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RESEARCH STUDENT HANDBOOK
Academic Board
Research Degrees Committee
2017-18
Manchester Met. Research Student Handbook 2017-18
PGR Student Handbook – 2017/18
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CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 5
2. THE STUDENT JOURNEY: KEY STAGES OF THE RESEARCH DEGREE PROCESS ................................. 6
MONITORING OF MILESTONES ON SKILLS FORGE .......................................................................... 7
3. ENROLMENT ................................................................................................................................... 7
4. KEY CONTACTS/GROUPS ................................................................................................................ 9
SUPERVISORY TEAM ....................................................................................................................... 9
DIRECTOR OF STUDIES (DoS) .......................................................................................................... 9
INDEPENDENT REVIEWER ............................................................................................................... 9
SCRUTINEERS ................................................................................................................................ 10
DEPARTMENTAL RESEARCH DEGREES CO-ORDINATOR ............................................................... 10
HEAD OF FACULTY RESEARCH DEGREES (HFRD)........................................................................... 10
FACULTY RESEARCH DEGREES COMMITTEE (fRDC) ...................................................................... 10
UNIVERSITY RESEARCH DEGREES COMMITTEE (RDC) .................................................................. 10
FACULTY RESEARCH DEGREE ADMINISTRATORS (FRDA) .............................................................. 11
HEAD OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL ............................................................................................... 11
GRADUATE SCHOOL MANAGER ................................................................................................... 11
UNIVERSITY RESEARCH DEGREES OFFICER ................................................................................... 11
5. RESPONSIBILITIES ......................................................................................................................... 12
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DIRECTOR OF STUDIES ........................................................................ 12
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SUPERVISORY TEAM ........................................................................... 13
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE STUDENT ............................................................................................. 13
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE INDEPENDENT REVIEWER ................................................................... 14
AGReEMENT ON RESPONSIBILITIES .............................................................................................. 14
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6. APPLYING FOR REGISTRATION (RD1) ............................................................................................ 15
PERIODS OF REGISTRATION .......................................................................................................... 15
OBTAINING THE APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION FORM (FORM RD1) ..................................... 16
COMPLETING THE APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION .................................................................. 16
SUPPORTING PROGRAMME ......................................................................................................... 22
7. APPLYING FOR ProGRESSION OR TRANSFER OF REGISTRATION (RD2) ........................................ 25
WHEN TO APPLY ........................................................................................................................... 25
SUBMITTING THE PROGRESSION OR TRANSFER REPORT ............................................................. 25
THE APPLICATION FOR PROGRESSION OR TRANSFER .................................................................. 25
(i) THE APPLICATION FOR PROGRESSION OR TRANSFER...................................... 26
(ii) THE PROGRESSION OR TRANSFER REPORT ...................................................... 26
(iii) ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................... 27
(iv) THE PROGRESSION OR TRANSFER VIVA ........................................................... 27
(v) OUTCOME ........................................................................................................ 27
8. ANNUAL REVIEW .......................................................................................................................... 28
THE ANNUAL REVIEW ................................................................................................................... 28
(i) PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PORTFOLIO OR COMPLETION OF MY SKILLS ........ 28
(ii) APPOINTING A REVIEWER AND SETTING UP A MEETING ................................ 29
(iii) PRIOR TO THE REVIEW ..................................................................................... 29
(iv) THE REVIEW MEETING ..................................................................................... 29
(v) AFTER THE REVIEW .......................................................................................... 31
9. SUBMITTING YOUR THESIS AND THE ORAL EXAMINATION ......................................................... 31
NOMINATION AND APPOINTMENT OF EXAMINERS .................................................................... 31
REQUEST FOR EARLY SUBMISSION ............................................................................................... 32
REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIALITY .................................................................................................. 32
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PREPARATION OF YOUR THESIS ................................................................................................... 32
RESEARCH MISCONDUCT.............................................................................................................. 33
THESIS FORMAT FOR EXAMINATION ............................................................................................ 34
PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF THE THESIS ................................................................................. 38
THE ORAL EXAMINATION ............................................................................................................. 38
EXAMINERS RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................... 39
RESUBMISSION ............................................................................................................................. 40
SUBMISSION OF YOUR FINAL THESIS ........................................................................................... 41
COLLECTION OF CERTIFICATES AND AWARDS CEREMONIES ....................................................... 42
REVIEW OF AN EXAMINATION DECISION (Appeals procedure) ................................................... 42
10. COMPLAINTS ................................................................................................................................ 42
APPENDIX 1 THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY ....................................................................................................... 44
APPENDIX 2 COPYRIGHT AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS .............................................................. 45
ADVICE FOR RESEARCH DEGREE STUDENTS AND STAFF .............................................................. 46
APPENDIX 3 SPECIMEN FRONT COVER AND TITLE PAGE ............................................................................ 48
APPENDIX 4 USEFUL PUBLICATIONS ........................................................................................................... 49
APPENDIX 5 TEACHING COMMITMENTS .................................................................................................... 50
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1. INTRODUCTION
On behalf of the University I would like to wish all students every success with their research. This handbook is for research degree students and their supervisors and contains further guidance, which supplements the Institutional Code of Practice and the Regulations for Postgraduate Research Degrees that all Postgraduate Research Students (PGRs) will need to comply with during their research degree. The current Code of Practice and Regulations are essential reading and are available on the Graduate School website. Please note that there are new Regulations introduced for 2016-17, which apply to all research students regardless of when they enrolled. The new Regulations incorporate recommendations made by the University Research Degrees Committee, as well as suggestions made from Faculties. In addition, the Regulations and supporting documentation emphasise good practice as identified through a series of research supervisor and research student workshops and, significantly, meet the 18 indicators of sound practice identified in Chapter B11 relating to Research Degrees in the Quality Code produced by the Quality Assurance Agency. In the appendices are a list of external publications which students may find useful during their research student journey. This handbook together with the Code of Practice and Regulations for Postgraduate Research Programmes, Research Student Development Programme and other useful information is available at: http://www2.mmu.ac.uk/graduate-school/ During 2016-17, the University has introduced a new IT system called Skills Forge to support and guide students through the key stages of their research degree. Skills Forge will provide useful reminders both for students and supervisors to monitor progression against key milestones. Skills Forge will also enable students to track their skills development against the Researcher Development Framework and undertake a training needs analysis. Dr Catherine Mills Head of the Graduate School and Student Case Management
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2. THE STUDENT JOURNEY: KEY STAGES OF THE RESEARCH DEGREE PROCESS
Research students have found that a checklist of the key stages of the research degree process is a very helpful tool. On the page overleaf is the full-time PhD student journey. The Part-time student journey is pro-rata. Interactive student journeys are available on the Graduate School website.
First year Second year Third year Fourth year
Enrolment Induction meeting with Director of Studies to cover health and safety guidance, facilities for research students, etc Discuss programme of supporting studies and skills development with DoS. Undertake the Training Needs Analysis (TNA). Engage with the Researcher Development Framework. http://www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers Contact the Disability Service [if required] to discuss a Personal Learning Plan. Contact the English Language Centre [if required] Attend Faculty Inductions and complete online Induction [Within Month 1] Submit draft proposal to DoS [Month 2] Complete Research Integrity training and the Ethics Checklist. Apply for Ethical approval [if required]. Submit RD1 and Research Proposal [Month 3] Regular meetings with DoS and supervisory team [ Completion of 6 RD9 forms is required per year]
Enrolment Discuss Skills Development with DoS Submit RD2 together with Transfer or Progression Report and undertake viva [Month 12] Attend workshops from Student Development Programme Regular meetings with supervisor [RD9] Annual Review [RDAR] [Summer Term] Oral or poster presentation at Annual Research Conference or attend national or International conferences to present Take part in the 3 Minute Thesis competition Submission of research publication(s)
Enrolment Discuss Skills Development with DoS Attend Skills Development workshops from Graduate School Student Development Programme, Faculty or external providers. Regular meetings with supervisor [RD9] Submit complete draft of thesis to DoS/supervisors [Month 33] DoS submits RD6 form for the approval of examiners [Month 33] Annual Review [RDAR] [Summer Term] Undertake an oral or poster presentation at Annual Research Conference Present at national and/or International Conference(s) Submission of research publication(s) Submission of thesis for examination with RDDEC form [Month 36]
Enrolment Undertake mock oral examination Complete Oral examination and outcome [Month 38/39] Submit amendments to examiner(s) for approval or re-examination. Complete and submit final copy of thesis [RDEXIT] [Ethos form] Conferment deadline [Month 48] Award of degree
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Attend workshops from Faculty and /or Graduate School Student Development Programme Complete Annual Review [RDAR] [Summer Term] Oral or poster presentation at Annual Research Conference
DoS to arrange Oral examination (Viva voce) [RDORAL] [Month 36]
MONITORING OF MILESTONES ON SKILLS FORGE
During your research degree, you and your supervisors will be notified of key dates and milestones to be observed during your research degree on Skills Forge. Your thesis submission deadline will be indicated on your offer letter and confirmed on the approval of your RD1 (Registration). You are advised to monitor your own progress on Skills Forge but you will be sent alerts and email reminders when key milestones are approaching or if you have missed a milestone. Your progress is also monitored, on a regular basis, by the Faculty Research Degrees Administrator who identifies students who have a particular deadline coming up. If your DoS has not already taken appropriate action, they are alerted to the fact through Skills Forge that a key date is approaching and advised of the course of action required. Important: Alerts and emails from Skills Forge will only be sent to your Manchester Met. student email account so please remember to check these on a regular basis.
3. ENROLMENT
Please note that for research degrees, enrolment and registration are two distinct and different processes. If your application to undertake a research degree at Manchester Met. has been successful and you are offered a place of study, there are four enrolment periods. These are September, January and April or exceptionally, students may be permitted to enroll in July*. You must remember to re-enrol on the anniversary of your initial enrolment each subsequent year until you are awarded your degree. If you fail to re-enrol you will be deemed to have withdrawn from the programme and your registration for the award and the University will be cancelled. Important: If you do not enrol and then re-enrol each subsequent year, you are not covered by University insurance and should not come onto the University premises to use any of the facilities or to receive any supervisory support. *Please note: some faculties only have a September start. You will be provided with your start date within your offer letter. Once you accept your place of study, you will be sent a welcome letter approximately 6 weeks prior to your start date providing details of how to enroll with the University. You must ensure that you enroll with the University prior to starting on your research
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degree. If you do not enroll within 3 weeks of your start date, you will have deemed to have been withdrawn by the University. You will lose time on the programme, which you may not be able to recoup later.
Once you have enrolled, you can access your student email account. Through the Manchester Met. website
homepage, click on the link for 'current students', you can now login to MyMMU with your student ID and
password (the default password is set to your date of birth). There are links on the page to a number of apps
and you can login to your student email account from here and to Moodle.
GETTING STARTED
Within your first week, you must arrange to meet with your Director of Studies for your initial induction meeting. You will be able commence your research and use the University facilities, including the library. You will also be able to prepare, in consultation with your supervisory team, your application for registration (RD1). Registering for a research degree takes place only once and as a full-time student, you should submit your application together with the associated documentation within 3 months of enrolment [6 months for part-time students]. You are required to complete the online induction and attend your Faculty Induction programme. The Induction programmes are designed to be informal and provide you with useful information regarding the regulations, expectations from you as a student and of your supervisory team, introduce the Researcher Development Framework, make you feel part of the research student community, raise awareness of research ethics and research governance and provide you with up-to-date information on library services. You and your supervisors will need to familiarise yourself with the current Regulations for Postgraduate Research Degrees and the Institutional Code of Practice. These are available on the Graduate School website at: http://www2.mmu.ac.uk/graduate-school/regulations-cop-supporting-material/ If you have a disability or a specific learning difficulty (e.g., dyslexia) for which you require additional support, it is advisable that you disclose this to the University at the earliest opportunity; otherwise it may delay the provision of appropriate support. If you are unsure about the nature of the support available, or whether or not you are entitled to disability related support, you should contact the University’s Disability Service for advice: http://www.mmu.ac.uk/sas/studentservices/learner-development/index.php.
If English is not your first language and you wish to develop your language skills further, the English Language Centre (http://www2.mmu.ac.uk/languagecentre/courses-for-our-students/elsis/) runs a variety of courses to improve English in the four key skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking.
Faculty Student Support officers can also offer impartial advice on a range of academic and pastoral issues and provide study skills support (http://www.mmu.ac.uk/sas/studentservices/student-support-officers.php) should you require it. When you begin to prepare your application for registration (RD1) you will need to give consideration to any ethical issues. The Faculty Research Degrees Committee will only permit registration if they have assurances that you have given full consideration to any ethical issues through the completion of the ethics checklist. Where ethical approval is required, you will need to submit an application for approval to the Head of Faculty Ethics or to the NHS (where required). If you are working with the NHS, you need to ensure you are compliant with the research governance framework: http://www2.mmu.ac.uk/rke/ethics-forms/
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Don't forget to check your student email account on a regular basis as this is where you will be sent important information about your research degree and reminders of milestones that are approaching or overdue.
4. KEY CONTACTS/GROUPS
There are a number of individuals or groups with whom you will come into contact or will find helpful to know about during your time as a research student. Some of the key contacts/groups are listed here, with an indication of their roles.
SUPERVISORY TEAM
Your supervisory team is responsible for supervising you during your research degree. One member of the team will act as your Director of Studies (DoS). This team normally consists of 2 or 3 supervisors who are academic staff within the University and occasionally there may be an external supervisor from outside of the University. In addition to the supervisors, you may have an advisor to contribute some specialist knowledge or to make a link with an external organization. A mentor may be appointed to supervisory teams to provide additional experience and support to the supervisory team. The members of your supervisory team should have expertise and experience in the subject area of your research and should have supervised previous research degree students to completion. Students undertaking PhD by Published Work (Route 2) are not provided with a supervisory team. An internal academic advisor will be appointed by the Research Degrees Committee to assist and guide the student where necessary to compile the thesis and to propose the examination team. Your supervisory team will be approved by your Faculty Research Degrees Committee.
DIRECTOR OF STUDIES (DOS)
Your DoS, is a member of academic staff of the University and plays a crucial role as the leader of the supervisory team, with overall responsibility for the administration of the project and for your supervision on a regular and frequent basis. Your understanding of ‘regular’ and ‘frequent’ should be discussed, negotiated and agreed with your DoS and supervisory team at the start of your research degree. The DoS shall normally be your main academic supervisor but this role may be split if the main academic supervisor is external to the University. Your DoS should be able to offer guidance and advice on procedural and regulatory matters as well as academic issues.
INDEPENDENT REVIEWER
You will be required to have an annual review each year with an academic member of staff who is independent of your supervisory team. The role of the independent reviewer is to confirm and ensure that you are actively engaged on your research degree, are making satisfactory progress with your research and are maintaining frequent contact with your supervisory team (see Section 9 on Annual Review and Monitoring). It is also for you to provide the University with valuable feedback on your student experience. It is through this process that you will discuss your personal development portfolio and engagement with
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Vitae’s Researcher Development Framework (RDF). The independent reviewer can help you identify training needs related to your degree, personal development or future career aspirations. He/she can also make recommendations to both you and your supervisory team on any issues that may arise during your discussions, including those that pertain to the team itself.
SCRUTINEERS
Two independent scrutineers are appointed to review your proposal and the RD1 form as part of the registration process. They will provide an independent report on your proposal, which is submitted to the Head of Faculty Research Degrees. Two scrutineers are also appointed at the transfer stage (RD2) to read the transfer report and undertake your transfer viva. Where possible, the same scrutineers will be appointed for both the RD1 and RD2.
DEPARTMENTAL RESEARCH DEGREES CO-ORDINATOR
Each department1 has a Departmental Research Degrees Co-ordinator, whose responsibilities include:
o Oversight of the research degrees programme within the department; o advice and assistance on academic matters; and o communication with research supervisors, with the Faculty Research Degrees Administrator and
with the Head of Faculty Research Degrees.
HEAD OF FACULTY RESEARCH DEGREES (HFRD)
The Head of Faculty Research Degrees (HFRD) is responsible for ensuring that the standard and quality of research programmes is maintained and the interests of research degree students are protected. The HFRD provides leadership for research degree matters within the Faculty and chairs the Faculty Research Degrees Committee and also represents the Faculty on the University Research Degrees Committee (RDC). Another key role of the HFRD is to monitor the progress of your research annually.
FACULTY RESEARCH DEGREES COMMITTEE (FRDC)
Faculty Research Degrees Committees are responsible to the University Research Degrees Committee for the registration, transfer and progression of all research degrees within the University. The Committee approves Applications for Registration and Transfer (RD1s & RD2s) and Approval of Examiners (RD6) forms for the appointment of examiners for all research degree programmes and exercises all other responsibilities concerning supervision, suspension and extension of registrations.
UNIVERSITY RESEARCH DEGREES COMMITTEE (RDC)
1 Some areas of the University are organised into Schools or Centres, but for the purpose of this document ‘departmental’ is meant to
cover such groupings.
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The University Research Degrees Committee is responsible to the University's Academic Board for the oversight of all matters relating to the registration, transfer, progression and examination of all research degree students within the University. It has responsibility for strategic issues and for the quality assurance and enhancement of postgraduate research degree programmes within the University. The Committee monitors the progress of your research with a view to ensuring that any problems that might arise are satisfactorily dealt with and that, where possible, improvements can be made in student support and the general academic environment in which students work.
FACULTY RESEARCH DEGREE ADMINISTRATORS (FRDA)
Faculty Research Degree Administrators have general oversight of Faculty research degree business and are responsible for research student records and associated administrative support. You may consult them on any regulatory, procedural or administrative matter in the absence of your DoS. A list of the Faculty Research Degree Administrators is provided on the Graduate School website.
HEAD OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
The Head of the Graduate School and Student Case Management is Dr Catherine Mills. She provides strategic professional leadership for the development and implementation of all frameworks, policies and procedures relating to research degrees and research degree students; the administrative and other services to students and staff that are provided by the University’s Graduate School; and the support that is given to the Research Degrees Committee of Academic Board and its Chair.
GRADUATE SCHOOL MANAGER
The Graduate School Manager is Clare Holdcroft based in the University's Graduate School Office within the Ormond Building. She has responsibility for managing the Graduate School Office, the oversight and maintenance of the regulatory framework and supporting documents, the Research Student Development Programme and scholarships. The Graduate School Manager would be pleased to offer you advice and guidance on regulatory matters concerning your research degree.
UNIVERSITY RESEARCH DEGREES OFFICER
The Research Degrees Officer based in the Graduate School Office is Kellie Morrissey. She has responsibility for the administration of Scholarships and has the oversight of the examination arrangements for your research degree. Following confirmation of your award, Kellie will also make the arrangements for your degree to be awarded.
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5. RESPONSIBILITIES
The Regulations require that all research degree students are supervised by a DoS and at least one additional supervisor (apart from PhD by Published Work (Route 2) where only one Academic Advisor is required). Following formal supervisory meetings you must complete the Record of Supervision (RD9) on Skills Forge, which includes action points for the completion after your meeting. You need to complete at least six RD9 forms throughout the academic year. If you are an international student on a Tier 4 visa, you need to ensure that you have at least 10 points of contact on an annual basis. These will be monitored through Skills Forge and include the submission of milestones such as the RD1, RD2 and the RDAR, the completion of RD9 forms and from attending workshops. Your DoS has responsibility for the general administration of your research degree and is usually your main academic supervisor. They might also be experienced in successfully supervising research degrees to completion, although this is not necessarily the case: the experience of the supervisory team as a whole is taken into account by the Head of Faculty Research Degrees when approving your supervisory team. There is no simple set of rules to cover the variety of relationships that might exist between you and your supervisor. However, it is assumed that supervision requires active and regular contact with the student, and that it should enable you to acquire competence in the methods of research, appropriate research skills and scholarship and to display sustained independent effort. A word which recurs frequently in the literature on supervision is expectations; usually in the context of the student's uncertainty of what to expect from a supervisor, as few students have had any previous experience of the research process. Supervisors can also have false expectations of their students or of each other, as each research project is unique. It is desirable that everyone involved with your studies should start with a clear understanding of their own and everyone else's responsibilities and duties. We will now set out the mutual and negotiated responsibilities of research supervision. These should be discussed with your supervisory team and through the induction process.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE DIRECTOR OF STUDIES
The DoS has overall responsibility for the supervision of your research project. Specific responsibilities include some or all of the following:
o Project administration, from the preparation and submission of your application for registration (RD1) through to the submission of the thesis and the oral examination.
o Ensuring that you enrol and re-enrol on an annual basis. o Being the point of contact with the Faculty Research Degrees Administrator (FRDA), and with the
Research Degrees Co-ordinator in the department or Faculty. o Your DoS must be a member of the University but if they are not attending the University (through
leave of absence, extended illness etc), one of the other supervisors will be designated as your point of contact.
o The DoS is normally your main academic supervisor but in some cases this role may be split if, for example, the main academic supervisor is external to the University.
o Advising on an appropriate supervisory team, which may include two or more supervisors in addition to the DoS and if appropriate, one or two advisers. Supervisors and advisors may be external to the University.
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o Leading the supervisory team and being responsible for ensuring that duties are allotted and performed and that all members of the supervisory team are actively involved in the supervision. This includes allocating hours to the team.
o Ensuring you attend the required workshops and engage in appropriate personal development through engaging with the Researcher Development Framework.
o Discussing your Training Needs Analysis and your personal, professional and career development and the updating of the My Skills section within Skills Forge.
o The completion of the DoS report within the Annual Review process in a timely manner to allow sufficient time for the reviewer to conduct the annual review meeting in advance of the September enrolment period.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SUPERVISORY TEAM
The supervisory team need to:
o Help you feel at home in your Department, Faculty, the University, and in the wider context of the region and sub-region.
o Give general guidance on such matters as: the nature of research; academic standards; planning; literature and other sources; methods and techniques; ethical issues in your research. In addition, where appropriate, propose the appointment of a suitable advisor.
o Assist you in navigating through official procedures, and ensure that deadlines are met. o Maintain regular and frequent formal contact with you. Where you have not been in contact with
the supervisory team for some time, e.g. 6 weeks, it is the supervisory team's responsibility to make contact with you. Your understanding of ‘regular’ and ‘frequent’ should be discussed, negotiated and agreed with your DoS and supervisory team.
o Be accessible to give you informal advice. o Obtain progress reports and other written work, and provide constructive criticism promptly within
agreed timeframes. o Consider and advise on any training or formal instruction which you need, including research and
personal skills. o Make you aware of inadequate progress or other impediments to the successful completion of your
research within the required duration. o Ensure that you re-enrol with the University on an annual basis. o Ensure that you make a positive contribution through your work within the University and through
the choice of area of study, research methods and analysis, to promoting diversity and equal opportunities within the University and the community.
How the DoS distributes these responsibilities amongst the team will depend on individual strengths and interests, and your particular needs.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE STUDENT
You are responsible for:
o Negotiating with your supervisors to establish what kind of help and guidance is appropriate, what form it should take and frequency of meetings.
o Complying with the requirements of official procedures and submitting forms and paperwork within the agreed timeframes.
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o Engaging with the Researcher Development Framework (RDF) and attending workshops as part of your skills development.
o Maintaining regular and frequent formal contact with your supervisory team. o Maintaining progress with the research, along lines agreed with your supervisors. o Informing your supervisors of problems or difficulties as early as possible, seeking their help or
advice and where necessary applying for extensions, suspensions, withdrawals or changes in your mode of study.
o Delivering progress reports and other written material as required in sufficient time to allow adequate comment, discussion, and providing evidence of progression at your Annual Review.
o Maintaining My Skills section on Skills Forge to keep a record of training and development undertaken.
o Attending formal supervisory meetings and recording the agreed actions using the RD9 form. o Taking advantage of opportunities for the development of personal skills, knowledge and experience
and for the dissemination of your research. o Ensuring that your thesis is of an adequate standard for the award. o Submitting your thesis (at your sole discretion) in compliance with the University's Regulations. o Re-enrolling with the University on an annual basis, even if you have submitted your thesis but have
not had your degree conferred. o Providing the necessary information for annual monitoring purposes. o Working in an ethical manner and in ways that promote diversity and equal opportunities within the
University and outside it. o Making a positive contribution through your work within the University and through the choice of
area of study, research methods and analysis to promote diversity and equal opportunities within the University and the community.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE INDEPENDENT REVIEWER
At your Annual Review the role of the Independent Reviewer will be to:
o Check your research work is progressing satisfactorily. o Check that adequate resources have been made available for you to undertake your research. o Check that the due processes and administrative procedures are all in place. o Check whether there is a satisfactory relationship with the supervisory team. o Discuss your personal and professional development through the use of the Personal Development
Portfolio and engagement with the Researcher Development Framework. o Examine evidence of record keeping and work undertaken ensuring you have received adequate
formal supervisory meetings and kept an action plan of the meetings using the RD9 forms. o Check literature reviews, the transfer report and other reports are produced as may be required.
AGREEMENT ON RESPONSIBILITIES
The student/supervisor relationship exists in many forms and it is important that you and members of your supervisory team all agree on how you are going to work together. This agreement should help you in the successful completion of your research degree.
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6. APPLYING FOR REGISTRATION (RD1)
Registration for a research degree takes place following the submission of an application for registration (RD1) on Skills Forge. The FRDC will ensure, by examining your application, that:
o The research is academically sound; o it is ethical; o there is a high probability of you successfully completing the project within the period of your
registration; o you are embarking on a viable research programme; o the supervisory team is appropriate and likely to be sustained; and o appropriate facilities are available for you to conduct your research.
NB: If you are undertaking a PhD by Published Work, guidance on the registration process is provided within separate guidelines for PhD by Published Work under Supporting Materials on the Graduate School website. You need to submit your application for registration within 3 months (full-time) or 6 months (part-time).
TRANSFERRING FROM ANOTHER INSTITUTION
If you are transferring from another institution you must still complete form RD1 together with a report of progress to date and provide a letter from your original institution where you were registered indicating the period spent on the research degree. If the transfer into Manchester Met. is with your existing Director of Studies, you may (if approved) continue at the same stage of registration. However, if the transfer is independent a maximum reduction to the registration period of one year will be available for full-time students (two years for part-time students).
PERIODS OF REGISTRATION
The periods from registration to thesis submission and conferment of award are given in and are indicated below. These are calculated from your start date and are formally confirmed when your RD1 is approved. Thesis Submission deadline Conferment deadlne Master of Research (MRes) full-time 12 months 24 months part-time 24 months 36 months Master's (MA/MSc/LLM) by research full-time 12 months 24 months part-time 24 months 36 months MPhil full-time 18 months 30 months part-time 36 months 48 months [NB: This includes via transfer from Master's (MA/MSc/LLM) by research]
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PhD and other doctorates, ie, MD unless otherwise specified. full-time 36 months 48 months part-time 72 months 84 months [NB: This includes via transfer from Master's (MA/MSc/LLM) by research or MPhil and including any period of Master's (MA/MSc/LLM) by research and/or MPhil registration] PhD (by Published Work – route 1) full-time 24 months 36 months part-time 48 months 60 months PhD (by Published Work – route 2) full-time 6 months 18 months part-time 12 months 24 months PhD (by Practice – route 3) full-time 36 months 48 months part-time 72 months 84 months Professional Doctorates unless specified full-time 36 months 48 months part-time 60 months 72 months When your application for registration has been approved by the FRDC you and your DoS will be sent an email confirming the approval of your registration and importantly providing you with confirmation of your thesis submission deadline date. Important: You should familiarise yourself with your thesis submission deadline date so you can manage your research project accordingly to meet this date.
OBTAINING THE APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION FORM (FORM RD1)
The first thing you will need to complete is the RD1 (Application for Registration) form on Skills Forge.
COMPLETING THE APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION
The application consists of 2 elements:
i) The application form (RD1) and supporting documentation. ii) A research proposal.
We hope that you will find completing the form straightforward. The following guidance is intended to answer any queries you might have.
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You may also find it helpful to look at examples of completed proposals some are available online on the Graduate School website or your supervisory team and Departmental Research Degrees Co-ordinator may be able to provide examples. There is a workshop entitled ‘Writing your Proposal’ that you may wish to attend which provides useful guidance and identifies good practice. Dates of the workshops are available in the Student Development Programme. If you have any difficulties that you or your DoS are unable to resolve, please contact your Faculty Research Degrees Administrator.
I) THE APPLICATION FORM (RD1)
You will be guided on Skills Forge through the RD1 form and will not be able to submit it any further until all the mandatory sections are completed or specific documentation is uploaded. If you are uncertain what needs to be uploaded with the application, please discuss this with your DoS.
STUDENT DETAILS
This section will be pre-populated from the Student Records System but please check that the details are correct.
THE RESEARCH PROJECT
The title should be concise and indicate the topic of your research. It only needs to be a working title at this stage and can be amended at any point up to submission. You will need to upload the following to Skills Forge.
Your proposal (See below for further details about what to include in the proposal).
A project timeline such as a Gantt Chart indicating the key milestones within your project. Examples of how to create a Gantt Chart are available on the Graduate School website.
The University needs to record if you are undertaking any element of your research degree overseas. This may be for fieldwork, to collect data or use particular facilities. If an overseas visit is included in your research degree, you should indicate this in this section of the RD1 form.
If your project involves creative work where a performance or an installation is to be included as part of the examination process, the University needs to be made aware of this on the RD1 form so as to ensure appropriate procedures are in place for the examination.
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ETHICS
In this section, you need to complete the Ethics checklist to indicate whether there are any ethical issues raised by the research and upload this to your RD1 form. If you have identified that there are ethical issues, these will be confirmed within the RD1A (Scrutineer’s Report) once you have submitted your RD1 and proposal. However, you will then need to apply for ethics approval from your Head of Faculty Ethics or if you are working with the NHS you will need to follow the NHS ethical approval procedures. If you have already obtained ethical approval or have submitted an Ethical Application Form and are awaiting the approval, you can upload your approval letter or application form and supporting documents into Skills Forge. The deadline for the submission of the Ethical Application Form will be added into Skills Forge. If the ethics checklist indicates that you need to complete the security sensitive information form then this can be uploaded into Skills Forge. The University needs to ensure that all research has the correct levels of insurance so you are required to complete and upload the insurance checklist. You need to attach a risk assessment to the RD1 form to demonstrate that you have considered the risks within your research project. Finally, on this section you are asked to tick that you have completed the Research Integrity Training. This is an online package, which is available on the Research Student Community Moodle area
INDUCTION
You are required to attend the Faculty Induction programme, which is compulsory. It is advisable that you attend at the earliest opportunity as you are required to indicate the date on the RD1 form. You must also complete the online induction package. You are also required to complete the online induction.
SUPPORTING PROGRAMME
As a research student you are expected to engage with the Researcher Development Framework (RDF) on Vitae’s website at: http://www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers/428241/Vitae-Researcher-Development-Framework.html and undertake a supporting programme of studies in order to attain competence in research methods, key transferable skills, employment related skills and knowledge related to the subject of the thesis. In line with research council guidance, full-time research students should undertake at least two weeks-worth of skills development per year. If you consider that you already have appropriate competence and/or knowledge, and wish to apply for exemption from the programme, you need to attach evidence of prior formal training to your application. Further information on supporting studies and skills development can be found on page 23.
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SUPPORT FROM COLLABORATING ESTABLISHMENT
A collaborating establishment is an external organisation that is actively involved in or supporting the research by providing facilities such as studio space, laboratories or other resources, which may also include supervision. Although the involvement of an external supervisor does not necessarily mean that the institution is a collaborating establishment. The Faculty must assure itself that any facilities provided by a collaborating establishment to enable the research project to be conducted and completed are available. The name of the collaborating establishment should be given and confirmation of approval and details of the facilities being provided by a collaborating establishment must be uploaded.
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
If there are any additional or specialist facilities (such as particular library materials, specialist laboratory or computing facilities) upon which your research depends, brief details should be given in this section. There is no need to give details of facilities commonly available.
DECLARATION
You need to sign the form to confirm that you are not undertaking another degree qualification whilst studying for your research degree and that you will submit your thesis and undertake the oral examination [where required] in English. In addition, the signing of the form confirms that you are familiar with the Regulations and supporting documentation.
APPROVAL BY HEAD OF DEPARTMENT
Once you have completed the application online it will automatically through Skills Forge be sent to your supervisory team and the Head of Department. They will complete the section in which they confirm that the resources are available to support the research.
SUBMISSION OF FORM TO FACULTY RESEARCH DEGREES ADMINISTRATOR
The Faculty Research Degrees Administrator will then receive the online form and will check to ensure all the relevant attachments have been uploaded and are sufficient.
APPROVAL
Once the form has been checked by the Faculty Research Degrees Administrator it will then be sent to your Faculty Research Degrees Committee together with your proposal and supporting documentation, for consideration.
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II) THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL
You are required to submit a research proposal with the RD1 form. This should be approximately 1000 words (±10%) in length and no smaller than size 12 font. It must be stressed that the complete proposal (including text and key references) should not extend beyond this limit. If your proposal is longer than this, it will be returned to be shortened. You should aim to describe your research in a way that will make it comprehensible to non-experts and will enable the scrutineers and Head of Faculty Research Degrees to assess your application. The proposal should include:
A) ACADEMIC AIMS OF THE INVESTIGATION
The aims should be clear and precise. They should indicate, in essence, what you will expect to have achieved on completion of your research project. Note that the aims of an investigation cannot be "to investigate" something. The aims should be formulated to indicate the outcome of the investigation: what you want to find out, not how you mean to do it. Rather than saying "to investigate", appropriate expressions might be "to identify", "to establish" or "to contribute to the understanding of". The aims should be presented as the first paragraph of the proposal and it is helpful if the paragraphs are numbered.
B) DESCRIPTION OF THE RESEARCH TO BE UNDERTAKEN
You should provide a short statement in simple terms that refers to previous work with properly cited references (which will be listed as the last part of the outline of your proposal) and shows how your research 'fits in'. This usually involves identifying a gap or a controversy in existing knowledge. It explains why you are doing the research. If you are applying to register for a PhD you will need to indicate the significant contribution to knowledge which your research is expected to make.
C) METHODS TO BE USED
You need to indicate how you expect to achieve the stated aims. You should give a concise, clear description of what you intend to do. It is helpful if you bear in mind the aims you have listed and, in describing the proposed research, state explicitly how it relates to the aims. One problem you may find is that it is sometimes difficult to describe what is to be done beforehand, since the later stages of the research will be determined by the early stages. Nevertheless, it is necessary for you to describe in sufficient detail what you plan to do so that a decision can be taken as to whether the proposal is feasible. If your proposal involves some form of quantitative data collection and analysis, it is essential that you indicate what form the data will take and how it will be analysed. Statements such as "a questionnaire will be distributed and the responses analysed using the computer" are not adequate, and raise the suspicion that you have not foreseen what the data will be like or precisely how it will be analysed. You must be able to demonstrate a reasonable understanding of these matters. If you and your supervisor are unclear about how the data will be collected and/or analysed, you should obtain expert guidance. This may involve recruiting a member of staff to act as an adviser. If your proposed programme is one in which your own creative work forms a significant part of the intellectual enquiry, you must ensure that you include at the end of your outline the form of the submission and the proposed methods of assessment.
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D) KEY REFERENCES
At the end, you need to give the references that have been cited in the text. A comprehensive and detailed bibliography is not required and no more than six key references should be included. References should be listed in a conventional academic style used by your subject area.
SCRUTINY OF RD1 FORM, PROPOSAL AND ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTATION
When your RD1 form is submitted to your Faculty Research Degrees Administrator, he/she will check that the documentation uploaded on Skills Forge is appropriate and fully completed. The RD1 form and all the documents will be sent electronically to two independent academic staff (scrutineers) to review. The two scrutineers will complete the RD1A form with their recommendation. The reports will be considered by the FRDC. Please note that during the period following the submission of your RD1, when you are awaiting the outcome, you can continue with your research whilst your registration is being considered by the FRDC.
CONSIDERATION BY FACULTY RESEARCH DEGREES COMMITTEE
Your RD1 application will be considered by the FRDC or the Head of Faculty Research Degrees may consider applications independently on Chair’s action. Hence, the reason that the outline of the research proposal is clear and concise. Following consideration by the FRDC, the decision will be forwarded to the University Research Degrees Committee for ratification. The FRDC may make one of the following decisions:
1. Approve the application. 2. Approve the application and offer advice intended to be helpful to you in the development of your
project. 3. Approve the application subject to a specific condition/conditions being met. 4. Not approve the application at this stage and refer it back for discussion with the supervisory team
and/or Head of Faculty Research Degrees. In this case the application will need to be revised to the satisfaction of the Head of Faculty Research Degrees who will recommend approval of the application by either Chair’s action or referral to the University Research Degrees Committee.
CONSIDERATION BY THE RESEARCH DEGREES COMMITTEE
Once a decision has been made by the FRDC, unless it is referred to the Research Degrees Committee for consideration, the decision will be ratified by the Committee. You will be notified of the decision via Skills Forge. Where registration is approved an email will be sent confirming the details of your registration. This will include your thesis submission deadline date, which is calculated from your start date. Where your application has been approved subject to condition(s) being met, you will be notified of what needs to be done and once the condition(s) has/have been met, an email confirming your registration (as above) will be issued. Where your application has not been approved, notification will be sent setting out the reasons for the decision and containing advice on revisions that need to be made. You should arrange a meeting with your DoS as soon as possible to discuss the contents of the email. If there is any doubt about the revisions, the Head of Faculty Research Degrees will be pleased to help.
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CHANGES IN APPROVED ARRANGEMENTS
It is sometimes necessary to change arrangements that have been approved by the FRDC. For example, new supervisors may be required, you may need to take time off from your research degree or you may need to extend the time required to complete your project. Please discuss these with your DoS beforehand. As you might expect, there are processes for such circumstances: RD3 - Application for change in approved arrangements for supervision RD4 - Application for extension of period of registration RD5 - Application for suspension of period of registration RDCP - Notification of Change in Approved Programme of Study It is assumed that the title of your research project is a working title so may be changed and amended at any time up to the submission of the form RD6 (Application for Approval of Examiners). However, if your research changes substantially from that approved by the FRDC, then you will have to complete an RDCP form which will need to be approved by the FRDC. All of these forms are available for completion on Skills Forge. More detailed guidance on the submission of an application for Suspension and Extension is available on the Graduate School Website. Please note that if you do not meet your thesis submission deadline and apply for an extension (RD4), you are liable for the payment of non-submission fees. For 2017/18 the first period non-submission fee is: First Period (First 12 month’s extension to the submission due date): Home/EU students (full time and part time) fees £780 annual fee (£65 per month charged in line with approved extension period) Overseas/Channel Island students (full time and part time) £2,280 annual fee (£190 per month charged in line with approved extension period) For further information on the second period of non-submission and beyond, see the Finance Regulations for Postgraduate Research Student for more details.
SUPPORTING PROGRAMME
The University Regulations indicate that candidates shall normally follow an approved supporting programme equivalent to two-weeks’ worth per academic year (one week for part-time students) in order to attain competence in research methods, knowledge related to the subject of the thesis and employability and transferable skills. Skills development is an integral part of the work for your degree and it’s important that the scope and content of your supporting programme is agreed in discussion with your DoS. The importance of the research methods part of the programme becomes evident by a detailed description, in your thesis, of your chosen method of research together with an explanation of the reasons behind your choice. In some disciplines, it may also be necessary to include a brief discussion of the methods that have not been chosen to be used.
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You will be required to complete a training needs analysis as part of your RD1, which you will need to update on a regular basis and in particular prior to your Annual Review (RDAR). The Researcher Development Framework (RDF) is a professional development framework for researchers developed by Vitae (http://www.vitae.ac.uk/). It articulates the knowledge, behaviours and attributes of successful researchers. By using the framework, you are encouraged to aspire to higher levels of excellence. Please note: A programme of supporting studies must be followed unless you have gained exemption when your RD1 was approved. This is tailored to meet your individual requirements and may include attendance at Graduate School or Faculty workshops, other internal or external training, conference or seminar attendance or presentations and online learning.
I) WORKSHOPS OR SHORT COURSES
The core of your supporting programme will probably be through attendance at workshops, seminars, or short courses offered by the University. The Graduate School provides a Research Student Development Programme, which has a variety of workshops such as writing your proposal, poster design and presentation, writing your thesis and the oral examination, career development and sessions from the library that you may wish to attend at various points within your research degree. Faculties also provide a range of workshops or have seminar series. There may also be opportunities to attend external workshops or seminars; regionally, nationally and internationally. Keep a look out on Moodle, the web, through the Facebook group or speak to your DoS/supervisory team about any possibilities within your own field.
(II) POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMMES
Taught masters programmes are offered in all faculties and many include units on research methodology. Your DoS should be aware of existing units that might be of benefit to you, but it should be stressed that no research student has an automatic right to attend elements of other courses. If there are spare places on units, departments are usually only too pleased to let you attend.
(III) SEMINARS AND CONFERENCES
An exciting way of finding out about research is to listen to presentations by others. There are a wide range of research seminars offered by faculties, departments and Research Centres around the University. You should keep a look out on notice boards, through email circulars, Research Centre websites, the Research Student Facebook Group, Research Student Community on Moodle and Twitter. The Graduate School hosts an annual Research Student Conference, organised by Student Representatives, which you are encouraged to attend. The University takes part in the 3 Minute Thesis competition, where you are challenged to present your research and its significance to a non-specialist audience in just 3 minutes. Keep a look out on the Graduate School website for when the competition is running next. Look out for external conferences and workshops that you may wish to attend. These can be specifically for research students around the country [see www.vitae.ac.uk].
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In addition, there are national and international conferences that you may be able to attend in your own field to disseminate your research. Every research student should be given the opportunity to present a discussion of what they are doing to a friendly audience. It is very good training to have to explain why, how and what you are doing, plus what it all means, in less than twenty minutes. You should ask your DoS or supervisory team to see if it is possible for you to present your work to an appropriate group and if there is funding available for you to attend seminars and conferences. The Graduate School has a small conference fund and students are invited to read the guidance notes on eligibility and to submit applications for funding using the RDCF form available on the Graduate School website at: http://www2.mmu.ac.uk/graduate-school/events-conferences/
(IV) USING THE LIBRARY
The Library website is the starting point to discover information and resources for your research. In addition
to printed publications such as books and journals, the Library provides access to a wide range of online
journals, databases, and other resources.
The Library runs a number of workshops as part of the Research Student Development Programme to help
you as a research student. This includes workshops on Endnote, the University’s preferred reference
management tool, advanced searching techniques, and citation searching.
e-space is Manchester Met’s institutional repository. It aims to collect and preserve all of the research output
of Manchester Met. and make it freely accessible online. When you have been awarded your degree, your
thesis will be made available in e-space.
(V) STUDENT SUPPORT
Student Services aims to enhance the student experience by providing access to a range of facilities and support to all students. This includes Counselling Services, Chaplaincy, Careers and Employability, Sport, International Office (support for overseas students) and the Learner Development Service (support for disabled students and students with dyslexia).
(VI) FACULTY STUDENT SUPPORT OFFICERS
The Faculty Student Support Officers can offer impartial advice and guidance on a range of academic and
pastoral issues and provide study skills support within each of their faculties.
(VII) ENGLISH LANGUAGE CENTRE
English Language Services for International Students (ELSIS) provides free English classes and one-to-one
tutorials for international students.
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7. APPLYING FOR PROGRESSION OR TRANSFER OF REGISTRATION (RD2)
This section provides guidance for students registered either for a Master's (MA/MSc/LLM) by research or MPhil who wish to apply to transfer to MPhil or PhD respectively. Please also see the Research Degree Regulations and the Institutional Code of Practice. Students who start on the PhD will be required to undertake progression monitoring through the same process.
WHEN TO APPLY
To apply for progression or to transfer your registration you must submit your RD2 form together with a progression or transfer report at the following time [see also the Student Journey]: Full-time Part-time Master's (by research) to MPhil or PhD 6 months 12 months MPhil to PhD 12 months 24 months Progression 12 months 24 months
SUBMITTING THE PROGRESSION OR TRANSFER REPORT
You will need to complete the RD2 form on Skills Forge and upload your completed progression or transfer report and abstract. These will then be submitted to two scrutineers, who are normally the same academic staff who scrutinized your RD1 proposal. They will provide a report using the RD2A form. The Scrutineers will consider:
o The structure and presentation of your report; o is the literature appraisal succinct and related to the field of work; o the appropriateness of the aims and objectives; o confirm the appropriateness of the research methods used; o the results and discussion and progress to date; o the conclusions and indication of the way forward, o the expected significant contribution to knowledge (if PhD). o Check the relationship between the report and the original aims given in the RD1.
THE APPLICATION FOR PROGRESSION OR TRANSFER
The application consists of 4 parts:
i. The application form (RD2). ii. The progression or transfer report.
iii. A one-page abstract of the report. iv. A viva voce
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(I) THE APPLICATION FOR PROGRESSION OR TRANSFER
You will need to complete the Application for Progression or Transfer of Registration [RD2] form on Skills Forge.
(II) THE PROGRESSION OR TRANSFER REPORT
The main document required in support of your application is the progression or transfer report, which you will need to write. Preparing the report is beneficial in that it will give you experience in writing at the appropriate standard and it should form a significant contribution to your thesis. Much of the content of the progression or transfer report could form the first draft of parts of the final thesis, which has to contain sections on the work of other people, methodology, results etc. as does the report. The content and style of the progression or transfer report will inevitably vary from subject to subject, but it should incorporate the following:
a. The aims of your programme as detailed in your original application for registration (Form RD1).
b. The aims of the programme leading to MPhil or PhD. c. A critical literature review of the findings of other workers in the field of enquiry. d. A full description of the methods and/or methodology used. e. Details of results obtained. You should also indicate how the aims specified on the RD1
Form have been achieved. If these aims have been altered, the report should indicate how any new aims have been satisfied.
f. Discussion of the work already undertaken and conclusions drawn at this stage of the work. The relative extent of discussion and conclusions will vary considerably from subject to subject. If difficulties are experienced, expert advice should be sought from experienced supervisors in the appropriate field.
g. A full description of the intended further work which, in the case of Master's (MA/MSc/LLM) by research will develop your project to MPhil or PhD level, and in the case of transfer from MPhil to PhD.
For the progression or transfer report you must include details of the significant contribution to knowledge which is likely to emerge. This part of the report should be sufficiently detailed to give clear and precise indications of the development of your project and, in the case of transfer, indicate how the work proposed becomes MPhil or PhD standard. You are advised to avoid giving the impression that you will simply be doing ‘more of the same’ kind of work. You need to identify how your work will develop to the next level. If your DoS has queries about this, they will seek advice from the Departmental Research Degrees Co-ordinator or Head of Faculty Research Degrees. Research projects change and evolve. In some research projects it may not be possible to adhere exactly to the research project envisaged at the time of registration. Minor variations are normal and do not present a problem. Your project title is a working title and may be amended slightly at any point up to submission. If, however, there are substantial differences between the original project and the project which has emerged in the course of the development of your research, an explanation should be incorporated in the progression or transfer report. If you are an overseas student undertaking your research in a subject area where you were required to gain an ATAS certificate, you may need to obtain further ATAS clearance if your work has changed substantially from your originally approved project. Taking account of the requirements specified in (a) to (g) above; the report should normally be between 5,000 and 6,000 words in length.
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(III) ABSTRACT
An abstract, a brief one-page summary of your report, should be included at the front of your progression or
transfer report.
(IV) THE PROGRESSION OR TRANSFER VIVA
When the RD2 has been completed, your progression or transfer report uploaded onto Skills Forge and the
Scrutineer’s reports (RD2A) have been received, you will be invited to attend a viva. The viva is intended to be
helpful by ensuring that you are on the right path and it will also provide you with experience of the viva voce
process.
The Faculty Research Degrees Administrator will contact the two Scrutineers and yourself to
arrange a mutually convenient date and time for the viva. The viva will be conducted by the two
Scrutineers and will normally last around one hour.
(V) OUTCOME
Following the viva there are four possible outcomes:
1. Progression or transfer be recommended. 2. Progression or transfer be recommended, subject to revisions to the progression or transfer report
(the deadline for revisions to be no more than 2 weeks for full-time students and 4 weeks for part-time students).
3. Progression or transfer not currently recommended. The progression or transfer report must be revised (within 4 weeks for full-time students or 8 weeks for part-time students) and presented for re-examination
4. Progression or transfer not currently recommended. The progression or transfer report must be revised (within 4 weeks for full-time students or 8 weeks for part-time students) and presented for re-examination and a second viva is required.
Only one resubmission is permitted after which the following options are available to the scrutineers:
1. The progression or transfer be recommended. 2. The progression or transfer be recommended, subject to revisions (deadline for revisions to be no
more than 2 weeks for full-time students and 4 weeks for part-time students). 3. Progression or transfer is not recommended.
The Scrutineer’s will complete the RD2B form following the viva voce and provide you with a copy of Part B of
the form, which indicates the outcome of the viva and any amendments required to the progression or transfer
report.
The outcome of the viva will be subject to approval by the Faculty Research Degrees Committee.
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Notification of outcome Following the approval of the progression or transfer report, you will be provided with an email confirming your thesis submission deadline date for the higher award or the continuation on the PhD. If your progression or transfer was not approved, you will be notified formally by email and provided with a thesis submission deadline date for the original award or in the case of PhD, where progression is not approved, you will be provided with a revised deadline for the submission of an MPhil. If you do not agree with the outcome of the progression or transfer process, you have the right to appeal the decision using the appeals procedure at http://www2.mmu.ac.uk/graduate-school/online-forms/complaints-and-appeals/.
8. ANNUAL REVIEW
The University makes every effort to ensure that you are able to make satisfactory progress with your research, that any problems that might arise are properly and quickly dealt with and that, where necessary, improvements can be made in both the support you receive and the general academic environment in which you work. To these ends, the University operates the annual monitoring system described below.
THE ANNUAL REVIEW
University Regulations require that during your period of registration you will be required to have an annual review. This is sometimes referred to as the RDAR process. The aim of the annual review is to establish whether you are actively engaged on the research programme, making satisfactory progress with the research, maintaining regular and frequent contact with your supervisory team. We also want to seek your views on your student experience. You will need to discuss your skills development so you should take your Personal Development Portfolio (PDP) (if you started prior to September 2016) to the review meeting. The review will be carried out by a member of academic staff who is independent of your supervisory team. The review is compulsory for all research students in the University. It will normally last no longer than one hour and will take place with an independent internal reviewer approved by your Head of Faculty Research Degrees. This process should be undertaken annually throughout your period of registration even if you are due to submit your thesis. You will not be permitted to re-enrol with the University if you have not had an annual review.
(I) PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PORTFOLIO OR COMPLETION OF MY SKILLS
Students who started prior to September 2016, were issued with a Personal Development Portfolio (PDP) at Induction for you to update throughout the year to maintain a record of your professional and personal development. You should discuss your PDP and career development with your DoS and your PDP folder should be made available to your reviewer at the annual review. Since September 2016 with the introduction of Skills Forge, continuing and new students will have access to a My Skills area on the system for the recording of developmental activities. You can print reports and
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transcripts off Skills Forge for discussion at your annual review. The aim is to identify, not only research skills but transferable skills related to your employability and professional development.
(II) APPOINTING A REVIEWER AND SETTING UP A MEETING
Following the appointment of the reviewer by the Head of Faculty Research Degrees, you will receive an email from your Faculty Research Degrees Administrator copied to your DoS indicating who your internal reviewer is and advising you to arrange a mutually convenient date to hold the annual review meeting. The reviewer will need to book a suitable venue. The same person may be appointed to review your progress in both years 1 and 2, as they would then, in year 2, already have an idea about your previous work and earlier progress. They may also be appointed as your internal examiner for your final degree oral examination later on. If you have any objections to the suggested reviewer, you should contact your Faculty Research Degrees Administrator or the Head of Faculty Research Degrees, who may then suggest an alternative reviewer completely independent of the supervisory team. The review is expected to take place any time after the start of the Easter term and should be completed before the start of the new academic year in September. Important: You will not be allowed to re-enrol without having undergone the annual review process.
(III) PRIOR TO THE REVIEW
Prior to the review meeting taking place, you are required to complete the Student Report section of the RDAR Form. When completed on Skills Forge this will automatically be submitted to your Faculty Research Degrees Administrator. The next stage is that you and your supervisors should ensure that you have in place, beforehand, all relevant documentation related to your progress. You must take with you to the review meeting your PDP, RD9 forms, the previous year’s Annual Review (if you are a returning student) and other related documentation that you consider relevant to evidence your progress on your degree. These can be either hard copy or preferably submitted electronically. Your DoS will receive the Director of Studies report to complete through Skills Forge which he/she is required to submit prior to your annual review meeting. You will be provided with a copy of your DoS’ report electronically prior to your annual review meeting.
(IV) THE REVIEW MEETING
PROGRESS TO DATE:
The meeting should normally last about one hour. At the meeting, the reviewer will be prepared to ask the following questions, for example, relating to your progress to date. This may also include reference to lack of such information: Have you registered? If you have registered you must show the RD1 form.
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If you have not registered then is your proposal being prepared? You must bring along with you any preparatory notes (NB. This will only be acceptable if you have been enrolled for less than 3 months full-time, or 6 months part-time, as all candidates must apply to register within that timeframe). What is your progress to date? You must provide evidence of literature work, posters, papers, reports, seminars etc. Are there any problems or issues identified? This may include ethical matters, resources, and difficulties with the work or subject. For students who are intending to transfer; where are you up to with your transfer report? You must take along with you any preparatory notes for the transfer report. For students who are preparing for progression, where are you at with the completion of the report? You must take along with you any preparatory notes or a draft of the progression report. Are you attending meetings regularly with your supervisory team? You must provide copies of RD9 forms to demonstrate you are having regular formal supervisory meetings. If you are having any issues with supervision, it is important to mention them at the meeting so that the University can seek a resolution.
THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE
The reviewer will discuss with you any problems related to resources, supporting infrastructure that may impact on your student experience. This may include:
o The level and activity of supervision related to both the University and any external supervisors. o The suitability and availability of equipment, etc. o IT support. o Library facilities-resources etc. o Industrial support. o Financial issues. o Whether the skills development opportunities are suitable, meet your requirements and feedback
how it can be enhanced. o Your conference attendance and/or poster presentations or seminar opportunities.
This information is used to compile the annual monitoring and evaluation action plan, so we welcome any constructive feedback that can be used to improve the student experience.
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Using your PDP and/or the My Skills section on Skills Forge, the reviewer may discuss with you appropriate goals for the forthcoming year in relation to perhaps - teaching/demonstrating experience, seminar attendance, computing skills, other professional or career development opportunities, etc.
ADVICE GIVEN
The final area for discussion relates to your progression on your research degree and may include comments and recommendations covering topics such as:
o Whether you have progressed well and achieved all the required skills. o If there any issues affecting your student experience. o Identify any areas of concern raised.
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o If there are any serious issues, such as issues with supervisory arrangements and how these can best be resolved. This may be in discussion with the Research Degrees Co-coordinator or Head of Faculty Research Degrees following the meeting.
(V) AFTER THE REVIEW
The Independent Reviewer has 3 days to complete their report and submit it electronically to the Faculty Research Degrees Administrator following your meeting. The Independent Reviewer will be asked to indicate the outcome of the review on the form, which can be as follows:
1. The student has made excellent progress 2. The student has made good progress 3. The student has made adequate progress 4. The student has not made adequate progress. It is recommended that the student follows the
unsatisfactory progress procedure under Supporting Materials (where applicable) You will then be provided electronically with a copy of the report from the Reviewer. Feedback on the student experience from the Annual Review meeting and reported on the RDAR form will be used to compile the annual Faculty Monitoring and Evaluation Action Plans where key points will be raised within the plan to improve the experience of research students. This will be forwarded to the Research Degrees Committee and Academic Board.
9. SUBMITTING YOUR THESIS AND THE ORAL EXAMINATION
The following is a step-by-step guide to the procedures for the submission and preliminary assessment of your thesis and its subsequent defence by oral examination (viva voce). Important! These notes should be read in conjunction with the University's Regulations, Institutional Code of Practice and any supporting documents relating to the assessment process. It is absolutely essential that the regulations are observed since if there is evidence of a material failure to comply with all the procedures of the examination process, the examination may be declared null and void. Your DoS will nominate and apply for the approval of examiners using the RD6 Form. The application should be submitted to the Faculty Research Degrees Administrator for approval at the Faculty Research Degrees Committee. Your DoS should obtain approval of your examination team at least three months before you are due to submit your thesis. It is important that you remind them of this because if there is a delay in submitting the RD6 form, this may delay your examination.
NOMINATION AND APPOINTMENT OF EXAMINERS
When you are getting close to completing the writing up of your thesis you should remind your DoS so that your examination team can be identified and be approved. The DoS will nominate examiners to the Faculty Research Degrees Committee for approval. This should be done at least three months before you are due to submit your thesis.
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An examining team normally comprises two examiners, of whom at least one must be an external examiner (two for members of University staff). An independent Chair shall also be appointed who will be responsible for chairing the examination and ensuring that the associated administration of the viva voce is completed satisfactorily. The Chair will not examine the thesis. A Chair is not required for Masters by Research as there is no viva unless requested for by the examiners following a resubmission. The examination team will be considered by the Faculty Research Degrees Committee who with a view to assuring itself that the examiners are experienced in research in the general area of your thesis and, where practicable, have specialist experience in the topic to be examined. The Committee will also wish to ensure that one or more members of the team have previous examining experience at the appropriate level. Your DoS will be notified in writing when the Committee has approved your examining team and the Research Degrees Officer in the Graduate School will notify the examiners of their appointment. The appointment of the examiners will have been confirmed by the time you are ready to submit your thesis. It is important that you have no formal contact with your external examiner(s) between their appointment and the oral examination.
REQUEST FOR EARLY SUBMISSION
If your research is progressing exceptionally well, you can submit a request for early submission to the Faculty Research Degrees Committee. This should be supported by your DoS and is submitted normally at the same time as the approval of examiners form (RD6).
REQUEST FOR CONFIDENTIALITY
If you require your thesis to remain confidential, an application must be made to the Faculty Research Degrees Committee. An application should normally be submitted at the time of the approval of examiners (RD6) and must be supported by your DoS. You must provide an outline in writing via email for the reason for the confidentiality request and the duration required. The Faculty Research Degrees Committee will normally only approve an application for confidentiality in order to enable a patent application to be filed, if there is commercially sensitive data or to protect the legitimate interest of stakeholders. The period of confidentiality shall not normally exceed two years from the date of the oral examination. However, in exceptional circumstances the Faculty Research Degrees Committee may approve a longer period. During this confidentiality period, the abstract only, will be published on e-Space until the embargo period has lapsed, when the full thesis will be displayed.
PREPARATION OF YOUR THESIS
There are a number of presentational aspects of your thesis, which your supervisors should have discussed with you. The University has specific requirements that are detailed below. You should note that your thesis cannot be examined until the format is correct.
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The Research Student Development Programme contains sessions on writing your thesis and understanding the oral examination. You should attend these sessions. It is advisable that you and your DoS arrange a mock viva. There are also video clips on the Graduate School website to provide hints and tips on your submission and examination. The University Library holds copies of successful Masters (by Research), MPhil and PhD theses, which are available for reference. You may also wish to look on e-Space, the University’s open-access digital repository, for more recent submissions. If your research involves the presentation of work partly in another form other than written (this may include an installation or a performance), reference to this should have been made in your application for registration (RD1). If, however, it becomes clear at a later stage that your thesis will involve such a presentation, then you should contact the Faculty Research Degrees Administrator as soon as possible since this will necessitate special application to the Faculty Research Degrees Committee.
You may want to submit your work to Turnitin prior to formally submitting your thesis to ensure there are no
issues with citation or references. It can also help you improve your academic writing as you will get feedback
on your use of quotations, citation and referencing and therefore you may want to test your work with
Turnitin at an early stage of your writing e.g when you have written your first chapter. To submit your thesis
to Turnitin see http://moodle.mmu.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=46599.
RESEARCH MISCONDUCT
PLAGIARISM
Copying and presenting someone else’s work without acknowledgement may be construed as attempting to pass
that work off as your own. This is called plagiarism. The intent of the act cannot be proven and is therefore not
always considered. Whether accidental or deliberate, it is still plagiarism. Manchester Met. takes the act of
plagiarism very seriously. It is important for researchers to understand plagiarism including when you’re writing
your thesis and for supervisory teams when writing journal articles originating from the study material.
Agree and document what work was carried out and by whom
Be clear that you acknowledge all those who had input into the research
Be clear in referencing work you use from the research, citing all work that has been published and/or in
Make sure you are familiar with the accepted referencing system, including the use of direct quotes.
You are expected to maintain the highest professional integrity in research practice and publication. Where there
are allegations of plagiarism or any other form of academic misconduct, this will be investigated through the
Procedure for the Investigation in Misconduct in Research and the Academic Misconduct Procedures Examples
of what is considered as research misconduct are identified within the above procedure.
If you need further advice and guidance on writing support, please contact either your supervisory team or your Faculty Student Support Officer
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EDITORIAL SUPPORT ON YOUR THESIS2
When you submit your thesis it must be solely your own work (except where the Regulations permit the
inclusion of appropriately referenced collaborative research or work). You must not appoint or employ a
‘ghost writer’ to write parts or all of your thesis, whether in draft or as a final version.
Editors, whether they are your supervisory teams, informal mentors, family or friends or professional proof-
readers or editors, need to be clear about the extent and nature of help they offer to you in their editing role.
Supervisors also need to be clear about the role of the ‘third party’ editors as well as their own editorial role.
You may use ‘third party’ editorial assistance or proof-readers (paid or voluntary) from an outside source.
However, this must be with the knowledge and support of your Director of Studies and it must strictly follow
the guidelines.
It is your responsibility to provide Editors or proof-readers with a copy of this statement and to ensure that
you complete the Declaration Form (RDDEC) confirming your compliance with this statement.
A ‘third party’ editor cannot be used to:
Change the text of the thesis so as to clarify and/or develop the ideas and arguments;
Reduce the length of the thesis so it falls within the specified word limit;
Correct information within the thesis;
Change ideas and arguments put forward within the thesis; and/or
Translate the thesis into English.
A ‘third party’ editor can be used to offer advice on:
Spelling and punctuation;
Formatting and sorting of footnotes and endnotes for consistency and order;
Ensuring the thesis follows the conventions of grammar and syntax in written English;
Shortening long sentences and editing long paragraphs;
Changing passives and impersonal usages into actives, vice versa as may be appropriate;
Improving the positioning of tables and illustrations and the clarity, grammar, spelling and
punctuation of any text in or under tables and illustrations; and
Ensuring consistency of page numbers, headers and footers.
THESIS FORMAT FOR EXAMINATION
You must ensure that the format of your thesis is in accordance with the following requirements for your examination:
2 The University wishes to acknowledge the University of Birmingham in compiling this statement
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(a) Theses shall normally be in A4 format; although the Faculty Research Degrees Committee may give permission for a thesis to be submitted in another format.
(b) 2 soft perfect bound paper copies of the thesis shall be submitted in typescript and 1 copy of thesis submitted electronically in either PDF or Word via email, on a CD or pen drive.
(c) The paper copies of your thesis should be submitted in perfect binding (glued) with a soft cover. This can be either cardboard, paper or plastic film. Please note that spiral binding or other loose-leave formats is not acceptable.
(d) The paper thesis may be printed on one or both sides of the paper; which shall be white and within the range 70 g/m2 to 100 g/m2.
(e) The margin at the left-hand binding edge of the page shall not be less than 40mm; other margins shall not be less than 15mm.
(f) Double or 1.5 spacing shall be used in the typescript except for indented quotations or footnotes where single spacing may be used.
(g) Pages shall be numbered consecutively through the main text including photographs and/or diagrams included as whole pages.
(h) The title page shall give the following information:
i. Full title of the thesis
ii. Full name of the author iii. Degree awarded by the University iv. Award for which the thesis is submitted v. Title(s) of the department(s) or other unit(s) of the University
vi. Collaborating Establishment(s), if any vii. month and year of submission
(i) Arial, Tahoma or Calibri are the preferred fonts and the font size should normally be 12
point; (j) Diagrams or graphs should be clear and legible and any colours used should be
distinguishable. (k) Copies of relevant material published by the student in advance of the examination of the
thesis should be bound within the initial paper thesis submitted for examination or placed in an adequately secured pocket at the end of the thesis.
(l) A single page abstract of approximately 300 words should be included in the thesis which shall provide a synopsis of the thesis stating the nature and scope of the work undertaken and of the contribution made to the knowledge of the subject treated.
(m) The text of the thesis should normally not exceed the following length (excluding ancillary data such as footnotes, bibliographies, diagrams and references): Science and engineering subjects for a PhD 40,000 words for an MPhil 20,000 words for a Master's (by research) 15,000 words Other subject areas for a PhD/MD 80,000 words
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for an MPhil 40,000 words for a Master's (by research) 30,000 words Doctor of Clinical Science (DClinSci) 30,000-40,000 words Where the thesis forms part B of a professional doctorate programme, for example, the EdD then the thesis should normally be around: 40,000 – 60,000 words Where the thesis is accompanied by material in other than written form or the research involves creative writing or the preparation of a scholarly edition, the written thesis should normally be within the range: for a PhD/professional doctorate 30,000 - 40,000 words for an MPhil 15,000 - 20,000 words for a Master's (by research) 10,000 - 15,000 words PhD by Publication (routes 1 & 2) The analytical commentary (thesis) which accompanies the submission should be within the range: 10,000 -15,000 words PhD by Professional Practice (route 3) The analytical commentary (thesis) which accompanies the submission should be within the range: 10,000 – 30,000 words
A thesis that is substantially in excess of the recommended word length without sufficient justification may be a reason for rejection by the examination team.
SUBMISSION OF THE THESIS FOR EXAMINATION Important: The submission of your thesis for examination is made solely at your discretion. Whilst it would be unwise to submit your thesis against the advice of your supervisors, it is your right to do so. On the other hand, you should realise that a supervisor's agreement to submission does not guarantee the award of the degree. Please note: Your thesis must be submitted for examination to your Faculty Research Degrees Administrator for checking and forwarding to the Research Degrees Officer in the Graduate School on or before your submission deadline date - this is your responsibility.
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You should note that it may take up to about 3 months from the date you submit your thesis to the date of the oral examination if you are an MPhil, PhD, EdD student, since time is taken up with the examiner’s preliminary assessment of your thesis (see below) and the arrangements for the oral examination. Thesis Submission Checklist
1) 2 copies of your thesis printed and submitted in a soft perfect bound format following the formatting guidance on page 35.
2) 1 electronic copy of your thesis submitted on a CD, pen-drive or via email. 3) The Declaration Form (RDDEC) completed via Skills Forge.
Please note: you will also be required to provide confirmation when you submit your thesis to the Faculty Research Degrees Administrator that you are currently enrolled as a student with the University. You will also need to ensure that you have no outstanding fees. This may cause delay to your examination if there are any fees outstanding. For MPhil, PhD, EdD students, the Graduate School recommends that you print a further two copies of your thesis; one for yourself to take into your oral examination and a second copy for your DoS. Once you have submitted your thesis to the Faculty , before it is sent out to the examiners it will be submitted to Turnitin for plagiarism checking in accordance with emerging good practice across the Higher Education sector. Your Director of Studies will be asked to confirm that no plagiarism is identified within the thesis. Where the DoS considers that there may be an allegation of plagiarism this will be investigated in accordance with the University’s Procedure for the Investigation of Misconduct in Research and the Procedure for Handling Academic Misconduct. Timeline For information, the normal timeframe following the submission of your thesis is as follows:
Action Timeframe (cumulative)
Submission of thesis and Form RDDEC –You’re your Faculty Research Degrees Administrator. (2 soft perfect or sure bound copies of your thesis plus an e-copy are required)
By thesis submission deadline date
FRDA sends e-thesis and RDDEC-A to the Graduate School who submits thesis through Turnitin. The originality report is sent to your DoS with the RDDEC-B form.
1 week
DoS returns RDDEC-B form to the Graduate School
2 weeks
FRDA contacted for soft bound copies and thesis is sent out to the examiners by the Graduate School
1 week
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Examiners are given 6 weeks to read the thesis and submit report form
6 weeks
Viva voce examination takes place In total this takes place approximately 8- 10 weeks from the date the thesis is sent out to the examiners.
You will be sent email notification to keep you informed of the progression of your examination.
PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF THE THESIS
In the next stage, the Research Degrees Officer in the Graduate School will forward your thesis to the examiners for the examination. The thesis is read and given a preliminary assessment by each of the examiners, separately, who then submit independent reports to the Graduate School. In completing the reports, each examiner must consider whether the thesis provisionally satisfies the requirements of the degree and, where possible, make an appropriate provisional recommendation subject to the outcome of the oral examination. (Masters by Research students do not normally have an oral examination unless following a resubmission, this is requested by the examiners). The examiners are given six weeks or so to complete their reading of and submit the report on your thesis, so it may be up to two months before you hear anything further. During this period, your DoS will liaise with you and your examination team to agree a mutually convenient date for the oral examination to take place. The Research Degree Officer in the Graduate School will write formally to you with the details of the examination arrangements normally at least three weeks before the examination takes place. Please check your University email account. You will be asked to complete a reply slip in which it asks you to indicate whether you are willing to consent to the attendance of observers at your oral examination. These may include supervisors, advisers, other academic staff or research students registered with the University. Please note that it is entirely for you to decide whether or not you wish observers to be present and if you do give permission, who you want to attend. It is advisable that you permit a member of your supervisory team to attend as they can take notes on your behalf. It will not be held against you if you prefer them not to be present. Only students and staff from Manchester Met. (or exceptionally an external supervisor) will be permitted to attend your oral examination, if you give consent to observers. The Chairman of the Research Degrees Committee or their nominee has the right to attend your oral examination.
THE ORAL EXAMINATION
The examiners will have a private pre-examination meeting prior to your oral examination to set the agenda. You will then be invited into the examination room by the examiners. You will normally be examined by two examiners; one internal examiner and one external examiner, unless you are a member of staff in which case, you will have two external examiners. There will also be an Independent Chair who does not examine the thesis but will ensure that the examination runs smoothly and takes care of all the paperwork. There may also be observers present if you have given permission for them
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to attend. Please note that you are entitled to have up to 3 observers at in your viva examination. If the examination is longer than two hours you will be allowed a short break. At the conclusion of the examination, you along with any observers will be asked to leave the room and the examiners will discuss the outcome. This may take between 30 minutes to one hour to complete. Following their deliberations, you will be invited back into the room and informed of the outcome immediately. Please note: Students for Masters (MA, MSc or LLM) by research do not normally have an oral examination unless one is requested by the examination team following a resubmission.
EXAMINERS RECOMMENDATIONS
At the conclusion of the oral examination, when the examiners have completed their deliberations, you will be informed of the outcome and the recommendation by the examiners. These are:
(a) That you be awarded your degree (with no amendments required to the thesis)
(b) that you be awarded your degree subject to minor typographical amendments being made to the thesis. In which case, the examiners must provide you with a written list of the amendments and corrections required. Such amendments may include typographical errors, grammatical and/or replacement of, or additions to, the text, or to diagrams, for example, the replacement or addition of up to one or two paragraphs of text. Such amendments should be capable of being completed within two weeks and be approved by one member of the examination team. The examination team should decide which examiner(s) will check the amendments.
(c) That you be awarded your degree subject to minor revisions being made to the thesis. Such
revisions would not normally constitute more than 10% of the work and may include empirical work and/or typographical or grammatical errors that are so numerous as to suggest carelessness on the part of the candidate, or so intrusive as to distract the reader’s attention from the argument of the thesis. Such amendments should be capable of being completed within two months from the date of the oral examination. The examination team should decide which examiner(s) will check the revisions.
(d) That you be awarded the degree subject to major revisions being made to the thesis.
Major revisions are matters which are in excess of minor revisions, but not, in the opinion
of the examiners, sufficient to require the student to revise and resubmit. Such revisions
may involve rewriting more than one chapter, correction of calculations, clarification and
amendment of arguments. The revisions should be capable of being completed and
approved within six months from the date of the examination. The examination team will
provide the detail of the required revisions at the end of the oral examination. No further
revisions will be added by the examiners after the oral examination has concluded. Both
examiners will check the amendments.
(e) That you be referred in the first examination and be permitted to resubmit your thesis and
be re-examined for the degree with or without an oral examination. You will be given 12 months if you are a full-time student or 24 months if you are a part-time student from the date of the examination.
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The examiners will make their recommendation on the RD8 form and provide you with a copy of part B, which will indicate the recommendation and provide you with brief details of any amendments you are required to complete. In the case of minor typographical amendments, minor revisions or major revisions being required, the corrected thesis (either hardcopy or electronic copy) should be submitted directly to the nominated examiner(s) for approval.
RESUBMISSION
If you have been referred in the first examination, you will be required to resubmit your thesis for re-
examination. Please note that for students who started after September 2013, during your resubmission
period, you will be required to pay resubmission fees. Please see the Finance Regulations. This is the same
amount as tuition fees.
You will be required to provide 2 soft perfect bound copies of your thesis following the same formatting
requirements as with your initial thesis and 1 electronic copy of your thesis for resubmission. These should be
submitted directly to the Research Degree Officer in the Graduate School. You should also provide a separate
document, clearly indicating the changes you have made and highlighting where exactly in your thesis the
changes can be located i.e. page number/chapter for the examiners. Following the outcome of the first oral
examination, you may be required to undertake a second oral examination as part of the resubmission.
Once you have resubmitted your thesis, it will be sent out to the examiners for re-examination. Upon resubmission further options are available to the examination team, if your revised thesis still does not meet the required standard:
(a) That you not be awarded the degree.
(b) In the case of a PhD examination that you be awarded the degree of MPhil, subject to the thesis being amended to the satisfaction of the examiners.
(c) In the case of an MPhil examination that you be awarded the degree of Masters (by
Research), subject to the thesis being amended to the satisfaction of the examiners (d) In the case of a Professional Doctorate examination that you be awarded the degree of
MPhil subject to the presentation of the thesis being amended to the satisfaction of the examiners.
At the end of the examination, the examiners complete a joint report for submission to the Graduate School. Non-compliance with the time limits for amendments to the revised thesis may result in the recommendation that you not be awarded the degree. However, in exceptional circumstances you can request an extension to the deadline. Please contact the Research Degrees Officer in the Graduate School for further information on this or if you require an extension. If the examiners cannot agree on the outcome, the Research Degrees Committee may accept a majority recommendation or the recommendation of either examiners, or it may require the appointment of an additional external examiner. In the latter case, an independent preliminary report is prepared on the basis
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of the thesis and a further oral examination may be conducted, following which a recommendation will be made in line with those given above. It should be pointed out that, even if each of the examiners is satisfied with the outcome and you are advised that they will be recommending the award of the degree to you, the power to confer the degree still rests with the Research Degrees Committee. Do not start printing your new business cards until you have received formal notification of your award in writing from the Vice-chancellor!
SUBMISSION OF YOUR FINAL THESIS
You are required to submit an electronic copy of your final thesis directly to the Graduate School either via email on a pen drive or CD. The University no longer requires a hard-bound copy of your thesis. The electronic copy will deposited in the University’s open access digital repository, e-space and made available in the British Library Electronic Theses On-line System (EThOS). The electronic thesis must be submitted as one complete document and can be submitted either in Word or as a PDF document. In order for your degree to be conferred, it is important that you submit the following to the Graduate School:
o An electronic copy of your thesis (either via email, CD or pen drive) o Notification from the examiner(s) in writing indicating that you have met the required amendments
as stipulated following your examination. o A completed Exit Form (RDEXIT), which will need to be signed by your DoS. o A completed EThOS Deposit Agreement Form. You are asked to indicate if there is a thesis embargo
period. Please note that this can only happen following formal approval by the FRDC.
CONFERMENT OF AWARD
Providing you have submitted all the required documentation (see above) the formal notification of your award normally takes 2 to 3 weeks. If you had the recommendation from the examiners that you be awarded your degree with no amendments to the thesis or that you be awarded the degree subject to minor typographical amendments, minor revisions or major revisions then your conferment date will be backdated to the date of the oral examination. For Master’s by research, this is when the Graduate School has received both reports from the examiners or received the notification from the nominated examiner that you have completed any amendments required. Please note that if you were required to undertake a resubmission, the conferment date of your award is the is backdated to when the Graduate School receives the resubmitted thesis in the office. It is important that you provide the Graduate School with the address to which you wish your formal notification, certificate and invitation to the awards ceremony to be sent. This will be on the RDEXIT form. The award of the degree can take place any time of the year.
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COLLECTION OF CERTIFICATES AND AWARDS CEREMONIES
Certificates are normally posted out to your permanent address or the address you identify on the RDEXIT form. They can also be collected from Student Life Cycle Administrative Services Office in the new Business School Building on the All Saints Campus between 9.00 am and 4.00 pm. Personal identification will be required. It will take approximately four weeks following the conferment of your award for your certificate to be ready. You will also be invited to the University's awards ceremony to receive the congratulations of the Vice-chancellor. This is held annually in July at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. If you are awarded your degree from May onwards up to the awards ceremonies in July, your certificate will be presented to you at the ceremony. If you do not attend, it will be posted out shortly after that date.
REVIEW OF AN EXAMINATION DECISION (APPEALS PROCEDURE)
Unsuccessful candidates should note that, in certain circumstances, candidates can request a review of the outcome of their research degree examination, the annual review process (RDAR) or the progression or transfer process (RD2). Full details of how to submit an Appeal are available from the Graduate School website at: http://www2.mmu.ac.uk/graduate-school/online-forms/complaints-and-appeals/
10. COMPLAINTS
The University is concerned with your welfare and is keen to ensure that whilst you are studying for a
research degree at the University you have an enjoyable experience and that you have a satisfactory working
environment to undertake your research programme. It is hoped that if you have any problems these can be
resolved satisfactorily between you and your DoS or your supervisory team. You can raise any issue you may
have informally with your Departmental Research Degrees Co-ordinator or Head of Faculty Research Degrees.
It is however, acknowledged that this is not always possible; it is for this reason that we have set up the
Graduate School Clinic.
The Graduate School Clinic is primarily for your immediate academic concerns. You are also welcome to use
the service for other matters although you may wish to use the University's Counselling Services. .
Should you feel that any issues remain unresolved, the University operates a procedure for dealing with research students' complaints. This might relate to supervisory arrangements, facilities or any other matters relating to your treatment in the University or at a collaborating establishment. If you feel that it is necessary to make a formal complaint then it is important that you raise it at the earliest opportunity so that it may be resolved with the least disruption to your work. It is also intended that any complaint will be resolved at the earliest possible stage of the procedure and that the individual to whom the complaint is referred to will make every effort, after any necessary consultation, to resolve expeditiously the issue(s) raised.
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The Complaints process can be found on the Graduate School website at: http://www2.mmu.ac.uk/graduate-school/online-forms/complaints-and-appeals/
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APPENDIX 1 THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
SERVICES FOR RESEARCHERS
The University Library plays an active role in supporting research at Manchester Met. For information on
library services and resources visit the Library website at: www.library.mmu.ac.uk as your key starting point.
Here you will find a link to the user guide for researchers, which gives an overview of the services we provide:
http://libguides.mmu.ac.uk/usrresearch
SUBJECT LIBRARIANS/RESEARCH SUPPORT LIBRARIAN
Your Subject Librarian can provide you with advice on specialist subject resources well as general library
services. If a visit to the Library is difficult, you can e-mail your Subject Librarian with your information
request. A list of contacts is available at: http://libguides.mmu.ac.uk/contacts
The Research Support Librarian is Mary Pickstone, whose e-mail address is [email protected] . Mary
works alongside the library subject teams to help you make the most of the library resources and services in
your field of research. Mary also works with the Research and Knowledge Exchange Office to ensure that
research issues inform the Library Service.
BORROWING FROM THE MANCHESTER MET. LIBRARY
As a research student, you are issued with an ID card following your enrolment by your faculty. All
researchers may borrow up to 30 books for 2 weeks. They will be renewed automatically unless they have
been reserved by another borrower. Items not currently on the shelves, or which are available at the other
site library, may be reserved. There is no charge for this service.
INTERLIBRARY LOANS
Up to 30 requests per academic year for material not held by the Manchester Met. University Library may be
made via the Inter-Library Loans (ILL) service. There is no charge for this service. If, exceptionally, you require
more than your allocation, please discuss with the Inter Library Loans team.
ACCESS TO OTHER LIBRARIES
You may be able to borrow books directly from other UK university libraries participating in the SCONUL
Access Scheme. Full details, including an application form, are available on the SCONUL website at:
www.sconul.ac.uk/sconul-access
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APPENDIX 2 COPYRIGHT AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
This Appendix draws attention to some of the main issues for research students and their supervisory teams.
WHAT IS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY?
Intellectual property, of which copyright is a form, is a system of interconnected legislation that protects the
creative output of the mind. Nobody can own ideas, but once you write or record your idea in a permanent
form it becomes your ‘intellectual property’. Under UK law (Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988), once
you have created something you then automatically own the copyright to your intellectual property.
WHAT IS COPYRIGHT?
Copyright is a form of intellectual property that protects original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, as well as layouts or typographical arrangements of published work, sound recordings, film and broadcast.
Copyright gives the creator of the work the exclusive rights to copy, licence, rent, lend, perform, show the work to the public, make an adaptation of the work or translate a work.
For example, when you write a letter to someone, the recipient owns the letter, but the writer keeps the
copyright. Buying a book does not buy the right to copy the text. Supervising a PhD does not give you
copyright to the content of your student’s thesis.
WHAT CAN I COPY?
The University holds a license from the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) to permit photocopying from books,
loose-leaf works, journals, periodicals, conference proceedings, law reports, and volumes of short stories and
poems.
a book: up to 10% or one complete chapter (whichever is the greater)
an issue of a serial publication: up to 10% or one whole article (whichever is the greater)
a set of conference proceedings: up to 10% or one whole article (whichever is the greater)
a published report of judicial proceedings: up to 10% or the entire report of one single case(whichever is the greater)
an anthology of short stories or poems: up to 10% or one short story or one poem of not more than 10 pages in length (whichever is the greater)
Further information including what is not included in the license can be found in the manchester met. copyright guidelines
Important: all copied material must acknowledge the author, if not, it is deemed as plagiarism. The University
treats acts of plagiarism very seriously (see page 33).
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ADVICE FOR RESEARCH DEGREE STUDENTS AND STAFF
Because research degrees involve creating knowledge and understanding, the law of copyright and
intellectual property affects research students and the work that they do for their degrees. It is a complicated
area of law, and the University’s Legal team will be happy to give advice.
The details relating to students has been extracted below:
4.2. Students
4.2.1. If an individual enrolled on a course of study or research at the University (a “Student”)
generates IPR pursuant to his/her studies or research, the standard position is that the
Student will own such IPR, unless the Student:
4.2.1.1. is a postgraduate student and receives a University scholarship in which case such IPR
will be owned by the University subject to any alternative arrangements with the
Student;
4.2.1.2. is a postgraduate student and receives a bursary from, or has his/her fees paid or
subsidised by, a sponsor in which case ownership of such IPR will be subject to the
arrangement between the Student, University and Sponsor;
4.2.1.3. generates IPR which builds upon existing IPR generated by, or is jointly invented with
University Employees or Associates (in which case the Student will be required to assign
such IPR to the University and in respect of revenue generated by that IPR, the Student
will be entitled to apportioned income in accordance with the policy); or
4.2.1.4. is also an Employee of the University and developed the IPR in that capacity (in which
case the Student is treated as a University Employee for the purposes of this policy).
4.2.2. The University may be willing to support protection and commercialisation of student-owned
IPR. Students should in the first instance notify their course tutor who will then contact the
RKE Office on behalf of the Student. Following consultation with the Faculty Associate Dean
for KE and the students involved, the Director of RKE will be responsible for the final decision
as to whether the University wishes to protect and commercialise the student-owned IPR
through the existing disclosure and assessment route. If the University agrees to support
protection and commercialisation of student owned IPR the Student will be required to assign
such IPR to the University and in respect of revenue generated by that IPR, the Student will be
entitled to apportioned income in accordance with the policy.
E-SPACE
e-space is Manchester Met’s Institutional Repository in which published research outputs are archived and
made available online. Government policy is directing universities to make all of their research outputs Open
Access, and depositing the correct version of publications into e-space fulfils this obligation. The Library has
produced a guide to Open Access publication to explain this process in more detail. It can be accessed here:
http://libguides.mmu.ac.uk/openaccess
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On completion of your degree your thesis will be archived in e-space. This means it will be available online,
although you may ask for the full-text to be embargoed for a limited period if required.
DATA SPACE
Data-space is Manchester Met’s data repository in which data generated by research at the University may
be archived and, if appropriate, made available online. If you generate data as part of your research project
you should think about how you organise and store it, and how it could be used by yourself or other
researchers in the future. The Library has a Research Data Coordinator, Sarah May, who can advise you
about this. She can be contacted at [email protected]
USEFUL LINKS:
Guidelines on Good Research Practice
Copy-Right Consultants Limited – Moral rights: copyrighttoolkit.com The UK Copyright service: copyrightservice.co.uk Office for Public Sector Information: opsi.gov.uk Copyright Licensing Agency: cla.co.uk JISC - Intellectual Property Rights: jisc.ac.uk
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APPENDIX 3 SPECIMEN FRONT COVER AND TITLE PAGE
To be point size 24 on thesis SPECIMEN FRONT COVER
NINETEENTH CENTURY LANCASHIRE WOVEN COTTONS: STUDIES IN THE
ROLE OF THE DESIGNER IN THE PRODUCTION PROCESS
J M WEBSTER
PhD 2014
SPECIMEN TITLE PAGE
NINETEENTH CENTURY LANCASHIRE WOVEN COTTONS: STUDIES
IN THE ROLE OF THE DESIGNER IN THE PRODUCTION PROCESS
JENNIFER MARY WEBSTER A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements
of the Manchester Metropolitan University for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Department of Textiles/Fashion the Manchester Metropolitan University
in collaboration with Lancashire Cotton Mills Ltd 2014
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APPENDIX 4 USEFUL PUBLICATIONS
Harrison, S. (2010) How to write a PhD in Less than 3 years: A practical guide, Author House Hayton, J. (2015) PhD, An Uncommon Guide to Research, Writing and PhD Life, James Hayton PhD Jackson, C. and Tinkler, P. (2004) The Doctoral Examination Process: A Handbook for Students, Examiners and Supervisors, Open University Press Karp, J. (2009) How to Survive Your PhD: The Insider's Guide to Avoiding Mistakes, Choosing the Right Program, Working with Professors, and Just How a Person Writes a 200 Page Paper, Sourcebooks. Marshall, S and Green, N. (2010) Your PhD Companion: The Insider Guide to Mastering the Practical Realities of Getting Your PhD (3rd Edition), How to Books, Oxford. Murray, R. (2011) How to Write a Thesis, Open University Press Phillips, E.M. and Pugh, D.S (2015) How to get a PhD: A Handbook for Students and Supervisors (6th Edition), Open University Press Rugg, G and Petre, M. (2010) The Unwritten rules of PhD Research, Open University Press Wisker, G. (2007) The Postgraduate Research Handbook: Succeed with Your MA, MPhil, EdD and PhD, Palgrave Macmillan Wisker, G. (2015) Getting Published: Academic Publishing Success, Palgrave Research Skills
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APPENDIX 5 TEACHING COMMITMENTS
Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA)
Full time postgraduate research students may wish to use the opportunity to teach and this ‘learning
opportunity’ should be, where possible, available to all postgraduate research students. It is not
mandatory towards their studies and students can choose whether they wish to teach. However,
teaching is not a compulsory element of skills development and the University is not obliged to offer a
postgraduate research student any teaching experience.
Employment of full time postgraduate research students as GTAs can be an excellent development
opportunity and is to be encouraged. This framework covers the employment of all full time
postgraduate research students as GTAs by faculties in their responsibilities for teaching and learning.
The University acknowledges that employment of PGR students carries a responsibility and that any
teaching undertaken by a postgraduate research student should not compromise their ability to
complete their research degree programme successfully within the allotted time period.
The University recognises that postgraduate research students should be provided with appropriate
training before they undertake any teaching to ensure that the quality of teaching and learning is
safeguarded. Please see the CeLT website for details of training. In addition, students should be
provided with sufficient resources in terms of access to teaching and learning facilities, to allow them to
provide a quality teaching experience.
The Research Councils support postgraduate research students’ undertaking these activities as it is
recognised that such activities provide valuable communication and interpersonal skills for their future
careers.
Part time PGR students are not covered by this framework and will need to consult with Human
Resources with regards their employment.
The GTA Framework is available on the Graduate School Website.
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Author: (Name, Dept) Clare Holdcroft, Graduate School Version:
2017/18
Updated
annually
Approved by:
(Role/Committee)
Graduate School Manager Approved
Date
30/06/2017
Published: Graduate School Website
