Distance Education research postgrad orientation - online

Just because you’re not on campus doesn’t mean you have to miss out on orientation! Have a skim through our orientation page for distance education research postgraduates to find out what you need to know, with links to more information on each topic.

(Please note that the term ‘distance education’ is not used consistently throughout the university, so when searching for information, you also may find the terms ‘off-campus’ and ‘open and distance learning’ used on various websites.)

• Facilities and services

• The research journey

Facilities and services

A good place to start is the Off-Campus Learning Centre (OCLC) which runs a liaison service for distance education students, and can be contacted by email or free call within Australia.

IT

It’s important to make sure you’re connected to the Monash IT network, so you’ll need to get your authcate and email account set up.

Once you have your authcate and username, you can log in to the university-wide intranet portal, called my.monash,
where you will be able to access all information and resources relating to your candidature.

There are special IT services for research postgraduates, which provide for services such as additional network drive space and extended computer account access. Some of these services are activated by your Faculty IT unit on request.

Access to a range of software is provided.

Library

If you haven’t used a library for a while, you’ll definitely need some help familiarising yourself with the search systems, resources and library services available today. Subject librarians can help you to find and use discipline-specific information, and can be contacted by email or phone.

The library offers specialised services for distance education students including a postal loan service, online chats with a librarian, and an email helpline. Research postgraduates can borrow up to 40 items at a time, with some restrictions applying depending on your location, and can make use of the docdel service (document delivery service) which can locate and deliver material that is only available from external libraries.

Staying connected

If you’re feeling a little isolated and cut-off from the Monash community, you’ll need to debrief and share experiences with other postgraduates at our online postgrad forum, Postgrad to Postgrad. This is a great place for seeking information and advice from other postgraduates who have been there and done that, or just for having informal, online chats which have nothing to do with study whatsoever.

Read about other postgraduates’ experiences in our magazine for postgrads, Compass Online. Consider submitting to Compass and we'll send a 'first-time contributor' gift pack to your home address.

If you do come to one of the campuses to visit your supervisor, you can use one of the postgraduate-only study spaces during your visit.

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The research journey

Supervison

Aaah, supervision!  What can we say?  It’s the making or breaking of a PhD.  It can be challenging to conduct a relationship with your supervisor purely by email.  Talk to your supervisor about the possibility of him/her making phone calls to you on a regular basis in addition to your email correspondence.

At Monash there is a Code of Conduct that sets out what you can expect from your supervisor and department, and what they will expect from you. Make sure you keep your supervisor relationship  healthy and happy. 

Seminars

The Monash Research Graduate School has a growing number of presentations & podcasts online.

There are a number of postgraduate-specific seminars run on the various campuses, and the MPA is encouraging seminar providers to record as many sessions as possible so that they can be accessed online. Podcasts on various topics are also produced by the MPA. Visit our Compass Online podcast collection for our complete list. Our podcasts are available in both RealPlayer and Quicktime formats.

Statistics/ethics

Be aware that if your research involves using biohazards or human or animal participants, you will need to seek ethics approval before you start connecting electrodes to brains or even conducting surveys or interviews.

Email one of the statistical consultants, who can ensure that the statistical analysis you have in mind is a good fit with your planned research, and discuss with them how to use your free statistical help via email or make an appointment to fit in with a scheduled visit to your supervisor.

Learning skills help

Stuck for words?  Most faculties employ their own Language and Learning staff to work with postgraduates to improve academic writing skills.  The library has some great online resources about planning and writing a thesis and you can email the library-based learning skills advisors The learning support page for distance education students is also worth a look.

Referencing

It’s important to properly reference and cite
other people’s work used in your thesis. Plagiarism, even when unintended, is taken very seriously and the consequences can be severe.

Intellectual property

Just a brief word about intellectual property. If your research requires you to sign a deed of assignment or any other document that affects or restricts the ownership or use of your work, you should seek advice from the MPA Advocate before signing.

Travel grants

Don’t forget to apply for a travel grant if you’re planning to present at a conference or undertake fieldwork. Every little bit helps.

Confirmation of canditature

All first year PhD candidates need to work towards the formal confirmation of candidature that will take place around the nine month/one year mark. Talk to your supervisor about what this involves so that you are properly prepared when the big day arrives.

Annual report

There is also an annual report you will be required to fill in to keep everyone informed of your progress. There is a section for you to comment, and a section for your supervisor to comment. Make sure you have good, open communication lines with your supervisor and there won’t be any nasty surprises on either side when the annual report is due.

Authorship

We know you’ve only just started but if you’re the next Einstein your supervisor might get you working on a paper for publication. This will usually be a joint publication with your supervisor and possibly other staff and postgraduates. Have a chat with your supervisor at the beginning of the process to find out how the authorship will work. It’s good for everyone to have an agreed position on this from the outset.

MRGS

The Monash Research Graduate School (MRGS) is the administrative arm that sits over all research training and deals with enrolments, scholarships and candidature-related processes like intermissions, extensions and examinations. Contact the MRGS staff if you have any questions about how it all works.

Advice & advocacy

Your experience at Monash should be academically challenging and stimulating. If you have any concerns or comments you should speak speak with your supervisor. Whatever you do, don’t let the situation deteriorate without acting. If you do find yourself in need of some independent, confidential advice contact the MPA Advocate.

You can also check out our advice & advocacy pages and our "Dear Abby" archive of frequently asked questions.

Assistance

Finally, if you need some general advice or help with managing any of the university processes from a distance, email any one of the MPA staff for assistance. If you have any suggestions for improvements to services and support for DE postgraduates, please let us know, as we are currently researching this area.

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