As others see us; What PhD students say about their supervisors

Carol HaighLee Yarwood-Ross

BackgroundStudent satisfaction surveys are implemented

by Universities in the United Kingdom annually

Postgraduate Research Experience Survey results (2011) indicated that supervision was rated by students as the most important factor in their degree

Little research is available examining the actual experiences of the supervisory process particularly from the perspective of the PhD student

QuestionWhat do PhD students REALLY think about their

supervisors?

Methods

Data collected from the post graduate forum website

Forum set up in 2002 so 10 years worth of data available

Searched forum using search terms ‘supervisor(s) and supervision

Sample and analysis

175 pages of text

> 3000 threads

10 threads from each year

50 postings from each

thread

100 threads

5000 posts

Thematically analyzed & summarized using Tagxedo

Results

Communication difficultiesThings remain the same, even after 2 years. I have met him only once in 5

months

Difficulty getting appointments

Supervisors slow with feedback

I had to wait 18 months for

my first feedback and then only got it because I had been pushing

Can’t talk to supervisor

I’ve spent the last few months just drifting. I’m not comfortable

talking to my supervisor about this, our

relationship isn’t great Supervisors have too many students

She is supervising a much greater

number of students than when I started

and is less accessible now

Academic bullying

He has called me stupid, although my academic record is very strong. He sneers and becomes vicious if I

report other staff for harassing me or if I get nervous around him. There is so much...

My supervisor is abusive toward me, although he always praises

my work

Desertion

My supervisor moved 500 miles away. He suggested

transferring to the new university but that wasn’t

feasible...not least because of their rules on taking on

existing students

My supervisor left last year and this year has been a really

difficult time.

All the systems supposed to be in place failed miserably

Lack of trust in supervisor

Is it normal for supervisors to nick your ideas and use them as their own?  I say report them. I have had

that happen to a fellow student with an evil prof. They did not report him and he continues to wreak havoc in the department stealing ideas and having no original thought of his own

Some just made us smile I told my supervisor I was in love with him and

now he won’t see me on his own anymore.

“One thing I do know for certain though - academics are selfish, ego-maniacal lunatics”

Is it normal for a supervisor to insist on candlelit supervision?

supervisor-wise…well we’re talking academic bullying multiplied by twenty plus a little bit of sadism thrown in for fun and next to ‘control freak’ in the dictionary, you will find a picture of her face

So, we think we are…

Doctoral students think we are…

Be cautious….

In ConclusionDoctoral students want us to…

Answer e

-mails

Read work & provide feedback

Arrange meetings (and

turn up)

Never leave

Protect & be

trustworthy

Not ste

al th

eir

work

Thank you for your attention