications/manuscripts must be closely related in terms of subject matter, form a cohesive research narrative and not have been accepted for any other university award.

The main body of work should contain, in addition to the relevant publications/manuscripts, a contextual statement which normally includes the aims underpinning the publications/manuscripts; a literature review or commentary which establishes the field of knowledge and provides a link between publications/manuscripts; and a conclusion showing the overall significance of the work and contribution to knowledge, problems encountered and future directions of the work. The discussion should not include a detailed re-working of the discussions from individual papers within the thesis.

Where papers have joint- or multiple-authorship, they must be accompanied by a clear statement of the contribution (in terms of the conceptualization of the work, its realization and its documentation) made by you and all other authors. The statement must be sufficiently detailed to describe accurately the contribution of each author. All authors are required to sign the statement and co-authors must give written permission for the paper to be included in the thesis. Original signatures are preferred but scanned signatures are acceptable.

Combination Conventional/Publication Format

Another alternative to the conventional written thesis is a thesis that comprises a combination of conventional written narrative presented as typescript and publications that have been published and/or submitted for publication and/or text in manuscripts. Both the conventional written narrative and the publications/manuscripts must be closely related in terms of subject matter, form a cohesive research narrative and the publications/manuscripts must not have been accepted for any other university award. The main body of the work should contain, in addition to the relevant publications/manuscripts, a contextual statement which normally includes the aims underpinning the publications/manuscripts; a literature review or commentary which establishes the field of knowledge and provides a link between publications/manuscripts; and a conclusion showing the overall significance of the work and contribution to knowledge, problems encountered and future directions of the work. The discussion should not include a detailed re-working of the discussions from individual papers within the thesis.

Where papers have joint- or multiple-authorship, they must be accompanied by a clear statement of the contribution (in terms of the conceptualization of the work, its realization and its documentation) made by the student and all other authors. The statement must be sufficiently detailed to describe accurately the contribution of each author. All authors are required to sign the statement and co-authors must give written permission for the paper to be included in the thesis. Original signatures are preferred but scanned signatures are acceptable.

Because of the limited timeframe for the completion of a research degree and the length of time involved in publishing papers and scholarly works, it is unlikely that submission by publication will be a possibility for every candidate. The number of publication(s) that will comprise a PhD thesis or a Master's by Research thesis will vary greatly according to the discipline of study, the content of the publication(s) and where applicable, the impact factor of the journals in which they are published. In some fields of scientific research, three papers may be sufficient for a PhD, whilst in others, six may be the norm; for other fields, such as the Humanities, a single book length work may be sufficient.

Masters degrees by publication are not available in every Faculty. Please consult your School or the specific academic program rules for your degree if you are unsure: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/calendar/pg

Creative or Visual Works

In creative disciplines, the thesis submitted for examination may include other materials in the form of exhibition, music composition or performance, literary work or film, together with an exegesis. For the PhD, the exegesis should not exceed 50,000 words in the case of a creative or visual work, 10,000-15,000 words in the case of music composition and 15,000 words in the case of music performance. For the Masters degree, the exegesis normally should not exceed 7,500 words. The exegesis should contain a description of the form and presentation of the artistic practice which constitutes the remainder of the thesis and inter alia an analytical commentary and consideration of the work in the broader framework of the discipline and/or repertory. It should demonstrate mastery of the conceptual and scholarly skills associated with higher degree candidature.

The approval of the Research Education and Development Committee for the form and presentation of the thesis must be sought by the time of completion of the core component of the structured program.

Applications should be made in writing to the Dean of Graduate Studies and have the endorsement of your supervisors and the Postgraduate Coordinator or Head of School.

Richard A Russell
Dean of Graduate Studies

Quality in Postgraduate Research Conference

The 8th Quality in Postgraduate Research Conference will be held in Adelaide, at the Stamford Grand Hotel, Glenelg, from 17-18 April 2008. The biennial QPR conferences have become a focal point for the discussion of postgraduate education at both the national and international levels.

The QPR conferences are sponsored by the three South Australian universities. To encourage student representation at the conference there are ten free registrations available for postgraduate research students to attend the conference. If you wish to apply for either a one-day or a two-day registration for the conference, you should forward an application to Dr Ian Green at the Adelaide Graduate Centre in writing, or by email ian.green@adelaide.edu.au.

The QPR conferences are attended by Deans and Directors of Graduate Studies, research supervisors, academic and professional developers, postgraduate coordinators and administrators, representatives of government agencies, as well as postgraduate research students. The QPR conference provides an excellent opportunity for postgraduate students to debate the latest policies affecting postgraduate education, to exchange views on current research and good practice in the field, and to hear about the latest research on postgraduate education.

The conference website is http://www.qpr.edu.au/2008/. This website provides information about keynote speakers and the conference program. The proceedings of the previous seven Quality in Postgraduate Research Conferences (1994-2006), are also available at this website. These proceedings provide a good indication of the topics discussed at the QPR conferences. For the purposes of the conference, postgraduate research refers to higher degrees which have a substantial amount of research as a major component.

Professor Richard Russell
Dean of Graduate Studies

Researcher Education and Development: RED for students

Workshops coming soon …

Writing a paper for publication in the sciences, health sciences or social sciences: Monday 17 March, 1:00 – 5:00pm, presented by Margaret Cargill and Dr Cally Guerin (max. 30 places). For a detailed description, see the URL below.

NVivo Training Course: A two-session course, Tuesdays 25 March and 1st April, 12-3pm. Registrations must be received by Sunday 16th March to ensure appropriate computer access. For a detailed description, see the URL below.

Enrol online: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/graduatecentre/rep/student/

Also find via this link details of the RED Online Modules (topics including writing research proposals, advanced citation skills and thesis writing) and our list of ‘high relevance’ web-links.

For enquiries, email margaret.cargill@adelaide.edu.au

Attention all NEW academic staff - Research Supervisor Induction Workshop

All new academic staff who wish to supervise higher degree research students must attend an HDR Supervisor Induction Workshop. Led by the PVC Research Operations, this workshop provides an overview of the policy, practice and strategic context of HDR supervision at the University of Adelaide.

The next Supervisor Induction workshop is to be held on Tuesday 18th March, from 9.30am to 1.00pm, in the seminar room of the Adelaide Graduate Centre, Level 6 / 115 Grenfell St. For those unable to attend there is an online session from 4.30pm to 7.00pm that night.

All staff are welcome to attend, though please register with us first.

For more information see http://www.adelaide.edu.au/graduatecentre/rep/staff/
or contact Ian Green in the Researcher Education & Development unit.

Effective Supervision Program, Semester 1 2008

The Effective Supervision Program runs every semester, offering a series of five interactive workshops, and providing a range of tools, techniques and resources, covering key topics in HDR supervision. Academic staff are welcome to attend all or any of the workshops in the series.

Staff can also elect to enrol in the full module Effective Supervision program. The full program involves attending and contributing to all sessions, and undertaking a research project in the field of researcher education and development. Satisfactory completion of the full program is recognised for the purpose of entry to the Register of Supervisors.

This semester we are offering face-to-face workshops on the Tuesday morning and online workshops on the Tuesday evening of teaching weeks 3, 5, 8, 10 and 12.

The first offering in the series is the HDR Supervisor Induction Workshop, to be held on Tuesday March 18th.

For more information about our programs, see: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/graduatecentre/rep/staff/
To see the schedule of workshops, see: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/graduatecentre/rep/staff/timetable.html
To register, see: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/graduatecentre/rep/staff/enrolment.html

For further enquiries, contact Ian Green on x36035, or email researchereducation@adelaide.edu.au

Postgraduate Scholarships Currently Available

To view a list of currently available postgraduate scholarships go to: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/graduatecentre/scholarships/post grad/pgcurrent.html