providing support and advice since 1961
Advice & advocacy
"Dear Abby" archive - research students
Click on a question for "Abby's" advice.
Dear Abby,
Where do I get my thesis bound?
Almost there!
Dear Almost there,
First of all, congratulations on completing the thesis!
You can do an online search through search engines such as Yahoo! for 'book binding' or 'thesis binding' to find binders in the Melbourne area. It is worth shopping around as costs can vary significantly. However be wary of businesses that have not had any experience with binding theses, as this is a very specialised business.
It is also a good idea to go to the library and check the inside covers of theses, to see if they contain the name of the binder. That way you get to see the quality of the finished product as well.
Finally, the MPA has a list of binders in Melbourne and Sydney. For DE postgrads or for those who can't get to a bindery in person, the whole process can usually be managed by email - check with your preferred binder.
Please note that PhD and MPhil must adhere to MRGS guidelines for binding. Requirements for binding of Masters by Research theses can vary across faculties, so check with your administrative officer for details.
Dear Abby,
My supervisor is really busy and it's almost impossible to get her to meet with me. What can I do about it?
Frustrated
Dear Frustrated,
Despite increasing workloads, academics still have an obligation to provide an appropriate level of supervision for all of their students. Some academics can be notoriously difficult to catch, so it may be up to you to be proactive and set a constant schedule of meetings.
If you are having difficulty getting your supervisor to meet with you, try emailing him/her with an update of the work you have done and a request to meet. In your email include a few suggested dates or times. Your supervisor is much more likely to remember to respond if you send the request in writing rather than make a hurried verbal agreement as they are dashing past you in the corridor.
If you don't get any response within a week, email again. If there is still no response, speak with your Graduate Coordinator, and take along copies of your two emails. Graduate Coordinators and/or Heads of Department can help you to get things back on track. I have had students complaining that they haven't had a meeting with their supervisor for over a year! This is totally unacceptable on either side - don't ever let things go this long before acting to rectify the situation.
Once you do manage to get a meeting, make sure that before your meeting concludes, you and your supervisor set an agreed time and date for the next
Dear Abby,
I have recently enrolled in a PhD and have been handed a Deed of Assignment to sign. Should I sign and what does it mean?
Wary student
Dear Wary student,
A Deed of Assignment is a contractual document which is often used by tertiary institutions to deal with intellectual property rights. In general, students own their own intellectual property. However under some circumstances, the university may request or require that students assign their rights to the university. In this case, a Deed of Assignment is used to transfer the intellectual property rights from the student to the university.
It is very important to read the Deed of Assignment to ascertain what your rights are after assignment. To ensure that you understand the conditions and ramifications of signing the agreement, it is a good idea to seek an independent opinion. This service is provided free of charge by qualified MPA staff.
Please contact Zuzana Quinn
Dear Abby,
I have written a research paper from my PhD project. Do I have to acknowledge both my supervisors as co-authors?
Unsure
Dear Unsure
Monash University adheres to the Vancouver protocol on authorship, which basically states that in order to be named as an author on a paper or poster presentation, you must have made a substantial contribution. What constitutes a substantial contribution is where it can get a bit murky. However it does mean more than just having a quick look at something and correcting a couple of typos.
There is no automatic right for supervisors to be named on their students' papers just by virtue of being the supervisor - they must have made a significant contribution. Sometimes postgrads don't appreciate that their supervisor may have made a significant contribution just in setting up the initial problem for a student - the problem may have been formulated as a result of the supervisor's own extensive research in the area. The supervisor may also make a significant contribution through substantial editing of the paper. You need to decide what, if any, the contribution has been to your research by each of the academics involved.
You should start by raising this for discussion with your supervisors. You could have a chat with the graduate coordinator in your
department, who would be able to provide you with advice on "usual
practice" in your discipline, but keep in mind that "usual practice"
arguments do not provide a valid reason for breaching the stated
university position on authorship.
You can also talk to the MPA advocate for more detailed advice on your particular situation if you are still unsure as to what you should
do.
Information on authorship and publication can be found on the MRGS website.
Dear Abby,
I am currently doing a PhD but do not have a scholarship. What are my chances of getting an APA when I am already one year in to my PhD, and what other options do I have if I am not successful?
Strapped-for-cash
Dear Strapped-for-cash,
Being one year into your PhD does not, in itself, prevent you from applying for an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA). However, all applicants must meet the eligibility criteria. Your application will be treated in exactly the same way all applications for APAs are treated. Applicants are ranked on academic merit and research potential by their faculties. For details on the selection process and the scholarship allocation formulas, see the MRGS website.
In the 2006 October round of offers, there were 529 APA applications, and 114 APAs awarded, so this is a very competitive process.
In addition there are opportunities to apply for Monash Graduate Scholarships and departmental scholarships. See the MRGS website for further information.
Outside of Monash, there are a number of small philanthropic organisations that offer scholarships for research postgraduates. A good place to start looking at these possibilities is by logging on the Jason database, which is an Australian database of postgraduate scholarships.
There are also various external scholarship opportunities listed in the postgraduate scholarship search Jason database.
Dear Abby,
I’m really frustrated with my supervisor. She doesn’t seem to be interested in my work and when I submit a draft, I don’t really get any constructive feedback on it. I’m getting very frustrated because everyone else I know seems to be getting on well with their supervisors – they are given papers to read and get sent on conferences – that isn’t happening here! What should I do?
Pulling my hair out
Dear Pulling my hair out,
Complaints about student/supervisor relationship difficulties are the most common complaints dealt with by the MPA in their provision of advice and advocacy to research postgraduates, so you’re not alone out there.
The academic relationship between supervisors and postgraduate researchers at Monash is governed by the Code of Practice for Supervision, which sets out, among other things, the very minimum level of supervision that supervisors should provide for their research postgraduates. This includes the supervisor being required to request regular written work and return the work with constructive criticism. It also states that supervisors should encourage their postgraduates to meet other researchers in the field and to attend meetings or conferences as appropriate.
A copy of the Code of Practice for Supervision can be found on the MRGS website. Look at the supervisor’s responsibilities set out in the Code and see how many of these are being fulfilled. The Code also sets out your responsibilities as a research postgraduate, so check through this section to ensure that you are fulfilling all your responsibilities.
Once you are clear on your rights and responsibilities, the first port of call is back to your supervisor to discuss your concerns. Be diplomatic, but be prepared to be specific. If you feel unable to face this discussion with your supervisor, enlist the help of your course coordinator or Head of Department. Many student/supervisor relationship difficulties can be resolved informally through negotiation. The most important thing to remember is that clear communication is essential to a healthy relationship, and you can play your part by raising issues for discussion before they become major problems.
Dear Abby
I am located overseas and most of the time I communicate with my supervisor via email. While everything is going reasonably well, I felt that the tone of the last email from my supervisor, where he provided feedback on my chapter, was very abrupt. I’m feeling angry about the situation because I have been working hard and expect support, not criticism.
Upset
Dear Upset
Please be careful when relying on communication by email! Poor communication between students and supervisors is the thing most likely to cause grief for any postgrad - when you are communicating solely by email things get even more difficult. The tone of emails can be very easily misconstrued, so don’t jump to conclusions. It is your supervisor’s job to provide you with feedback on your work, and usually this is done in a face-to-face meeting. However, you don’t have that luxury, so your supervisor needs to convey constructive criticism in writing. Without the nods and smiles we use in face-to-face conversation, you might perceive the feedback as overly critical, when in fact your supervisor is merely providing the same feedback he would have given you verbally, and which you would have accepted without any concern. Above all, don't email back when you are feeling angry about things. It is always better to wait until you have calmed down and can address the issue (not the emotion).
It is very hard being in different countries - some students in this situation find that an occasional phone call with their supervisor is helpful. Now might be a good time to give your supervisor a call! It sounds as though you basically have a good relationship with your supervisor, so you should be able to sort this out and get the thesis completed
Dear Abby,
I have put an enormous amount of time and effort into writing the first draft of my thesis. I have carefully proofed it, got some friends to look over it and felt it was a fairly well-written and considered piece of work – even for a first draft. However when I received it back from my supervisor, it was literally covered with comments and changes in red pen. Now I really feel as though all my effort has been for nothing and that my supervisor has been overly critical.
Feeling low
Dear Feeling low,
The most common complaint we hear at the MPA is about supervisors NOT providing specific feedback or not providing feedback at all! Your problem is actually a good one to have. Receiving a heavily marked-up chapter or journal paper might be depressing but it is a good sign in that you are getting very specific, constructive criticism from your supervisor.
Your thesis chapters (or attempt at a journal article) won't ever be perfect first up – and that's how the process is supposed to work - you are here to learn about research and research writing. Your supervisor has a lot of experience when it comes to examiners’ expectations of theses and editors’ expectations of journal articles. It is their job to send you out to face the research community well prepared. Be open to modifications to your writing and presentation – different discipline areas have different academic styles. Ask your supervisor to recommend a recent thesis or journal article that is an outstanding example so that you can see what they have in mind as the end result. And keep plugging away – in hindsight you’ll appreciate the guidance and it will lead to the production of a high quality thesis.
Dear Abby,
I’m nearing the end of my PhD candidature and have used up all my extensions and leave entitlements. I’m concerned that if I don’t finish on time I will not be allowed to submit my thesis. Can you help?
Running out of time
Dear Running out of time,
If you are a full-time student, you may consider converting to part-time. This way any unexpired amount of full-time candidature you have can be converted to part-time and will in effect give you a later submission date. In special circumstances, the university may allow a candidate to submit after the submission date has lapsed. This is known as lapse of candidature and more details can be found in the MRGS handbook.
Dear Abby,
I have been asked to fill in an Annual Progress Report. I have had some relationship difficulties with my supervisor which I feel should be put in the report but I’m reluctant to write anything about my supervisor which might be perceived as critical, as I’m concerned this may make matters worse. Should I mention these problems in the Annual Progress Report?
Undecided
Dear Undecided,
All PhD and MPhil postgraduates are required to fill in an Annual Progress Report, distributed in June/July and due back around August. As you are aware, there is a section that provides an opportunity for the candidate to raise any issues they may have and want noted. So should you spill the beans or should you not?
On the positive side, noting any problems you are experiencing will:
-
Bring this issue to the attention of your supervisor and HOD, allowing them to discuss the problem with you and hopefully resolve it.
-
Create a permanent record that can be referred to in cases where you might need to apply for an extension of time or (should the relationship become completely dysfunctional) put up a case for changing supervisors.
On the negative side, noting any problems you are experiencing may not be helpful to a student/supervisor relationship that is already a bit unstable. If you haven’t raised any of these concerns directly with your supervisor before, then reading your comments in the Annual Progress Report might come as a bit of a shock to him/her!
I would suggest that, before the Annual Progress Report is due, you approach your supervisor with your concerns. You might be able to resolve some of the issues, in which case, you would be able to report in the Annual Progress Report, that there had been some concerns, but that these had been discussed and that you were working with your supervisor towards resolving these issues.
Of course, if your relationship difficulties with your supervisor are serious, you should seek assistance immediately, from your HOD, Associate Dean (Research training) or the MPA Advocate.
Dear Abby,
I have to go to Caulfield and Clayton campuses as part of my study and I am not happy that I have to buy a parking permit for both campuses which costs me a LOT OF MONEY. Parking is expensive enough (don’t get me started on that) without making students on low incomes pay for two permits. It isn’t fair and somebody should do something about it.
Peeved about parking
Dear Peeved about parking,
You’ll be pleased to know (or perhaps you’ll be even more peeved because no-one told you) that there is such a thing as a cross-campus permit. You haven’t mentioned whether you are a coursework or research postgrad, but it doesn’t really matter because if you have legitimate study business on more than one campus you can purchase a single cross-campus permit which will cover you for both campuses. And by legitimate study business I don’t mean driving to Caulfield campus because the coffee is so much better than at Clayton. I mean that you have courses running on both campuses, or you have a supervisor on both campuses.
Given you’ve already purchased both permits for this year, go and ask the good folk at Parking and Security to refund (pro-rata) the cost of both your permits in order for you to purchase a cross-campus permit for the remainder of the year.
Click here for details about cross-campus permit eligibility.
The MPA's "Dear Abby"
Our 'Dear Abby' series
Compass online runs a regular 'Dear Abby' column of common questions and issues.
Read the current "Dear Abby" or also visit the 'Dear Abby' archive for coursework students.
Subscribe to email news
Subscribe to the free MPA email newsletter for weekly updates on postgraduate-specific seminars, social events and postgraduate community news.
Note: Research postgraduates who also have staff profiles will need to use their student authcate and email address to subscribe.