- The Supervisor is Too Busy to be Effective in their Role
The most common supervisor-related problem that PhD students face is having a supervisor whose extensive commitments make them too difficult to get hold of. This comes as a result of supervisors having too many other students and commitments. The consequences arising from this are numerous. Students see this as the main barrier to receiving optimal supervision. It is also a likely cause of many of the additional problems students emphasise (see below). - Poor Feedback
Feedback which conflicts with previous feedback given, too little feedback, delayed and infrequent feedback, illegible feedback, and too much negative feedback relative to encouraging and positive comments are all problematic issues for students. - The Supervisor Lacks Commitment and Interest
A supervisor who lacks commitment to, or interest in, research poses problems for graduate research students. Such supervisors fail to show an interest by their lack of presence and their lack of enquiry into the progress of the work. They tend to make little or no effort to encourage or motivate the student, fail to give guidance and direction on issues and questions raised, and don’t cooperate well with the student or help the student to develop skills to help her or himself. - Tensions or Conflicting Perspectives from within the Supervisory Panel
Having to manage the relationship between co-supervisors who do not get along with each other is a substantial problem for students. Similarly, students find it problematic when they receive conflicting advice and opinions from each supervisor. - Poor Communication and Disagreements About the Project
Problems arise for students when they feel unclear or in disagreement with their supervisors about what the aims of the project are or how to best use and interpret their findings. A failure to discuss the direction and progress of the research poses problems for the student and their research. - Conflicting or Unrealistic Expectations of Each Other
Students face problems where there is poor communication with their supervisors about what each person expects of the other. Consequences include misunderstandings between parties, wasting time, and one or more parties getting frustrated. Another serious consequence is the student possibly being faced with a project that is too large to be completed in reasonable timeframe. - Selfishness and Disrespectfulness
Some supervisors display selfishness and a lack of respect for their students. Students find it difficult to work with supervisors who only look at their own gains from the student’s research, push the research down paths that interest them but not necessarily the student, treat the student as “their property”, and expect students to do work that extends beyond the realms of their PhD or Master’s research. Students also find it concerning when they are not treated as colleagues, despite being at the final stages of their studies. Students struggle when their supervisors fail to recognise and respect that they have lives that extend beyond their thesis work. - The Supervisor is not Up-to-Date with the Field
The problem of a supervisor who is not up to date with the field means supervisors are unable to help problem-solve and advise. This is particularly problematic for students who also lack access to those who do maintain a current knowledge of the literature. In some areas, being out-of-date with the field means supervisors are ignorant of the optimal techniques and theories that exist. This has implications for the quality of research that can be performed. - The Supervisor Lacks Experience in Research and / or Supervision
A lack of experience in research or supervision results in problems for students. Students commented that an inexperienced supervisor is unclear about the amount and quality of research that is sufficient for a PhD or Master’s. Such supervisors are more likely to allow the student to do far too much research or to submit the thesis despite it failing to meet the required standards. In addition, a supervisor who lacks research experience is likely to allow the conduct of research that is badly-planned. - Personality Clashes
Students find clashes of personality with their supervisors to be problematic for all concerned. The majority of students saw a personality clash as the reason most likely to drive them to abandon their studies or to change supervisors.
The 10 Most Substantial Problems Faced by Students in Graduate Research Supervision
Posted on May 29, 2016 ·
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